Open Invasion Storms Over Bastion

[Altair Din]

OOC: I'll include pvp specs/npcs number if needed
​

The skies above thundered with the sounds of aerial combat, a sound he had grown far more accustomed to than he liked. However, there was enough of a breach where transports broke through to drop troops and soldiers on the surface of Bastion. It was the first strike against the Jedi by the newly formed Drast Emperor. The Emperor had declared Jedi enemies and this battle would be the first of many for a campaign to remove Jedi influence from the worlds that bordered the Empire.

The transport ramps opened and tanks and droids rolled out along with thousands of troopers. Altair Din himself was present to kickstart the campaign coded as Operation Blue Storm. The campaign had strategic worlds to take before forcing the Jedi to surrender their northern territories.

The tiefling was adorned in his combat armor, his custom fitted helmet sealed above his neck. The pronounced horns that always gave him a demonic appearance did their job, and he carried himself with cool confidence behind his rows of soldiers. He was not going to charge in until he spotted a Jedi.

“Give me status,” He commed to one of the pilots zooming above. He needed to be sure that they weren’t in any danger of cannonfire from above before he ordered his men to march. His tail swished back and forth in anticipation. Altair glanced down at that familiar picture of his daughter as he always did before risking his life.

The Imperial play was to align with a local diplomatic candidate that was vying for control of the planet. The current ruler had done away with centuries of Bastion’s traditions of having a military dictatorship with the Jedi’s help. However, the Empire would see that the old ways were restored through the diplomat they helped put in power. The mission was a mix of warfare and politics. A surprising number of the locals preferred the old traditional ways, but they were not in the majority. This move would thrust the new diplomat into power and allow him to rule like in the old ways while bringing the planet under the Imperial banner.

 

[Vena Lann]

Vena Lann stood a few meters behing the Grand Marshal of the Imperial Armed Forces and eyed the datapad in her hands carefully. The Emperor regarded this as his first big move to take the entire galactic north and because these were "Jedi worlds" the Lord Commander had apparently been told to spread out his knights among the IAF commanding officers. Of all the commanding officers the one who probably needed a Force-sensitive bodyguard to defend him against the Jedi the least was.. the Grand Marshall himself. Perhaps that's why Vena had been assigned to him, saving the more skilled and experienced Knights and Knight-Captains for the other generals and commanders.

Her datapad showed general staff messages. Batallion X deployed succesfully on grid-square Y, stuff like that. Vena didn't care much about military movements and tried her best to focus on the Force energies here on Bastion. Her job was to face an Jedi that were foolish enough to have a fight reflex. The grunt-work was for the grunts.

"The Sith ran," Vena stated, more to herself than to anyone in particular, and referred to the members of the Sith Order preferring to leave their lightsabers, holocrons and other artefacts behind to flee their own homeworlds. Something she had mixed feelings about, for sure, since she regarded the Dark Lord more or less as her master. One who had yet to deliver. "My money is on the Jedi not being any different." there was just no way that the Jedi would defend their powerbases there were not even the Sith dared to. Vena was confident about this, but she could only judge based on the things she had read of the Jedi Order. She had never actually met a jedi before.

@Sreeya

 

[Kellan Solari]

“Give me status.”

Even filtered through the compression of the comlink’s open frequency, Grand Marshal Din’s voice rang out in Lieutenant Solari’s helmet with an air of authority and assuredness. The pilots eyes darted towards the TIE Interceptor at the tip of their formation. If Commander Darrow was unnerved by reporting directly to the face of Imperial military might, his piloting did not reflect it. Even as Kellan watched, Darrow inverted his fighter, pulling the Interceptor into a finely coiled half-loop. The whole of Alpha Squadron followed, exiting the maneuver tightly in formation directly behind a trio of Malla Class fighters.

The Jedi fighters were nimble enough as snubfighters went, but positively flatfooted by TIE Interceptor standards. They panicked and scattered and Solari followed suit, his fighter’s superior speed and agility pinning him to the back of one of the fleeing ships. His prey rolled and swung but try as it might could not shake its pursuer. Kellan’s targeting system bleated confirmation and his cannons sang, crumpling the Jedi craft’s shields and hull in short order.

The starfighter erupted into a plume of flaming smoke before coming apart altogether. The fiery wreckage streaked groundward as Solari wheeled back toward formation. The remainder of the Jedi starfighters had quickly met similar fates, the burning cinders of their failure staining the skies around them.

The 81st TIE Wing counted amongst them some of the most ruthless and talented pilots that Seraph Fleet had to offer. Caught unaware, the aerial defenders of Bastion simply hadn’t mustered up any coordinated defense. No one in the squadron was naive enough to expect that advantage to last long. Darrow’s familiar voice cut through comm chatter.

“Copy that Raging Bull.” Darrow said, at last responding to the Grand Marshal below. “This is Alpha Leader. Encountering only nominal resistance thus far sir. Skies are clear and we are ready to provide air support.”

@Sreeya @Eccles

 

[Tavell Hamber]

“Stay in formation. STAY IN FORMATION! Damnit Geel! Close ranks! Sheef, watch your six! Two fighters inbound. Sheef!-”

The TIE fighter erupted, a mantilla of plasma preempting the inevitable explosion as the blaster fire ignited in the TIE’s engines. The explosion rocked Geel’s fighter, sending the inexperienced pilot into a spin. Panicked, Geel fired his blasters, ripping into another TIE’s wing, the impacts thudding against the deflector, forcing it to withdraw.

Tavell gunned his fighter forward. The Malla were reasonable, in that they were better than a lot of things, but the TIE was an exceptional ship. In the right hands. He dropped thrust, turning to face the two attacking fighters, before thrusting forward into their paths. A missile lock on one was enough to panic the pilot. The second, he shot apart with a cascade of blaster fire that rained onto then through the light deflector screen and further through the pilot canopy killing him. He twisted his whole body to the left, arms and legs acting like the muscles of the TIE’s metallic carapace, pulling the ship away from exploding debris and staying on target with the fleeing fighter. He growled as the fighter evaded two shots and banked towards a larger vessel. The vessel was an Imperial dropship, laden he surmised with troops and equipment. Tavell whirled around, the TIE shrieking with his rage as he ducked under the dropship, wingtip drawing sparks from the hull as he got too close.

“You’re not getting away this time.” He muttered into his comms, the signal set on a wideband to increase the chances he would be heard by the pilot. The pilot spun, firing a missile at the dropship, forcing it to release countermeasures. As the view was suddenly filled with iridescent flares, Tavell saw the fighter seemingly head for the planet below.

“Lapdog! Lapdog! Maintain your altitude! Do not pursue!”

Tavell replied with static. Boosting until he was in missile range, then released everything.

The fighter exploded like a child’s firework, the momentum carrying the burning shards downward as he turned back to the fray.

“Echo flight, this is Lapdog. Geel, you with us?”

A wheezy cough told Tavell all he needed to know. “Geel? Rendezvous with Sharba, let’s show these mongrels how we fly. Dagger formation, increase deflectors to maximum. Forward screens. On my mark, unleash hell.”

“Mark!"

..................................................................

“Echo leader to Raging Bull. Lost one fighter. Replied in kind. We are mopping up those stupid enough to resist."

@Sreeya
@Tic
@Eccles

 

[Rahman Bahadir]

It seemed like it was just yesterday, the Sith were removed at gunpoint from the helm of their Empire. Gone were the days of old, it was spoken. The aged Emperor promised a New Empire, free of atrocity. It was just too bad that he never promised a peaceful one to go along with that.

Did he owe his life to the people living on this world? No. Would one lone Jedi amongst the waves of dread banners stem the tide and save the day? Unlikely. And yet, there he stood, watching the scene unfold in an unwavering stare as the chaos of battle emerged. While others would attempt to evacuate material and non-combatants, Rahman and any other like-minded individuals would do whatever it was that they could, to delay the inevitable as they closed ranks.

Even if it walked hand in hand with their doom.

Whatever security forces, they could muster could trade with the IAF, but it would take a full Knight to take on a Knight before nightfall. @Eccles

@Sreeya @Eccles @Tic @Vek

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Beneath the battle that decorated the skies of Bastion, Ferrin began his march forward - purposeful steps bringing the Knight to the very frontlines of the emerging battlefield, moving to intercept the landing party that had touched down on the surface of the planet. His layover on the planet had only meant to be temporary after the events of Kashyyyk - and it was by mere coincidence that Ferrin had arrived mere days prior to Imperial Invasion.

For the second time in weeks, Ferrin had been forced to defend Jedi territory - any sense of hesitation stymied by the stakes of failure. Bastion was the gateway to the Northern Territories - the sole, fortified world that protected Dubrillion, Sempidal and others. The very heart of resources and support for the Order.

Ferrin knew that Bastion couldn’t be allowed to fall. He owed it to his fellow Jedi that battled horrors on Coruscant - and to the very people that put their faith in the Jedi - to defend their planet with every ounce of strength he possessed.

The Pantoran strode forward to stand right alongside Rahman - offering the Orcolan a simple nod of acknowledgment. He was adorned in his usual combat attire - the golden sash along his shoulders accenting the tattoos that adorned his face. The hilt of his lightsaber was clutched tightly within his right hand, his thumb hovering just over the activation.

“The Empire has come to strip away your liberties - to tear down your institutions and way of life.” He called out - his voice carried on the Force and projected to the multitudes of men and women that gathered to defend Bastion. The Fortress-world had remained well armed despite its alignment with the Jedi, and the bulk of those defenses were brought to bear against foreign invaders. His voice was stern and unyielding, a stark contrast to his usual flippance and arrogance.

“Remind Emperor Drast who this planet belongs to,”

 

[Kellan Solari]

“Alpha Squadron, Pyramid Formation on me.” Commander Darrow’s voice over the comms. “Switch to tactical channel 4242, repeat Tac-4242.”

Solari nudged his Interceptor a bit tighter into his assigned place in the wedge-shaped formation and flicked his comlink’s band to the specified channel. A short-range frequency, it would allow Alpha Squadron a modicum of privacy from the larger 81st Wing and the ground forces below. It would also permit a measure of informality. Darrow was well aware that regardless of Imperial policies on the need for faceless anonymity amongst the ranks, the knowledge that you’re risking it all alongside actual people was far more comforting to the average pilot than simply considering the voices on the other end of the comm another sterile Imperial asset.

“Alright Alpha Squadron, report in.” Darrow had an air of what could easily be mistaken for joviality in his voice. A chorus of voices sounded off until all units were accounted for.

“Take a gander starboard, boys.” Alpha Three said. “Looks like the locals sent a welcoming party out to greet us.”

Kellan’s flight helmet, like all TIE Pilots, fed him a constant stream of sensorial metrics, targeting data and situational feeds, all neatly packaged into a projected output that displayed on his visor. The average TIE’s design prevented a clear view past the broad solar arrays affixed to the wing pylons. As such, pilots learned to trust their Heads-Up Displays as they would their own eyes. He glanced at the HUD panel for the ship’s starboard side.

“Always amazes me the lengths townies will go to defend their own.” Alpha Eleven sneered. “Even a backwater system like this.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think you could get Grand Marshal Din out of his bunk for less than a Core World.” Alpha Five laughed. “We gonna cook ‘em Cap?”

“Commander to you Brinks. And affirmative, the plan is to soften them up.” Darrow replied. “Alright squad, switch system to concussion missiles and strengthen forward deflector shields. We’ll move low and fast on the enemy position. Stay tight and watch your spacing. Alpha Nine, Ten and Eleven, cover our six. We engage at my mark. Clear?”

Another round of verbal confirmations. Lieutenant Solari added his own, vaguely wondering how many Jedi resided among the assembled forces below. He’d heard stories of their abilities, but even in his substantial martial experience had yet to see them in action. He hoped today wouldn’t be too enlightening in that regard. He thumbed the weapons system controls, switching to concussion missiles.

“Steady...” Darrow said. “Three, two, one. NOW!”

Darrow’s Interceptor banked into a hard roll and Kellan followed suit. In the span of an instant, the whole of Alpha Squadron was diving steeply towards Bastion’s assembled defenders. Kellan watched breathlessly as the mob became increasingly defined, the g-forces causing the Interceptor's alloy frame to tremble beneath his boots.

“Grease 'em!” Darrow commanded. Above the collected defenders, all twelve members of Alpha Squadron released their volleys of concussion missiles which streaked towards the figures below. Even as the projectiles carved their deadly paths downward, the Interceptors of Alpha Squadron began to pivot out of their dive.

@Altaris @Xorism @OrsicVek @Eccles @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

“Copy that, Alpha leader and Echo leader,” He commed back, “Remember gents, we ain’t the Sith Empire so stick to rules of engagement,” He reminded them. Many Imperials were used to directives that called for demolition of civilians without a second thought. He brought in an entirely new era of warfare and he could only hope that the Emperor would continue it.

He wasn’t entirely surprised at the resistance offered, and he could see the planet’s ground forces gathering to engage his men. Altair spoke into his comms again, “Alpha leader, take out their comms tower. Echo leader, secure the airspace around the northern spaceport. We have intelligence that the planetary governor may attempt an escape,” He said bitterly. What a coward. (@Vek @Tic)

The tiefling didn’t resort to Force use just yet, letting his troops engage as he marched behind the rest of his men. Tanks were deployed on the scene and began to fire on incoming droids that were deployed as part of the Bastion defense.

“Jedi incoming,” He commed to the Imperial Knights (@Eccles ) on the scene, “Lure them away from the center column,” He instructed, knowing full well about the Jedi’s ability to impact collective groups of people, and he didn’t need entire platoons taken out in one fell swoop.

Altair was infamous among the ranks as a Matukai, so no doubt some of the soldiers were curious about seeing him in action or punching someone’s head off. For now, the tielfing was reserved and calmly advancing without engaging in direct combat just yet.

@Altaris @Xorism

 

[Vena Lann]

Vena quickly handed her datapad off to another member of the Grand Marshal's staff and then gave the Tiefling a salute, "Yes, Grand Marshal-" she said to acknowledge his orders and then motioned to another Imperial Knight standing nearby to follow her forward up the lines.

They didn't have to hurry as the aerial assault on the Jedi defenders happened first while the Imperial troops were still too far to become collateral damage from a stray missile or blast. Still, Vena was close enough that she figured she could protect the troops if any of these Jedi were skilled enough in the Force to direct one of the missiles towards the Imperials instead. The strength and skill needed for such a move greatly surpassed her own, but one never knew who the Jedi would send to defend one of their more prominent worlds. Anything was possible, so Vena made sure she was prepared for anything to happen.

As she came close to the front line of troops she signalled the other knight to split up as she moved to one side of the center column. It would seem, due to their uniforms standing out, that the Imperial knights were looking to perform a pincer movement on the Jedi to follow up on the destructive aerial assault. Staying on the center column would greatly disadvantage the Jedi defenders, so they'd have to pick a side. Left or right. Vena hoped that they'd pick hers.

@Sreeya @Tic @Vek @Xorism @Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Stalwart against the invasion, Ferrin kept his golden eyes upon the horizon - watching as Imperial forces continued to press across the battlefield. He could feel every tremor and explosion that rocked the surface of Bastion. He could hear every hail of gunfire, every scream of the injured caught within the skirmishing. It was the same horror and chaos that the Empire had brought to countless worlds, and it didn’t matter if it was the Sith leading them or not. They would never change - and their newfound crusade against the Jedi was testament to the fact.

Ferrin exhaled through his nostrils, allowing his anxieties and fears to be expelled with a breaths - fingers curling around the hilt of his humming lightsaber. His own consciousness expanded through the Force, the Light permeating through the cacophony of warfare. It was a sense of serenity and calm that would spread to every soldier around him, the very same technique that he had once employed on Berchest. It would give them the resolve and courage to hold their ground, even as the odds began to worsen all around them.

“Cover our men and keep formation. Let them come to you,” He called out towards Rahman - casting the Orcolan a brief glance. The Jedi were protectors of Bastion, and Ferrin wasn’t about to leave their troopers exposed to assault.

Those battling in the skies of Bastion would find success in their initial bombing run - but would just as quickly be subjected to return fire. Bastion was well-armed and manned, made clear by the ground-based artillery that began to open fire upon Alpha Squadron. The fighters would be forced into evasion action, as those on the ground attempted to make the Imperials pay for every Bastion defender killed.

The Pantoran turned his attention instead to the Knight approaching from the side - golden eyes narrowing upon the woman. He from his defensive position, aiming to engage her directly while the rest of their forces and his fellow Jedi held their ground. He wasn’t going to give her an opportunity to close their pincer movement.

She would be forced to fight the Pantoran directly and on her own, isolated from the rest of her men.

With his saber held defensively, Ferrin coiled the Force around the chunks of debris that littered the battlefield - hurling chunks of rock towards Vena as he continued to close the distance.

@Sreeya @Eccles @Tic

 

[Rahman Bahadir]

The impeccable violence descended upon the defenders of Bastion, who, like their namesake, stood valiantly in the face of the oppressive fire-power. It didn't take long for the two opposing bodies of soldiery to meet in the middle, armed to the teeth, it would be a bloody melee.

Ferrin the brave stood to the Orcolan's side, standing with fierce determination and drive. Rahman could only nod as his smaller friend ran off to chase the incoming threat, leaving him to watch the other nameless face rolling around the other side. The Orcolan overheard one of the lieutenants barking orders along the flank. "Remember, stun the knights, they can't deflect those." A handful of troopers began firing in the direction of this flanking knight, trying to dissuade their advance. @NPC

Meanwhile, in the centre, the Orcolan continued the pressure forward, lightsaber in hand. For the entrée, the Jedi Knight would begin by picking up and hurling any small object or minor piece of debris before him into the large crowd of troopers. Rocks, metal strips and other such things becoming projectiles under the sudden thrust of the force with no real direction or goal but to cause chaos and disrupt their lines. @NPC

If noone opposed him, they would soon join the melee.

@Sreeya @Eccles @Tic @Vek @Altaris

 

[Kellan Solari]

The barrage of concussion missiles slammed into the ground forces, a series of incendiary explosions tearing through the ranks of defenders. Even as Lieutenant Solari was beginning to turn out of his dive, a hail of return fire came sizzling up from the planet’s surface. His Interceptor’s deflector shields crackled as the laserfire dispersed through it. The comms squealed to life.

“I’m hit! I’m hit!” Alpha Seven cried and from his peripheral, Kellan watched the pilot he knew as Tarl Draaven, pop his TIE’s canopy and eject. The abandoned Interceptor sprouted a plume of fire from its fuselage before erupting into a comet of flame that streaked towards the ground below. Alpha Seven meanwhile, drifted helplessly groundward, where Bastion’s defenders undoubtedly awaited him. Draaven had been an affable sort. Just a kid from the Rim like himself. Solari grimaced.

Alpha Squad banked out of its run and turned to port, pulling away from the infantry lines. Darrow’s voice rang out over the ops band.

“Copy orders, Raging Bull (@Sreeya).” he replied. “New target is comms tower at heading one-thirty-five, mark seven. Distance to target confirmed at eight clicks. Be advised Raging Bull, ground forces appear to include at least two Jedi. Over.”

The Interceptors adopted the new heading as Kellan set about readjusting his sensors and system distribution after the strain of the strafing run. The tac-channel crackled in his ear.

“Alright Alpha Squad,” the cheer was notably absent from Darrow’s voice. “We’re hitting that comm tower. Alpha Six through Twelve are with me in a high-low split formation. Identify and neutralize any defenders we encounter.”

Kellan noticed Darrow didn’t mention the obviously missing Draaven, Alpha Seven, from that lineup.

“Alpha Two…”

He snapped back into focus.

“...you’ll take the rest of Alpha Squad and eliminate the target.”

“Copy that Alpha One.” Kellan replied and slammed the throttle.

Spoiler: Status

Alpha Squad Remaining: 11/12

​

 

[Tavell Hamber]

“Echo leader, copy that Raging Bull. Dropping to atmospherics.” Tavell hit the pedal to his right and pushed his fighter down hard. The rest of Echo spun with him. Blaster fire rose up to greet them, from more fighters and from the surface cannons he surmised. The spaceport was a critical target, destroying it wasn’t an option. The Empire would need it to land their ships once Bastion was taken. Tavell silently checked his ammunition. In his anger he’d fired all but one missile.

“Echo One to Echo flight. Keep your missiles handy but use them sparingly. Switching to blasters for this one. Recommend switching to personal life support, reroute power to deflectors and blasters.”

Geel replied, “Roger that, sir.”

“Echoes Nine to Twe--Eleven. I want you to focus on stopping aircraft leaving. Cripple, do not destroy. I repeat do NOT destroy. There are civilians down there. This isn’t Palpatine’s Navy. Echoes Five to Eight, Scan the air for anything resembling the Governor’s ship. Monitor all channels for chatter. Over.”

He fired off a salvo, crippling a fighter, before spinning around the flailing aircraft. Echo three left formation.

“Sharba! Get your ass in line. We’re professionals, not flyboys. Stick to Dagger until I say otherwise.”

“Copy that sir, sorry sir.”

The three fighters dropped to three hundred feet, blasters destroying turrets and missile batteries before they could respond.

“Echo One to Dagger team. Cherubs 3.. Switch to chain formation.” The three ships formed a short line behind him. “Okay boys, lets soften things up for the doughboys and girls. Do try to keep up.”

He spooked a squadron moving east to try and flank the Imperials, releasing coolant vapour from his engine as he roared overhead. The rifle fire ricocheted harmlessly off his hull plating in return but he saw them routed all the same. Thick, blinding plumes of coolant shrouded their movements as Geel and Sharba followed suit.

“I have tone! I have tone! There’s a missile lock on me-” Sharba’s fighter was hit by some shoulder launcher from below, he spun suddenly wingless into the ground below. The wreckage bouncing rubberlike across the site of battle.

“We lost Echo Three. One to all other Echoes. Report please.”

“Echo Ten, we are approaching the Spaceport. Surgical strike on runway. No casualties.”

“Echo Six. We have radio chatter. Attempting to decode.”

@Tic
@Eccles
@Sreeya
@Altaris

 

[Vena Lann]

As always the Jedi Knights seemed unaffected by the barrage of enemy fire that killed the many regular people they forced to defend their religious cult's dominion over this world. The wickedness of "valiantly defending" against a force that utterly outnumbered you was something Vena would never understand. All these deaths could so easily have been avoided if the Jedi would just cede and leave the planet. Now millions could potentially die for the sake of how many? A few dozen Jedi at most? All she saw so far were.. well, two of them.

The Jedi Order were so blinded by their own hypocracy they actually thought that the Empire was the bad guy in this act to free Bastion. It would learn to proper again under the Emperor's guidance.

The pincer movement by the Imperial Knights seemed to work. While the regular troops occupied the other Imperial knight, the Jedi Knight staying at the center column would soon meet their own barrage of stun bolts. That gave Vena the opportunity to deal with the Jedi one after the other as the first one seemed to direct his actions towards her.

"The Pantoran turned his attention instead to the Knight approaching from the side - golden eyes narrowing upon the woman. He from his defensive position, aiming to engage her directly while the rest of their forces and his fellow Jedi held their ground. He wasn’t going to give her an opportunity to close their pincer movement.

She would be forced to fight the Pantoran directly and on her own, isolated from the rest of her men.

With his saber held defensively, Ferrin coiled the Force around the chunks of debris that littered the battlefield - hurling chunks of rock towards Vena as he continued to close the distance."​

Vena used the Force to swat away the debris that the Pantoran Jedi (@Altaris) hurled her way, but while he moved forward, she stopped and took on a fencing stance of her own. She was alert in case he would try any more cheap tricks with the Force and allowed him to come closer as he moved away from the people of Bastion who died becuase of the Jedi's pride and vanity. Soon their duel would start and she could finally use all those powers that the Sith taught her but she never did dare use against fellow Imperials.

@Sreeya @Tic @Vek @Xorism @Altaris

 

[Kellan Solari]

The TIE Interceptors of Alpha Squad carved their way through the airspace above…was it Ravelin? Solari had to confess that in all the excitement, the name of the particular city on Bastion over which they had been fighting, now utterly eluded him. But, as he glanced to port and watched the buildings whip past, he supposed it could have been any number of Imperial capitals. Sturdy, duracrete architecture built for utility and enterprise, the domed cupolas providing just a modicum of grandeur. Ultimately, he knew the city’s name was inconsequential. From the edges of the Outer Rim to the depths of the Core, the Emperor, through his machinations, would in time see any and all systems assimilated into the Empire’s vast construct of security and order.

Ahead of them, a squat gray building dominated the view. With its wide, circular base and tapered, windowless exterior, it looked to Kellan like some gargantuan drill-bit. The structure’s rounded triangular walls were capped by a single viewport that encircled the building’s top. Instinct told him that the behind ring of transparisteel windows would reside the communication bunker’s command team.

Their target, a willowy, paneled comms tower, stood just behind the building, reaching high into Bastion’s airspace. Stationed equidistant around the communications compound, four turbolaser batteries glinted dangerously in the late-morning sunlight.

He watched Darrow lead half the Interceptor’s into a high-low pattern, half the TIEs flying at low altitude to engage the turbolasers while the remainder took point above to ward off any interloping defenders.

“Attack team, switch to tactical channel forty-two eleven. Four-two-one-one.” He adjusted his own frequency accordingly. After his wedge of Alpha Squad had reported in, he continued. “Alright team, on me. Climbing to 750 meters. Once they’ve engaged those point defenses, we’ll make our run out of the sun.”

Solari and his Interceptors peeled away from the rest of Alpha Squad and swung into a curved ascent skyward. Hopefully the compound’s gunnery crew, busied with Darrow and team, wouldn’t catch sight of them diving out the sun’s glare until it was too late. The Impetus-Class Interceptor was a sturdier starfighter than its predecessor, even equipped with light deflector shields. But they wouldn’t last long if one of those turbolasers caught them in its sights.

The sound of cannonfire fire sang as below, Darrow and team swept in. Kellan and the attack team wheeled their TIEs round.

“Vic Formation on me.” he ordered. The remainder of the attack team arranged themselves on his wings. “Lets burn ozone!”

He pressed the yoke and felt the starfighter lurch into a dive as the six Imperial starfighters screamed towards the comms tower below. Even as Solari was lining his shot, a segment of paneling of the base of the tower slid away to reveal a darkened egress. Then, one by one, a stream of craft poured into the air like a swarm of hostile insects, momentarily gathering their bearings before righting themselves in the direction of the attackers. He recognized the hostiles well before before his helmet's HUD displays confirmed his fears.

“Kark! Vulture Droids!” Kellan cried into the comms. “Break! Evasive maneuvers!”

The attackers of Alpha Squad wheeled out of the dive as the Vulture Droids darted upwards.

@Eccles @Sreeya @Vek @Xorism @Altaris

 

[Altair Din]

Altair continued to trudge behind the rows of soldiers, now fully coming into the fray. It was no secret that he was a Force user, but he still tried to limit its use. Unfortunately the appearance of Jedi would Force his hand. The tiefling spotted the Pantoran (@Altaris) that emerged to engage the Imperial Knight. Without a word, he coiled the Force around the Jedi in an attempt to fling him clear across the field and out of the combat zone. The collision would be hard enough to knock him out. This freed Vena up to fight the remaining Jedi (@Xorism ).

Meanwhile, the tiefling focused on the main column that advanced towards the central district. Everytime he thought he was desensitized to war, but it shook him to the core every time. Down here he was in the thick of it - the bodies, the sounds of soldiers in agony, the smell of burning flesh and melting armor, the deafening sounds of blasterfire. Most of the Jedi looked like they were teens - could they really call themselves the 'good guys' with child soldiers in their ranks?

The tiefling kept going, tapping into his comms again, “What have you got on the radio, Echo leader?” (@Vek)

OOC: I worked out with Alt taking him out of combat since he's already in a pvp

@Eccles