The Rough Riders

[Talos Barrenfist]

Planet of Dentaal
​

As the morning dawn rose, more than forty riders on swoop bikes flew across the countryside of the planet Dentaal. Their destination, a minor mining town called Higgins, for the past year or so, the Rough Riders gang had been terrorizing such communities in the central mountains of Dentaal’s eastern continent. With Hutt support, by way of bribery and supply of weapons they have been a constant torment for the local population.

A few rotations ago the main Howl leader, a Zabark woman with long hair, dyed blond named Raria received word from her informant in Higgins that the town intended to refuse to provide their monthly tribute to them. Raria who was riding in the lead, growled at the very idea of it. Such defiance will be paid in blood.

Once we raze their little rathole to the ground they and everyone will understand not to fak with us.

The swoop leader smirked with sadistic gleam, imagining the suffering they will rain down Higgins.

Barely did she and her gang realize however there was a welcoming committee waiting inside the town just for them. A full company of Republic marines with twenty or so townspeople volunteering as militia to be exact. Most were hidden in the houses and various buildings packed close together in the settlement’s center. Looking out from the lofty tower of the town hall with holobinoculars Lt. Talos Barrenfist spotted the collection of swoop bikes in the distance.

“Right on time. The gang coming from the south just like their little spy we caught earlier said they would. Let’s get in position to greet them properly.” Talos said to his fellow officer Bargall.

@Great Jamie

 

[Bretharr Bargall]

So this was Bretharr's first mission after his recent demotion. Wasn't a great moment, but at least he was back in the fight. Right after coming out of the room, he had heard about the declaration of war against the Hutts. Now, he was assigned to Lieutenant Barrenfist's company, and now he was engaged in his first operation. Here, he and his company had been ordered by command to protect a mining town which had the balls to oppose a swoop gang. Bretharr admired this show of strength from this seemingly humble village. This reminded him of his childhood, when he had lived in a small colony on a planet in the Outer Rim. They had defied the Exiles, and many had paid the price. Now, he was hoping to help another small town from an evil force. It wasn't the Exiles, but it was good enough. Now, he was standing beside Talos. Now, he was armed with GAR armour and a blaster rifle, with a frag grenade. He had been criticised for not using armour and a rifle, even though he had given reasoning why he didn't. Also, he was at war now, so it was probably a good idea to properly equip himself now.
"Very good sir. Orders?" He would ask

 

[Talos Barrenfist]

“You stay close to me. We’re heading to the front widows to join first squad and wait for our guests.” Saying the two would go down the steps. It wasn’t too long enough that Talos just been a lowly sergeant and Bargall had been his superior officer. Demotion was a hard pill to swallow the marine imagined. Some would take advantage of this kind of situation and lord over a former officer affected by it. Talos wasn’t one of them.

Bargall was already paid for his actions, and Talos had a job to do. No time for that nonsense. Entering one of the rooms below the tower, the lieutenant align himself at a open window on the lefthand side in the center while some of the other marines hid around the duo. Their comm channel came alive with the voice of their commanding officer, Captain Ren Ironwell.

“Company hold fire until I give the command. Wait for all of the gang to enter this town.”

Silently nodding in approval, Talos gripped his rifle, preparing for the bloodshed to come.

It wasn’t long before the gang flew inside but to their surprise the settlement completely empty save for the buildings. Puzzled Raria directed her gang to spread out and find the locals. She drove her bike toward the town square with many of her men following behind. Something is up. She whispered to herself.

Just when the fierce woman slowed down a few yards from away from the hall, the Republic troops were given the order.

“Now, let em have it!”

Suddenly blasters were raised and fired. A sniper shot Raria through the skull, killing the leading Rough Rider before she knew what was happening. Talos squeezes his trigger, unloading three shots at the startled biker that was behind Raria. With a cry he fell off wounded as the firefight erupted throughout the town’s center.

 

[Bretharr Bargall]

Bretharr stayed close behind Talos, wondering what his thoughts were about his demotion. Thankfully, he seemed to be far better attuned to it, not giving Bretharr any middle finger as a kind of joke against him. As he went up into the same building as Talos, he positioned himself in the window next to Talos. As the swoopers came in, he noted their surprise. Good. He noted the gang’s movement towards the central hall, before finally, a few metres away, they began fire. He focused fire on the large group behind the leader. A relatively easy target, however, Bretharr had always been used to a pistol, not a rifle. So, he wasn’t the greatest aim, firing an entire clip into the group. Thankfully, he managed to hit 1 man in his wild fire, killing him. He would have to train with a rifle the next time he had a chance. He went back into cover, and reloaded. The battle was going well. The swoopers had been caught off guard, and so the advantage was firmly in the Republic court. Time to see what to do next...

 

[Talos Barrenfist]

Aiming down the sights, Talos fired another short burst at a rider turning around below but missed. Grimacing, the lieutenant went after the next one trying to fly back up but was shot through the chest by the bearded marine. The defenders continue to rain hell upon the bike riding gang. Just when the latter were on the verge of a rout, the late Raria’s second in command and lover, Gav Iov Took charge.

The human with a yellow colored buzz cut called out on the comm channel. “Fall back and regroup! We’re going to make these karkers pay.” In spite of the chaos, most of the surviving swoop riders manage to pull out of the town, regathering at its east side.

Squeezing his fists in hatred over the loss of Raria, he directed the gang forward. Flying high they suddnely dive toward their enemies’ position, firing light blaster cannons and pistols as they went.

 

[Bretharr Bargall]

Bretharr now thought that this would be a good idea to use his grenade. They had begun to regroup, and now the time was probably right. He saw the enemies swoop in, and threw it, attempting to throw it in the middle of the group. Unfortunately, he only managed to throw it to the outskirts of the swoopers. The explosion did kill one, the shrapnel destroying a bike and the swooper with him, but that was all. He cursed his luck, before preparing to take aim.

 

[Talos Barrenfist]

Like a swarm of angry hornets the gang punished the defenders. Two Republic positions were wiped out at the house next to the town hall and losses started to mount for the home team. Talos swore under his breath when a marine manning a heavy repeater at the centeral window took a bolt through the head and fell dead. Dropping his rifle Barrenfist shouted to Bretharr. “Cover me I’m going for that repeater!”

Saying that he rushed toward the machine gun, hoping this plan works.

 

[Bretharr Bargall]

Bretharr would nod at the Lieutenant, and began spraying fire at the swoopers. This fire however wasn't accurate, showing Bretharr's inability using the blaster rifle. Therefore, the swoopers began firing at the window with the repeater, with Bretharr's fire being sporadic. He hoped Talos managed to get there without injury, though he wasn't confident...

 

[Talos Barrenfist]

A laser cut at the side of Talos’ left shoulder. Searing pain caused him to fall fac down with a string of curses in his native tongue. Nonetheless he had dropped close enough to the machine and crawled over to it. With clenched teeth admist pain Barrenfist forced himself up, taking control of the small turret. The swoop bikes continued to fly, circling around shooting and throwing grenades at the position of the defenders.

With so many targets in view, Talos with a narrowed glaze squeezed down the trigger. Firing in short bursts he destroyed three bikes, killing and wounding their riders. The last being Gav Iov who screamed out his damantion as he fell head first to the ground breaking his neck. Without their leader, the gang’s attack back to fall apart as the marines/milita rallied, contracting their firepower upon the hated enemy.

 

[Bretharr Bargall]

When he saw Talos receive the blaster bolt to the shoulder, he felt guilt, and sorrow. He had not covered him well enough. His fire had been pathetically inaccurate, and his CO had to pay for it. With seething anger now visible, he came up, and fired another clip. Out of nowhere, this was actually on target! It hit another 3 swoopers, killing them all, and the swoopers began to make a mad break for it, with the piercing fire from Bretharr. When he finished firing, he came back into cover, and breathed a little. He had actually got some accurate shots off! It was a miracle!

 

[Talos Barrenfist]

What’s left of the swoop gang abandoned the fight as their remaining leadership were no more. However, out from the sky came a three Republic starfighters. They flew in from above, unleashing a rain of laserfire upon the shocked survivors once they were out of the town. Men and bikes were gone in the blink of an eye.

Only two frightened Weequays made it to the tree lines in time and went their seprate ways. They will be captured by local authorities later. The Republic troops and the town militia as the starfighters flew by the settlement with a short salute, departed. Talos, still wounded, smiled before resting himself on the wall next to the machine gun, he looked back at Bargall. “We won this fight.”

/End thread