Ask Invasion Attack On Dathomir

[Astrid al-Bahir]

Jewel-like amethyst eyes observed the Nightsisters in calm silence, no visible shift in the Imperial woman's expression as another appeared and the Clan Mother spoke. Astrid considered the facts of the scenario behind the calm. Military fact. But there was also the Force, the living power all around them that practically vibrated in the air on this mysterious world.

She did not know what the Clan Mother said in their language but she could feel how that power responded to the words. While the Knight guardians behind her shuffled and glanced nervously at one another from the idea of a 'blood oath', Astrid's expression remained unreadable. She examined the contract. The words were foreign, yet Astrid understood their meaning by their own power.

She turned their meaning over in her mind, the exact terminology, considering. 'Forfeit', not necessarily dead. How interesting. In the silence after the Clan Mother's pronouncement, her comm chimed. She held up a hand apologetically and rose her left gauntlet to listen to the message.

"This is Command, sitrep on your outreach." (@Max Dram)

There was a pause. Then, "Singing Mountain will lead us to Queen Renfry, General. All Imperial forces must be off-world within two weeks." She lowered her hand and then placed her helmet beside her on the stump. Would Astrid stake her life against her word? Ridiculous question. Her duty and pride were to defend, and fight for, the Empire and Imperial lives.

She and the Clan Mother both knew the price of failing to end this battle quickly with Renfry's capture. More fighting, more death, grinding to the end. Countless corpses lining a war-torn Dathomir. This was the logical course of action.

Astrid took the knife and ran its edge along her upper left arm- she wasn't doing that palm-cutting nonsense, she was a swordswoman- and let her black blood flow from the superficial cut. She swept her thumb through it. "Ma'am-" She shushed the other Knight with a hand and, without any visible hesitation, marked the contract in blood. A basic med patch was slapped over the cut.

Jewel-like amethyst eyes met the Clan Mother's, steady and even. "You have my oath. Once Renfry is captured and extricated, the Empire will not remain on Dathomir.

Fighting for the Empire and defending its people, guarding the lives of civilians and fellow soldiers, these were her duty and her pride. Of course she would put her life on the line. If she could shield her fellows, and preserve them even if it cost her life, she would.

Astrid al-Bahir was a soldier: no more, and no less.

@Phoenix @Alhon

Spoiler: TLDR

Astrid tells General Dram what Singing Mountain clan agreed to. She agrees to the oath.

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis gritted her teeth as she stood there on the front of the exchange between imperials and nightsisters. Her double-bladed lightsaber spun to deflect any shots coming her way, but there was a growing frustration that kindled in her chest. The Nightsister who had attacked her seemed to have all but disappeared, and while the Imperial soldiers at her back dealt out death with their blasters, it seemed they weren't achieving any sort of advantage in the skirmish.

"Enough of this." She grumbled to herself as she spotted a nightsister in the trees poking out to fire a plasma bow shot somewhere along the line. Reaching her off hand out and grasping with the force, she attempted to pull the nightsister out of cover and into the line of fire. The Soldiers behind her would be quick to capitalize on this and fire on the exposed enemy if the maneuver succeeded.

The Imperial Knight would repeat this maneuver as opportunities arose while maintaining a defensive flow with her saber. This would either force the Nightsister's to focus on her, allowing the soldiers to carry out their deadly work with less fire in return, or be whittled down even faster than before as Ailis plucked them from the forest and lined them up for the soldiers to finish the job.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Strike Force and Main Assault Force​

Sheehan swung her spear around but it only slammed into Altair's gauntlets, and she didn't anticipate the attack with the horns. She felt it slam up into her neck, but didn't realize the full gravity of the situation for a moment as adrenaline continued to course through her.

Everything seemed to slow down as the realization hit her, and she knew that she was going to die. It was simply... the natural way of life. But like a wounded animal, she wasn't without her final burst of spite. The final act of desperation.

Theme​

She poured all that remained of her life energy into the Shadow, giving it back to Dathomir. Green lightning burst from her body on every side, slurping up everyone nearby but the worst of it would strike the Grand Marshal who clung to her body now.

And then, Sheehan began to feel the life slip free of her as her blood ran free down his horns and onto the ground. It stained her white clothing the same crimson red of Dathomir's sun. Death came for them all, and she would be received beyond the Veil by her beautiful homeworld and her ancestors. She did her duty, she died with honor, and she had no regrets.

For the Forgotten Valley.

Meanwhile, @Ailis Drast would find success with the grab and fire maneuver, though the Nightsisters continued their retreat all the more in earnest as their general was killed and the treadspeeders began to arrive.

@Jonathen Baize would make it to the position of the Grand Marshal and Imperial Knight in short order, finding the growing number of bodies that had mounted from both sides there. They would continue to push forward and out the far side of the canyon without further attacks stopping them.

They would be able to spot the handful of caves - or were they tunnels - that led into the cliff face on the south side of the cliffs and the jungle that lay all around them.

And that was when it hit. As the bulk of the main assault force was halfway through the canyon - too far forward to go back and too far back to get all the way out - the Shadow Killer above gave her signal.

The Forgotten Valley Clan taught that the Nightsisters were a part of Dathomir. As much an extension of the planet's wildlife and its will as the immune system was a part of the organic body. The Nightsisters were the planet's immune system and worked to scour it of unwanted infection. Their power was more potent here than anywhere else in the galaxy.

Perhaps that was never more represented than as the ritual hit its peak. The ground itself in and around the canyon began to shake. At first, it might seem like a conventional planet-quake against which nothing could be done. The truth, though, would be all the more horrifying.

The sense of dread that had been building within the troops would suddenly break like a crashing wave, and all the reason for it would come crashing down on them.

The fate of thousands of troops had been sealed the moment they passed through the canyon. An ear-splitting crack tore through the air around them all as the stone on the west canyon tore away and fell inward, collapsing down on the center of the advancing force, wiping out nearly the entire middle third.

Pandemonium ensued. Countless soldiers were crushed under tons of stone while others suffered broken bones or were knocked unconscious. Thick dust rose to fill the entire canyon, blocking out the ability to move or see. It was stifling and even experienced soldiers would find they had to consciously fight back panic.

But they did. No doubt their confidence and ability to recover rather than break in the face of fear was brought on by the inspiration they received from their General as @Max Dram had just raised their spirits moments earlier. Further, no doubt many more would have died choking on dust were it not for the filters in their helmets.

Nevertheless, the assault force would now find itself split in two. The soldiers from the rearguard were now cut off from the soldiers of the vanguard by the remains of what had once been a canyon that had fallen on the men in the middle of the formation.

And it was now that the Nightsisters made their move. The Nightsisters at the palace were but a small contingent of representatives from the various clans across the planet. They may have been elite fighters, but they were outnumbered 20-to-1 if not worse and they would take every advantage they could find. The canyon collapse was only one of the many options that had awaited them, but it was the one that had been perhaps most advantageous to the Nightsisters.

The settling of the ground, the panic in the canyon, and the general scramble to avoid any aftershocks would cover the quick and heavy pounding coming from the south jungle...

Imperial Knights​

The moment that @Astrid al-Bahir pressed her blood to the contract, she would feel something that was difficult to describe. Like an injection flowing into her arm but without any needle. Perhaps ichor flowed through her veins or maybe it was just the power of the Force itself. Whatever it was, the discomfort subsided after only a second and the Clan Mother and First were already going about their work.

The Mother turned to leave and Vanya stepped forward to address Astrid.

We will leave in five minutes. Prepare your men. The Queen is beyond formidable, she said. Her own Clan Mother was powerful, but none of them were capable of overpowering Queen Renfry. Not alone anyway, and certainly not with her guards that had always stood at her sides. But with the support of the Imperials? That was a different story.

Do you have transport? she asked, looking back over the Imperial Knight's shoulder and frowning at the fact that the ship seemed to be gone.

The Queen will almost certainly attack with Chirodactyl riders if she has not already. We could use the same, but I do not want to be shot down by your pilots because of a misunderstanding, she said. She didn't have a great deal of faith in Imperial pilots not firing on Nightsister-affiliated creatures.

Theme​

As @Aadya Rasheer would bend down to touch the river she would find herself immediately sucked into its water, pulled under the surface by an unseen vacuum and dragged down the river. The river would seem unfathomably deep and the surface would feel imperceptible. There was nothing but the water, and yet somehow she wasn't drowning.

Around her, the sounds of rushing water seemed to subside and in its place there was a song both beautiful and terrifying. She would be aware of vague shapes around her, tinted in green and seemingly the source of the music. There were more of them than she could ever count, and yet they seemed to pay her no heed.

As she looked at them, there was again a contradiction of emotions within her. The desire to reach out to them and the sense of peril scratching at the back of her mind. As she looked around, she would be able to see what looked to be red light above her... the surface perhaps?

As it turned out, it was quite clear to @Wiley Winnz that the Nightsisters of this Clan did not want to talk. Wiley reached out for the Sister's arm, but his own arm was injured, he had fresh wounds opened up on his main body to distract him, and the Sister was not so slow to allow her arm to hang around for long. He would grab at her arm, and while their limbs would collide for a moment, he would find that gaining a firm enough hold on her arm with his own severed muscles would elude him.

She leapt back, preventing her from being dragged down, anchored, or otherwise followed-up on any of his attacks.

The Sisters pulling him into the ground would finish their work, and perhaps the worst death imaginable awaited him. Like those soldiers within the canyon, Dathomir would claim him under rock and stone.

The ground would swallow him up and as stone re-solidified into harsh matter, his bones would break, his lungs would clench, and permanent darkness would consume him.

 

[Altair Din]

The deaths of all those soldiers would be felt by everyone. