The Bells

[Essien Inemesit]

THE BELLS
[BREAKER OF CHAINS]

KESSEL​

The coup de grace. All forces assembled to force the capitol to buckle, bend the knee or be crushed by the Empire's might. Slow and steady, the clanging of landing gear nesting on the streets, the clonking of bay doors banging the pavement as plodding boot steps marched into formation, the assaulting forces would ring head plates with blaster fire as the echos of war flooded the city. Barricades blocked whole intersections and buildings served as shields, mapping the Empire's forces approach to victory. As other connected missions would build a bridge to inevitability, a three-pronged upheaval of the Mandalorian's hold on Kessel, here the Sith would demand their surrender. But first they would have to establish and hold position.

Essien Inemesit ignited the red beam up before his duraplast helmet, Sith Marauder Armor shrouded in black billowing cloak as he exited the ramp and followed footsteps behind a building, blaster and knife at his hips. He waved his lightsaber to his side as a symbol of command, breathing hotly inside his hooded visor.

"Form a perimeter," he barked before looking back for his counterpart. "We leave shortly. If we are to break their spirits, we must show them broken bodies in our hands." Guns were eagerly hefted into shoulder pockets, to be disappointed. "We go alone."

@Taalong Vorr @Dax Rau @Juulius Kryze

 

[Taalong Vorr]

​

The troops had been assembled for some time near Kessel. The assault had been planned, weighed, and measured. All approvals granted, all orders given. The dropships had heated their engines, their cannons were primes, their missile tubes loaded, and their hordes of Imperial Troopers were prepared to unleash upon their enemy the full might and wrath of the Sith Empire. They had descended quickly, and touched down throughout the area, preparing a massive attack, which would be carried out by waves of Black and Gray clad troopers, hailing blaster fire on anything that stood in their way, and leaving absolute destruction in the wake of any that dared attempt to resist. This would be the final seizure of Kessel, and it would be important to place the military as the best foot forward.

Taalong Vorr was an easy attachment. He had decades of war experience, and was recently anointed Crusader following his successful and swift subjugation of Lothal. An experienced fighter in the ever expanding outer rim wars, he made a fine addition to the invasion force. His tattered dark robes clinging to the armor of a Sith Warrior, his face concealed behind the mask of a Kaleesh warrior. His lightsaber in his hand was extended, the hot red blade denoted the power that was wielded, and the troopers would follow without a second thought.

This Essien Inemesit was not so experienced. He was young, quick speaking, and Vorr could sense a brashness to him. He believed that the young Sith was here to prove himself, but whether it was to the troopers, their superiors, or to simply to himself was hard to say. It did give Vorr a sense of danger nonetheless, as brash action was best utilized in conjunction with overwhelming force. Which they could bring to bear. But holding back their troopers may have been a dangerous move... especially when dealing with the Mandalorians, that were likely already trying to find Sith to put down.

"I can show them broken bodies with a hundred troopers just the same." Vorr retorted to the young Sith. He would not go absolutely alone. This was a battle not a duel. There was no honor in the single combat, only the dead and the living.

"Stay close behind." Vorr ordered to a squad of his own troopers. "Watch the towers for movement." Vorr strongly believed that should an attack come it would be an ambush. His troopers did not disagree.

"Yes, Crusader." The highest rank of the squad replied.

Vorr then looked to the one that the fore, Essien Inemesit. "On you're lead, Acolyte." Vorr said, his saber at the ready, gesturing a hand forward for the Sith to demonstrate the plan he had.

Regardless of what happened, the troops brought to bear would be enough to bring Kessel to heel. So Vorr would indulge in what the Acolyte had suggested, only curious enough to see where it might go so long as it did not impede their mission progress.

@Essien Inemesit @Dax Rau @Juulius Kryze

 

[Juulius Kryze]

Kessel had been won by the Mandalorians in blood and it would be kept in blood, wreathed in that of it's invaders. Juulius and Dax had been dispatched to hold the capital building, joining some of the forces of Death Watch in with a defensive element of Mandalorian troops already present. The fighting had been raging on for some time now and a group of Sith troops had already tried to storm the capital without finding victory earlier in the day.

The defenses were robust with primary, secondary and tertiary means of keeping ground vehicles and ships from getting directly onto the capitol steps. Juulius tracked the approaching vessel and noted its size likely carrying a platoon or more of troops, ducking down he would begin to speak into his comms as it made its descent. "Ready yourselves for another attack." Was all the young Mandalorian would say as he peered out, the ship had landed just beyond the primary barricades they were light fortifications to act as an early warning. Things like overturned speeders and repulsorlift vehicles alike dotted the initial approach.

They had been withdrawn from after the first attack and were strewn with corpses of the previous sith attack force, likely to send a strong message to any who would try again. The secondary line of defense was 25 meters behind the outermost and laden with tank traps, duracrete barriers and spaced to give room to maneuver between defenses; beyond that was the capitol building itself which lay another 25 meters beyond. Totaling 75-80 meters from where the ship had landed and the steps, landing and building had been reinforced with defensive positions much like the second line the tertiary and final defensive line. The secondary defensive line sported several sith trooper corpses and some Mandalorian bodies strewn about the barricades and the defenders remained out of site while the troops at the actual building stayed visible in their battlements to give the attackers something to look at.

Juulius stayed on one knee crouching behind a duracrete barrier that had sandbags along its front, with his deck sweeper at the ready he spoke into his comms a second time, now the ship had landed and they were awaiting the enemy to reveal themselves. "Let them get close." He would be 25-30 meters from the approaching attackers and he waited for a response as the many Mandalorians around him silently responded with nods of affirmation, also keeping out of sight behind the barricades and corpses.
@Dax Rau @Essien Inemesit @Taalong Vorr

 

[Dax Rau (TL8)]

Dax retrieved his vibro knife from the Imperial scout's neck and let the body fall to the cold metal of the roof. The Watch Captain then took a kneeling position less then 2 feet from the edge. Enough to allow the building to provide modest cover, yet still provide him with a birds eye view of the battle below.

It was by Dax's command and the efforts of the fledgling Death Watch members that Kessel was secured by the Mandalorians. It would soon again be the efforts of Death Watch that these karking wizards would meet their end and Kessel would be secure once more.

Putting thought to action, he raised his C1 carbine and tracked the craft. As was his fellow Watch Captain on the ground. The craft landed, vomiting more bantha's to the slaughter as Dax watching from his perch. The building was roughly 30 meters away from Juulius' position and at his 2 o'clock. Putting the Sith ship around 30-35 meters ahead of Dax at the moment and at his 2-3 o'clock. The trap was set.

"Set", he would reply in Mando'a.

@Juulius Kryze , @Taalong Vorr , @Essien Inemesit

 

[Essien Inemesit]

Head whipped left, eyes shuttering to the stalled wheels in his brain, Essien realized his mistake all too late. The soldier had already recognized his commanding Crusader whom had given Essien the lead (was this a test?) before he could castrate himself for over-stepping his bounds. Were it not for his helmet, all eyes would be avoiding his as they bulged out of their sockets.

"Yes Crusader," Essien echoed somewhat frightfully. Stress levels rising, he turned back to the soldiers who'd been there from the start to unleash his tension in pursuit of his plot. First, "Report!" The soldier shortly rattled off bookmarks of the day's progress, which was to say none. Frustratingly monotoned, he noted the first wave's failure, how any rigged explosives would've been set off by the soldiers whose bodies now littered the battlefield, how they'd kept watch and would've seen any new laid traps, how limited enemy movement had been, and report of advanced patrols. Essien squeezed his fists with a shirk of his shoulders, internalizing his angst with threatening carriage, "Resume your assault on the front! Hit them with everything. Now!"

Twisting back left, Essien strode tightly along the building, to lead Taalong and his team away from the battle, first back, then around a corner, leftward of the landing party they had just arrived from. "First we find a building with the worst viewpoint of our landing point. No one will be waiting there." His steps agitated the articulation of his quieted words, carrying him through an alleyway, confident that his pathway was safe, that the enemy could not have predicted where Imperial forces would land, or march, or splinter off, save for the pathway leading up to the front steps. "We will look see how our enemies are using the capitol building to find a weak point while all eyes are on the main assault. It will be loud. Devastating to both sides. Hard to ignore. We will go unnoticed."

"Now," he held up a finger to his mask, signaling silence. He bent his knees to allow short jogging steps onto the balls of his feet, quietly guiding this secret mission toward its first phase, zigzagging through alley and street, staying close to cover, low when necessary, staying out of sightline, skirting the capitol building to the assaulting forces' (the Empire's) 8-9 o'clock. He pointed his finger up, reminding the armed guard to keep their eyes up as Taalong had already said. And he switched off his lightsaber, hilt remaining in right hand, further implying the stealthy nature of their mission.

@Taalong Vorr @Juulius Kryze @Dax Rau

 

[Taalong Vorr]

With the words that were spoken by Essien, Vorr looked back to the assault group. A full platoon in strength awaited for the order to assault. They would not know the details of their mission, but in battles such as those, very few did. In a rush of adrenaline one didn't always know why their right hand struck out a blow against a foe, following the left. It was simply a natural and aggressive response that came from training and a fiery rage, which all sides of a battle possessed. Certainly the Sith were prepared. Vorr looked to the ranking officer.

"Press onward to the capital. Go!" He instructed, ordering them to follow the plan laid out by the Acolyte, which the officer scurried off to complete. Vorr's squad would remain with him.

Vorr kept his lightsaber blade extended for the moment, concerned about any exposure there may have been. He moved with Essien, and when they were behind a sufficiently covered point and concealed in darkness, he drew his blade back in. They were silent and swift through the streets and alleyways near the capital building, working to find their point of entry. They were crouched and particular in their movement, precise and accurate with their footsteps in the dark between buildings and tight against walls that would offer them the cover needed.

"Forward!"

A voice yelled out from near the dropship, and the onslaught of the platoon began their march. The battlements of the Mandalorians were visible ahead, sturdy, strong, and solid. The platoon moved forward and began firing with blasters, taking cover behind the cement barriers, broken refuse, and rubble that littered the entry way that were awash in bodies that had made the same attempt. They took cover and prepared for a prolonged siege, issuing covering fire and barking orders at each other.

All the while, Taalong Vorr and Essien were moving to their position to view and flank the Mandalorian positions, hidden from view and silently stalking. Vorr held his own lightsaber hilt in his right hand, his left free and ready. His eyes darted up to the rooftops and back to the street before him as he followed along in preparation to make their attack.

@Essien Inemesit @Juulius Kryze @Dax Rau

 

[Juulius Kryze]

He could feel the energy, the tension... the anger that surrounded him it was like a shroud of darkness and it was calling out to him, to call upon it and win the day and the glory. But his thoughts were ripped from him as the commlink came to life in his ear "They're advancing, 30-40 in total." a voice from the barriers at the landing above said "Wait until they are beyond the first barricades and open fire. We will engage soon after." Juulius said as he flipped the safety off from his weapon and began to hear the foot falls of the enemy approaching.

Soon after the blaster fire began flying over his head, rounds impacting all around to his front as the sith troops began shouting commands and returning fire. Likely approaching their barricades for cover, the trap was sprung and now it was time to finish the kill. Standing from his crouched position Juulius vaulted the barricade knocking one of the slumped sith trooper bodies off as he moved over the top and at the top of his lungs screamed "OYA!" which was promptly followed by the voices of the other clad warriors revealing themselves from positions all around and going over the top to engage in close combat.

The surprise attack caught a number of the troops off guard as the Mandalorian blasters tore into scrambling troops, but the range was too short for a retreat and as if an understanding of tactics was universal both sides were quickly locked into a brutal melee exchange before long with fire pouring in from both sides by the troops removed from CQB. Juulius taking a moment to survey his surroundings ordered a nearby warrior forward before dropping his deck sweeper to his hip and unleashing a volley of five bolts into an approaching trooper "Slaughter these dogs!" Juulius howled as he slung his repeater and produced his beskad in left hand and blaster pistol in right, beginning to marshal the ground forces from behind.
@Dax Rau @Essien Inemesit @Taalong Vorr

 

[Dax Rau (TL8)]

From his position atop to building he could see the platoon of standard Imperial troopers. and what appeared to be two Sith wizards among them. They were in range of his rifle but outside of the trap. His finger was heavy to pull the trigger but instead he watched as the two wizards suddenly broke away from the main force. It was difficult to tell where they went, only that as suddenly as they were there they were gone.

"Head on a swivel, spotted two wizards moving away from the main force. I suspect they're going to flank your position." speaking Mando'a into the comlink within his helmet to inform Kryze and the rest of the ground forces of the troop movements. Sadly he could not give more detail as there was none to give.

As the battle began, Dax quickly plucked the radio from the dead Imp scout. Activated his jetpack to combat mode, and started to parkour the roof tops. At this height and the roar of the growing battle below, it would be next to impossible for the Sith on the ground to hear the purr of the jets. IF they were in fact close enough, though the Watch Captain did not know exactly what direction they would be flanking from his instinct and experience lead him to where he would go if he was leading the fight on the city, because he had lead a fight on the planet.

Dax leaped around several buildings at the same time as the two Sith were maneuvering around their own gauntlet of alleyways and debris.

Finally, he took up another sniping position. This time in a blown out second story of a building at the 3 o'clock of the rest of the mandalorians. The building was roughly 25-30 meters from the barricades around the capital with good viability of his comrades and their exposures.

"Set again, still no targets." Dax updated in his comlink. He knew they were all out of chess moves. If the Sith wanted the city they needed the capital, if the two commandos wanted to keep the planet they had to hold the line here and now.

 

[Essien Inemesit]

Explosions echoed in the distance behind them, screams and blaster fire muffled by the battered structures. Just as they couldn't tell what may have been a block away on the other side of some obstruction, neither could that someone tell that they were here.

Essien crouched through a hole at the base of a building, in and out the back. He followed his instincts, leading them away from the battle so that they might get a glimpse of the capitol building. There was a good spot, he thought to himself, looking at the building ahead. It was two stories and mostly intact save for a blackened hole the size of a fist on the second floor, the hole splitting the difference between the direction of the capitol building and the battle behind. There was a door in the back.

He came to the edge of the street from behind cover, looked both ways, then, after seeing no one, slipped behind a large vehicle wreck, a speeder partly smashed into it, then snuck to the back door. Essien passed the door to allow the soldiers to line up. With shoulder pressed against this building, and another building towering over them almost within arms reach, Essien raised his lightsaber hilt above his face, looking out for signs of movement, no building lined up with a view of this alleyway but prepared nonetheless to defend himself. He had considered that they might come across a stray Mandalorian or two, but he was near positive that no one would be looking for them. Without looking behind him, Essien thumbed the door, queuing Taalong to give the silent command for his troops to enter and sweep the building, a nod or a gesture. Whether Taalong chose to enter first or send his men in, either way Essien kept watch to assure their stealthy entrance. His continued muted commands were clue enough, he hoped, to keep quiet.

Once inside, being the last in while the room was being cleared, Essien would gently close the door and follow into the center of the room. "We will look out the hole above," he whispered in the dimmed light, pointing a finger to the ceiling. He had no comms in his helmet to use in times like these. Taalong's detail did, but they only listened, listened to the frantic back and forth of Imperial forces in an ambush; Essien's voice would not carry on their comms. The stairs were to the left.

Once to the second floor, baring no incident, the little hole would actually show a massive black stain where a grenade had gone off, inside. To the right, a half blackened Mandalorian soldier lay on top of an Imperial soldier, knife stuck through his throat. Upon closer inspection, the Mandalorian's armor would prove beyond working condition, the man's face exposed and charred, the two men's arms tangled in their last moments together.

Leaving the hole to another, Essien felt something more pressing. He would creep toward a wall and reach his left palm toward it, closing his eyes and sensing the ripples of the Force as though the imperfections of the wall's surface told a story. Something was off. Something was unbalancing the predictable chaos of the battle. Something smooth when all else was static. Something calm when all else conflicted. But he couldn't place it. He looked to Taalong, eyes opened, in shared acknowledgment of what he felt, looking for confirmation.

"The speeder outside," he began, continuing to whisper. "We can rig it to explode. I had planned on finding something to hit the capitol with, cause a diversion, injure some troops, but," short pause, "perhaps we should draw attention to ourselves here?"

@Taalong Vorr @Juulius Kryze @Dax Rau

 

[Taalong Vorr]

The echoes of the battle were heard through the alleyway, but Taalong Vorr and his compatriots were utterly ignorant to them. They were serving their purpose well. An assault at the front was doing its work, to what end and avail would be soon discovered. All the while the two Sith moved their way through the alleys and onward, searching out the best vantage points for themselves. There was no Mandalorian resistance while they moved, which could have had many meanings. At the present they maneuvered unopposed. Vorr followed along with all of Essien's moves as he navigated for them. As they approached a bombed out building, Vorr gave a nod for his troopers to enter. They silently secured the building, itself nothing but a grave for a Mandalorian and a Trooper.

As they stopped the sound of the battle in the com piece in his ear was incessant.

"They're on top of us!"

"Take cover!"

"Open fire on their left!"

"He's got a knife!"

"They're all over us!"

"Charge!"

"Hold!"

"Covering fire!"

Each phrase of battle drills hard learned by the Sith troopers tended to be mixed in with grunts and screams. They appeared to be holding their own. A few had gone down hard in the initial attack, and by the sound of metal on metal and crunching the Mandalorians may have charged. But with little to do in the way of helping them, they would have to proceed in a different way.

It was not that there was nothing they could do, and Taalong Vorr was prepared to do that something. Every moment they lost more troops, and lost what advantage they might have. They could call for more, but they would be exposed until they arrived. They could call for bombers, but they were in the blast radius.

Vorr surmised it was time for battle.

"Attention." He echoed to Essien at the assertion they could attempt to draw it away. From the holes in the wall they could get small glimpses of the combat below. It was not entirely advantageous, nor did it provide the best firing positions. It did provide a good deal of cover for the troopers, as it was concealed enough. And the bottom floor largely intact with the exception of a broken hole that was just wide enough for a person to slip through.

"Take up positions." Vorr ordered his squad. "Upon my signal. Open fire on the Mandalorians."

Vorr looked to Essien. The time was now, but he too sensed the strange danger. They would now utilize this position to begin their flanking assault.

He cocked his head to have Essien follow him down the stairs, while his troopers crouched and stood tall to take up the firing holes. Vorr continued to keep his blade in hand as he came downstairs. He looked at the door and stood away from the wall crack that would provide a visual to the street outside. From this he would be easily capable of sprinting outside to engage any attackers from the ground, once exposed.

"Mandalorians are no fools." Vorr noted to Essien. "They have repelled assaults here already. So will split their focus."

For now he'd divert attention away from their platoon outside.

"Now." He breathed in his comm to the Troopers upstairs.

And in a moment the squad had given away their position and attempted to fire as accurately as possible on the Mandalorian defenders at the front. Their squad was not so great in number as the defenders, nor were their positions advantageous to the firer, but the covering fire and splitting of attention would be enough.

@Essien Inemesit @Juulius Kryze @Dax Rau

 

[Dax Rau (TL8)]

"Kark", Dax exclaimed.

As the blaster fire erupted from a second story only a block from him. Turning his head he could see the flashes in front of brief glimpses of trooper armor. They were in a bombed out building, not unlike the one he was using as his own ambush point. Dax moved lest then 5 meters to a blown out window and aimed his right wrist, then fired his wrist rocked on the flash of the blaster.

The only thing between the two building was a two way side street. From his own position to the room of the imp forces on the second floor would be well within the 20 meter arming mark. The small explosive would arm and impact the weapons of one of the soldiers in the second floor. Enough to kill anything with the 3 meters of impact and give anyone in 5 meters a very bad day. The rest of the room would seem more like a flash bag went off.

Dax would then set his rifle down in front of him, and reload his wrist launcher for a second strike. He kept his eyes focused on the building, not needed to look at his gear. As his armor and pouches were like a second skin, and his weapons extensions of his own limbs. Standard weapons he had learned to used sense we was a boy. The training and experience allowed him to use muscle memory to load his weapon as the watched for moment and effect of his attack.

"Contact at your 3-4. Rocket out, reloading." Dax relaid to his fellow Commando. Just in case the rain of fire from the ambush wasn't clear enough.

One his launcher was ready, Dax would ready his rifle once again. His boots and jetpack were still in combat mode, ready to react to a counter attack. His weapons ready to return fire of fire one more nail into the sith coffin. No matter the case, he was ready for what was to come.

@Essien Inemesit @Taalong Vorr @Juulius Kryze

 

[Essien Inemesit]

Essien's eyes flicked to the sound of something. Then, boom, the building shook, glass shattered, dust loosened, and Essien staggered. He looked up at the still intact ceiling, worried the hollow pop from just before had meant something devastating, then looked right, out the window from his stance in the center of the room. He'd sworn it came from there, becoming more sure by the second as he realized the solidarity and the vantage of the building across the two way side street.

He lifted his hilt, unsure where exactly the shot came from, how many were out there, and how to attack, though his body itched to engage. Knowing they had just entered the building without enemy in sight, he reacted with reckless abandon.

Essien started, swiped up a jar from a counter, chucked it left at one window, shattering the glass and drawing attention, and darted to the inside of another already broken window straight ahead, pistol pulled out, checking a fast peek outside from within, and shooting out the glass with one shot of a window on the second floor before tucking back inside, altering any recoil into further action once seeing what came in that short moment.

@Taalong Vorr @Juulius Kryze @Dax Rau

 

[Taalong Vorr]

Taalong Vorr could sense the immediate danger. It was as though he could feel the rocket as it was levied upon their building. He looked out from the crevice in the wall before them, to the direction of the danger that was to be set upon them. At that moment he did not know what it was, but the bright burning streak of the rocket and peeling smoke drew his head back in, and he turned away in a brief point of protection. His troopers upstairs suffered the great blow, and though it was impossible to guess how many of them had survived as the explosive power over took them, he could sense their distress.

"There!" Vorr spat snapping to immediate action, even before the rumble of the explosion had subsided. His lightsaber in hand he vaulted over the wall and burned into the nearby building with the most vicious forceful sprint, breaking into it while Essien moved upstairs to either engage or distract their assailant. He made the 20m dash in a matter of seconds, and did not stop once inside.

Vorr on the first floor of that building, could sense the presence of one above, and preceded with an unstoppable spring towards the stairs that led upward. He climbed them fiercely, blade in hand, the glow shining in the dark hall as he was upon the floor.

He was 3 meters from the Mandalorian when he appeared. And Vorr would not waist a moment. He continued his sprint, his lightsaber hilt steadied in both hands and the blade angled 45 degrees across his body. Once close he rammed the blade forward at the Mandalorian and bringing it downward, prepared to either impale or slash as he jutted it towards the Mandalorians heart and dragged the blade down to the victims right hip.

@Essien Inemesit @Dax Rau @Juulius Kryze

 

[Dax Rau (TL8)]

@Taalong Vorr was moving with such speed that he outran his partner's distraction. Already keeping his eyes on the building as his rocket had fired, Dax could so see the danger of the Sith vaulting over the wall. With his superior reflexes (lvl2), Dax dropped the unarmed rocket and drew both of his pistols as he turned to face the stairs, leaving the rifle on the ground. The movement happening as the Sith crosses the street and into the lower level of the building Dax was in.

Both his arms were now up, pistols in hand. Dax simply turned his left wrist, activating his the flamethrower to burst into the top of the stairs as the Sith charged up them. In that same action, opened fire with both pistols. Pulling the trigger twice with each of them. For a total of four shots from the Quickdraw pistol, and two from Westar aimed at the Taalong's center mass at pointblank range. As he topped the stairs and into the flame.

With his blade and both hands above him head and to the right, it would be nearly impossible for the Sith to block the six shots. Dax's boots and jetpack were also still activated and at the ready. Allowing the Mandalorian to use the repulsors of the boots to shift backward 5 meters without taking his eyes or weapons off his target, and to the back wall that faced the rest of the battle below. This allowed Dax to dodge the blade swing from the Sith in his front, and the random bolt from @Essien Inemesit, still across the street that was effectively acting just now.

@Juulius Kryze

 

[Juulius Kryze]

The battle was happening so quickly around him, the tunnel vision had begun to form in his state of marshaling the troops, but he was snapped out of it as his comm had come to life from his overwatch. Reporting contact and acting on it, a bold move to be sure but it was one that must have merited revealing his position and with the words Juulius was on the move his adrenaline pumping at parsecs a second as he sprinted towards the foray post blast.

Juulius holstered his blaster upon reaching the 10m mark from the building and heard the roar of flames and blaster fire from above, unaware of the number of attackers he would move quickly but effectively. Keeping himself out of view of the blown out windows of the second story building directly parallel to his partners position, finding a sizeable pile of rubble for cover. He removed a grenade from his bandoleer and armed it, counting two heartbeats before sending it through the bottom floor window in an attempt to sandwich the attacks from his partner and further assail the attacker. Juulius would hold his position behind the pile of rubble and keep his focus between the two buildings with beskad in hand ready to respond to retaliations.

@Dax Rau @Essien Inemesit @Taalong Vorr

 

[Essien Inemesit]

Having seen a flash of flame through what openings there were, Essien arrested his recoil just after having squeezed the trigger so as to quickly return from partial cover, dropped his pistol and, with a rush of anger, blasted a focused surge of the Force, bombarding the very wall that Dax retreated to, that corner wall erupting at Dax's right shoulder into him with force and potentially crumbling sideways into and over Dax as Dax finished backing into his position, having no sightline of the eminent danger.

Just then, as Essien had released his Force attack, he caught glimpse of the grenade lobbed from cover. Juulius had apparently not seen Essien's blaster fire, only "heard" it, and thus would not have seen Essien use the Force in the window then either. If Juulius had not moved to cover first, then Essien would have seen Juulius coming, and likewise Juulius might have caught a glimpse of Essien; but they did not. Having run a fair distance, Juulius had only just heard the call and made his way out of an active skirmish within the crossfire, determined where Dax's direction was while not getting himself killed by the chaos, made his way over obstructions and around "the gauntlet", holstered his weapon in a moment of assessment of the fresh scene (which thus far made no note of Essien's presence), and blindly threw an explosive into a building he thought was occupied by an unknown number of enemies without knowing Dax's exact location within the building. Lucky guess. Or good instincts. And before Essien had a chance to effectively react, the grenade was already out of sight.

So instead, while Juulius was still behind cover and expecting the grenade to explode just then, having no sightline of Essien, Essien ignited his lightsaber in right hand as he hopped out of the window and then made for Juulius' position, unleashing another Force burst at the rubble concealing Juulius intentionally before even seeing a head or hand peek out, attempting to knock the blind Juulius to the ground before having a chance to react and attempting to secure safe transit to successfully initiate the fight here.

Should he reach Juulius unhindered, Essien would just barely flank Juulius, slightly left, attempting to put Juulius in as much harm's way as himself should Dax resume his role as a threat from on high, and use his lightsaber to attempt a slash left to right through Juulius' wrists and waist. Should there be any action before that, Essien would react accordingly.

@Taalong Vorr @Dax Rau @Juulius Kryze

 

[Taalong Vorr]

The Mandalorian was more prepared for him then he'd presumed, and Vorr could see this immediately. He could sense the anticipation in the helmeted warrior, and could see the light of the fire, which gave away the trap. Perhaps if it had delayed a moment longer Vorr couldn't see it, but he did. His slash turned into a batted block, smacking away a pair of blaster bolts as he tumbled aggressively to his right in a controlled duck and roll. Well trained and well experienced Vorr's reaction was instinctual and instantaneous, leaving two bolts zipping inches to his left and one more singing the outer left corner of the shoulder of his armor, half an inch from the skin as it corroded the durasteel. The flames had provided an impenetrable shield that followed him as he'd moved, and burned the loose outer edges of his robes.

But before Vorr could cease his tumble as he'd shoulder rolled, there was a disturbing addition to the duel. He could not tell what yet he knew he was about to find out. Suddenly there was a loud cracking explosion, and the vibration beneath him rippled as his hands came to recover on the floor beneath him. The grenade thrown by @Juulius Kryze had exploded in the room below. The structure, already weakened by the bombardments, was not ready for this blast. It blew out the floor beneath Taalong Vorr, who was now 5 meters away from @Dax Rau due to the Mandalorians artful propulsion to avoid his strike. He fell through to the first floor amidst the rubble, concealed in spoke and refuse.

He had landed on his chest, his hand was still on his saber. At his chest he could feel the pain where one of the bolts had struck him. He could breathe and stand, but only just. There was little more he could do having been best by the mandalorian in his ambush as further fighting would bring death untimely.

In the dust and haze he called retreat, scrambling unseen through the buildings until he had made it back to the imperial lines for medical attention.

- exit thread

@Dax Rau @Essien Inemesit @Juulius Kryze

 

[Juulius Kryze]

Juulius had been splitting his attention between the buildings as he heard the explosion, bringing some serious destruction by the sound of it. But that was not the only thing he noticed, the unmistakable shimmer of a crimson blade was present for a moment poking over the pile of rubble he was concealing himself behind; making itself noticeable as its owner vaulted out of the window. Juulius knew something was coming either for him or for his partner, not picking up on the partial destruction of the second floor being use of the force but rather attributing it to the explosion Juulius would creep around the right side of the rubble pile in an attempt to ambush the assailant.

As he was moving with Beskad in his left hand he would remove his bayonet from its holster with his right hand in the same moment part of the rubble pile would be scattered across him with some force causing him to recoil and grit his teeth as he would bring his left arm up to shield his face during the blast. Moments later the attacker would arrive on his left of the rubble pile and attempt to cut him from wrist to waist with his crimson blade, causing Juulius to defend himself with beskad holding it at a 45 degree angle across his body and moving it to block the incoming attack to lock blades with the Sith, keeping him within his inner guard as he could feel the heat of the saber and hear the crackle of the blade with its proximity. With his right hand holding the vibro bayonet he would attempt to drive it up on his undefended side in between his ribs angling for his heart.

@Dax Rau @Essien Inemesit

 

[Dax Rau (TL8)]

The wall facing the street and other building crumbled and shattered away, almost like glass. It would have perhaps done more damage or exploded as the Sith had intented, were he more powerful in the force (like say lvl 2) or had taken the time to build up the force within himself rather than simply lash out in anger. In any case it would not have the desired effect. It would be little more then dust and tiny particles of dura-wall cast into the air.

