The Depths of War

[The Storyteller]

Mon Cala City, Planet Mon Cala, Calamari Sector​

The Sith may have abandoned the Empire but their twisted ideals remains strong in many souls. Traveling at full speed were two large submarines from the now disbanded Imperial military advanced. Destination, the underwater capital of Mon Cala City. In the leading sub, the commander Derel Kato sat in his command seat quietly considering what was about to happen.

Like Admiral Sozen his superior he could not accept the Empire’s disbandment. Order by many mean was necessary was to save the galaxy from itself. Thr Mon Cala people had welcomed rebellion in the past and no rejoicing at the new turn of events.

They will pay for it. Commander Kato thought to himself, examining at the hologram map before him. They had been quite busy wiping out and villages across this region but now was the time to destroy Mon Cala City itself as ordered. Turning toward his XO standing at the right he commanded

“Deploy all troops and the ready the guns. As soon as we're in range open fire on the city. Remember we are not to leave any survivors.”

“Aye sir.” Was the XO’s quick response.

Soon the pod doors on the large subs opened up. Out came mini sub fighters and armed troopers in advanced diving gear. From above they pushed forward toward the capital below. Little did the former Imperials realized that they will be more than the Mon Cala people...

@Versok @Powerfullhorus

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Deep below sea level, the Knightess paced around nervously in one of the small and rare oxygen-filled rooms of Mon Cala city. It fell upon her and the shoulders of her fellow Jedi, Zex Wric, to defend the capital of the planet. Word had gone out that two large submarines filled to the brim with Imperial soldiers were pillaging the depths of the Calamari sector. General Ion had quickly dispatched them, accompanied by what forces they could gather to defend the home of the brave Mon Calamari. Now accompanied by her unit, the lavender-skinned Knightess waited for the alarm to sound.

Her hands moved over the two weapons attached to her hip, each outfitted to properly function underwater. She despised having to fight, but today there was no other option.

"Captain Holt, you were informed of my inability to speak over commlink right?" The captain, a young man in his early 30s, nodded as the voice of the Sephi entered his mind. "I'd like you to stick closely to me during the battle. I need you to relay my orders to the rest of your troops." Her comment made the captain grin. "Was planning to stay close anyway. Increases my survival chances." he chuckled. With that settled, Sakadi looked at her unit. Brave men, both Calamari soldiers and Alliance soldiers in specialized diving suits. She wondered how many of them would survive the upcoming battle. While the former Imperials didn't know that the alliance was here, the odds were still stacked against them.

The Knightess patiently waited for the signal, examining their holomap once again. The only way for the submarines to attack the city, was from above. The large coral formations would protect the sides of the city, as the self-proclaimed commander of the Mon cala people had explained to her. Once the submarines would be within a certain distance of the city, the signal would be given and the submarines would be trapped between two flanking teams of Alliance and Mon Cala forces, while the soldiers present in the city would keep the enemy its main force occupied. It was a simple trap, but still quite an effective one.

Then, it happened. The alarm sounded, accompanied by bright flashes of red light and two large dots appearing on the holomap. Captain Holt moved forward, until he stood beside the Knightess. "It's time." he mumbled, clearly on edge and ready for what she assumed was his first large-scale battle. Giving a small nod as response, Sakadi dropped her cloak, revealing the tight-fitting diving suit she wore underneath. Reaching out, Sakadi summoned her diving helmet to her hand with a simple gesture. Within seconds, she and her unit were ready to move out.

@Versok

 

[Zex Vric]

The Empire didn't know when to give up, did they? After so many of their leaders died and the last one deciding that it was not worth it, some remnants of the tyrannical empire still refused to let go, to let people be free from their iron fists. The Mon Calamari were one of many races still suffering because of them, villages being destroyed before they dared to land an attack into their capital. It was sickening, yet another reminder of why he joined the Galactic Alliance, to deal with scumbags like them.

While his jedi partner took part of the main battle, Zex was leading the flanking forces, currently hiding before coral formations with the GA and Mon Calamari troops, wearing only the essential parts of his usual combat suit, being it the vest, the gauntlets and the boots, the only parts of his already light suit that actually protected him or had functions. Other than that? Just a simple, short swimsuit. Such were the perks of being a Nautolan, while the remnants of the empire had more men and firepower, he and the Mon Calamari had home advantage.

His trusty blaster on hand, his eyes looking at the soldiers that were among him, he would have loved to make a great speech to hype them up, but since he decided against taking a suit, he could not talk underwater, so, instead, he simply gave a thumbs up and a wide smile that he always loved to make, a smile that said "we've got this" Something that he firmly believed. Now, the just had to wait for captain Holt to give them the order.

@Powerfullhorus

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Accompanied by what few soldiers Mon Cala had left after the harsh Imperial regime, Sakadi and her unit moved to intercept the Imperial forces. Looking back at the soldiers gathered behind her, the Knightess realized that this wouldn't be enough to hold them off for long. This would be a defensive battle, with their chances of victory depending on their flanking maneuver. In an eruption of light, the white blade of the Knightess ignited. Not once had she engaged in underwater combat before. No training had prepared her for this and without solid footing, she had to come up with a new tactic.

The moment the Imperial soldiers saw the ignition of a lightsaber and recognized the advanced diving gear, they immediately opened fire. While she could tell from their force signature that the presence of the Alliance confused them, they still outnumbered the defense force. And that seemed to motivate them. Anticipating the trajectory of the first few bolts, Sakadi managed to deflect those directly aimed at her. Behind her, Captain Holt ordered his men to open fire.

Summoning the strength of the Force, Sakadi enhanced her own body. With a few powerful strokes, Sakadi swam to intercept the first mini sub, who's blaster bolts tore straight through their line of defense. The open terrain that was the deep sea granted them no cover and as she disarmed the subfighter, the Knightess clearly saw how many casualties there were after just a few minutes. It was a cesspool of darkness, anger and adrenaline, all trapped under layers of water.

Using the first mini sub to launch herself at the second, she called upon the force and reached out to captain Holt. "The submarines should be closing in." she stated, as she deflected yet another blaster bolt. "Give the order. Let's spring this trap"

@Versok

 

[Zex Vric]

And so the battle started, the Nautolal cound hear the blaster fire going through water, the drowning sound of men and women that were hit, the battle that was going on right in front of him. Yet, he was calm, having seen blood since his childhood, he knew how to stay frosty, as long as they waited for the signal to attack when the imperials were at the most vulnerable spot everything would be all right.

"Now!" Holt gave the order, the Ga and Mon Calamari forces suddenly emerging from the coral formations and rushing towards the imperials who were now being shot from the front and flanks, blaster bolts hitting many of them before they realized what was happening, Zex himself shooting at imperials again and again while gracefully moving and dodging in the water.

Of course, the flanking manouver wasn't what would bring them victory, it merely evened the battle a bit, once the initial surprise factor was gone, the imperials started taking as many lives as they were losing, maybe even more. The reason for that? The submarines, taking care of them would be necessary to ensure victory.

@Powerfullhorus

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi twirled and spun in the water, as she narrowly dodged the heavy blaster fire of the fourth or fifth mini sub; she couldn't remember how many she had taken down already. She had dedicated herself to taking down those mini subs the best she could, for they tore right through her soldiers. Captain Holt was right behind her, but even he saw that this strategy would not lead to victory. The flanking maneuver evened the odds, but the Imperials quickly adapted to this unexpected turn of events. Not just because they were better trained and had no other option but to fight. No, there was another important factor. The absolute destruction caused by the two heavily armed Imperial submarines.

Volleys of blaster fire and torpedo's were launched in the direction of Sakadi's unit. If they didn't act, the submarines would make quick work of the main force.

For a moment, Sakadi stared at the rapidly advancing Imperial soldiers, deflecting the few bolts that came her way. The plan she and the Mon Cala had settled upon, heavily relied on the main force being able to slow down the submarines. But those war machines seemed unstoppable and she wasn't the only one who realized just that.

"Captain Holt, Knight Sinvala!" a voice called out to them. A Mon Calamari, followed by three of his men who gave him cover fire, swam to the Jedi and the Captain. She recognized him as lieutenant Nodos, the man who was in charge of the Calamari that were part of the main force. "Those submarines are devastating my lines, we can't stop them. We must change our plan, immediately!" Nodos cried out. The Knightess felt that Holt agreed, but they had no alternatives. She took another glance at the submarines, before she made her call.

"We need to draw them deeper into the coral reefs." her voice echoed through the minds of the lieutenant and the captain. "I have a plan... I think..." She paused for a second, as she blocked the blaster bolts coming their way again, with swifts and precise strokes of her lightsaber. "Can we bring those large pieces of coral down upon them?" she asked the Mon Cala lieutenant. She knew full well that it wouldn't breach the hull of those submarines, but they needed an opportunity to get close.

"I don't know.. if we have enough firepower perhaps... but we'll never reach the reefs in time.." Nodos argued. Before Sakadi could respond however, Holt took the lead. "We don't have to reach it, we just need to draw their fire and keep them occupied."

Pressing a button on the side of his helmet, Holt accessed his comm. "This is Captain Holt to the flanking force. Retreat back into the corals. If you have any thermal detonators... hold on to them. We're gonna need em.." after transmitting his message, captain Holt gave a nod of approval to the lieutenant, who immediately issued the order to pull back the main force.

@Versok

 

[Zex Vric]

The situation was getting worse and worse by the second, the submarines making short work of the flanking forces in order to protect the infantry and focus all their firepower on the main attack once they were done with them. Thankfully, they received their new orders from Captain Holt and Zed understood what they wanted to do. He and his forces started retreating, Zex covering the others by shooting at the imperials that aimed in their direction, at least until the submarine started aiming at him.