At the same moment the pop of a grenade or charge would cause the floor to give way, as the Sith used his wizard magics to somehow negate nearly all of Dax's assault. The Sith could not avoid everything, but it was difficult to tell how much he had taken or dodged in the split second. The commando did not hesitates however. His heightened reflexes and experience (as a lvl 2) allowed him to reacted within the moment of danger. Because in the back of his mind Dax suspected the building would crumble if it came under a direct fire fight with the enemy.

As the floor burst open, Dax switched his jetpack to flight mode. The floor would disappear and the Mandalorian would hover in flight.

As the rubble crashed down atop the fallen Sith, Dax assumed him dead or dying. Leaving him as such for the moment. Dax burst through the weakened wall that was hit with the force push. Not that we was aware of the force but rather assumed it was the explosion that some how weakened the wall.

Dax was now in the air and mobile, since @Essien Inemesit would be closing on @Juulius Kryze as Dax burst from the wall. The Sith could continue to close and flank or he could react to Dax. But the commando intended to make that choice easy for him.

Dax adjusted flight to hover over the Sith at a 45 degree angle and roughly 20 meters above him. His pistols still in hand, Dax would shoot at the Sith's legs. Two shots from his Westar in the Sith's left, and a single pull for the Quickdraw to his right. For a total of 4 bolts.

@Styx @Rimrald

 

[Essien Inemesit]

Essien quickly glanced over his right shoulder at Dax, then reached Juulius.

Dax's shots narrowly missed when Essien shortly hopped left with lateral rotation around Juulius. Essien's left hand caught Juulius' right wrist, forcing it in/down. Essien's lightsaber rotated up, to cut through Juulius' right elbow. Then Essien landed.

If successful, Essien's left hand would then release Juulius' wrist and grab Juulius' throat. Essien would jolt Juulius' beskad off of his lightsaber, then cut up through Juulius' left wrist.

Spoiler: Original Post

Essien heard the following crash of Dax bursting through what remained of the wall, managing to check over his right shoulder the moment he had released his Force Push at Juulius, Juulius covering himself from the smash of rubble as Essien's head returned to Juulius, the two of them charging each other, both seeing the others' weapons brandished with vicious intent.

Since Dax had hovered after the floor had collapsed under him, blindly crashed through the wall that was facing the building Essien had come from, sought out where Essien and Dax were (without knowing Essien had even used a Force attack on Dax, or if Essien was still in the building or in the street in any possible direction, if Dax ever saw or knew Essien was in the building to begin with - with no mention of seeing or knowing about Essien yet), ascended at a 45 degree angle, adjusted flight to hover once more, and then shoot at at least 20 meters (if not more) while Essien had ran away to be met by Juulius running toward Essien, Dax's shot's would ring out in Essien's ears just a moment too late to travel the over 20 meters to make a difference.

Previous actions unchanged and unaffected, Essien and Juulius reached each other as intended. Juulius' beskad blocked Essien's lightsaber toward the base of the red beam. And in an instant (without losing his leftward momentum) Essien contracted his ribcage with a hop to Essien's left (narrowly escaping Dax's shots to the legs) and angling his head left (his right temple near to Juulius' right temple), caught Juulius' right wrist in Essien's free left hand (narrowly escaping Juulius' bayonet to the ribs) and forced it in and down toward the lightsaber (arcing the bayonet's stab in and down during the act), angled his lightsaber blade from roughly 8 o'clock to 10 o'clock without breaking contact with the beskad in an attempt to cut Juulius' right arm clean through at the elbow, and aim to land shortly with Juulius directly between Dax and Essien - all in one short hop.

Should Essien succeed, Juulius' right arm would be burned clean through, severed at the elbow, Dax's shots would've scorched the ground just next to Juulius' left foot or caused friendly fire through Juulius' left leg, and Essien would now be intending to use Juulius as a human shield. If Juulius' arm had been severed, then he would likely be in at least a moment of shock. Essien would drop the severed hand and grab Juulius' throat with a sharp palm jab, flick Juulius' beskad free of its hold, lightsaber angling from roughly 10 o'clock back to 8 o'clock with a short jolt, and slash up through rotating wrist, intending to slice off Juulius' left hand as well. Essien's lightsaber would conclude in a rise that would put it pointing in Dax's direction.[/QUOTE]

@Juulius Kryze @Dax Rau