Blaster fire started to rain near Zex, aiming to kill, however, Zex wasn't stupid nor did he care about the dead, at least not enough to risk his own life. Many people had died during this battle, their bodies slowly floating down, forming together a giant meatshield that the Nautolan used to protect himself from the submarine's turrets before reaching safety behind the corals, his troops already planting the explosives on it, the Nautolan nudged his second in command, who was a Mon Calamari "We are almost done with the explosives, just give us the order!" He said, Zex, meanwhile emptied his blaster while covering the last troops who were getting before the coral and started reloading, ready for round two

@Powerfullhorus

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

She had to admit it, the Mon Cala were a brave people. As she herself defended the retreating main force against the heavy blaster fire of the submarines, she noticed that Lieutenant Nodos and his unit were still right behind, as hell bent as her to allow the main force to escape without heavy casualties. Of course this retreat was a ruse, but their bravery was still commendable.

Managing to draw the submarines closer to the coral reefs, Sakadi glanced at Nodos and Holt behind her. With a small nod, she confirmed that the order could be given. She felt that, despite the carnage and heavy presence of the Dark side, the Force was aligned with them.

"Do it!" Captain Holt shouted through the comm channel, as Nodos and Sakadi waited in anticipation. If the flanking forces would trigger the explosion, Sakadi would give the signal to rush back in. She knew that the coral reefs would certainly not destroy the infantry or the two large assault submarines, but it would create an opening. And all she needed to do was get a small force inside the armored submarines.

@Versok

 

[Zex Vric]

And just like that, with the order that they were given, the coral reefs went boom, falling down and hitting the submarines and some people alike, of course, not much would be done by this, but the infantry would be annoyed, dazed and maybe even hurt, while the submarines wouldn't be able to shoot while the reef fell upon them and destabilized them, so it was their chance to be on the offensive, a chance they had to bet on since they had just blown up their main means of cover.

So, the Nautolan led the charge, getting closer to the submarine while shooting at a few imperials there and there, many Mon Calamari soldiers charging alongside them. They managed to get close, very close melee distance, even, the Calamari started shooting at the imperials while dodging the reef parts raining upon them, having much less trouble with them, Zex got close and personal, stabbing a couple imperials with his hidden blades (which were not so hidden with so little clothing on" After that, he managed to get under the submarine, getting behind the turret that was located there and holding on to it from so the weapon couldn't point at him, emptying his blaster on it to finally get rid of one of the submarine's weapons. The Mon Calamari and the Nautolan then proceeded to board the submarine, there was more to do, after all.

The other flank, the one attacking the other submarine, didn't have that much luck, however, the submarine managing to dodge better than the other one, they were close, but not close enough, and needed the help of the main force in order to board it

@Powerfullhorus

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi watched as a fiery explosion , followed by the reef crashing down upon them. The Sephi didn't even need to utter a single word, Lieutenant Nodos was way ahead of her. "Charge! For Mon Calamari!"

Augmented by the Force, Sakadi launched herself in the direction of the submarines. She couldn't tell if either Holt or Nodos was right behind her; but she wouldn't need them for this. They had their own battles to fight, their men to lead and an Imperial remnant to crush. A part of her regretted having given the order that caused such massive destruction. An order that had brought death upon her opponents. But there was no other way, no other outcome where they were going to survive this.

As Sakadi moved through the water like a torpedo, cutting through whatever swam in her path, the Knightess observed how the flanking force failed to subdue the submarine on the left. Feeling the Force call out to her, Sakadi moved to save the men who were left at the mercy of the submarine.

Reaching the warcraft, Sakadi immediately had to rely upon her agility to evade heavy blaster fire. She faintly heard Holt call out to her, as blaster bolts were fired at the submarine from behind her. It seemed like she wasn't alone after all, as the main force followed the path she opened.

The submarine, who was now being overwhelmed by sheer numbers, had no options left but to surrender. But would the man in charge of this entire operation, of these two submarines and their attack, be willing to surrender? She could sense the growing doubt and fear among the Imperial soldiers. The tide had turned once again, and this time in the favor of the Galactic Alliance.

 

[Zex Vric]

And so, the decisive part of their attack started, the Mon Calamari troops rushed inside the submarine, Zex being the one leading the charge and sneaking through the entrance were the imperial troops came from "We are inside the submarine, I've got an idea!" Zex spoke for the first time during the fight through the comms, moving forwards, some troops were still inside the submarine, but the Mon Calamari made short work of them thanks to their now superior numbers, as well as the enemy losing morale. It didn't take much for them to reach the Submarine's cockpit.

The Nautolan used his hidden blades to take out the pilots and then looked at the Mon Calamari "Get to the guns and start shooting at the other submarine!" He ordered, it didn't take long for the GA and Calamari to turn the submarine's weapons against the imperials, shooting a barrage of blaster bolts with the functional guns it still had, focusing in the most vulnerable places as long as it didn't mean friendly fire, the other submarine started to shoot back, of course, but Zex didn't expect them to destroy his new vehicle before the rest of the troops took advantage of the damage, they weren't holding back, specially since the one in charge should be in that submarine, whoever was behind this was going to pay.

@Powerfullhorus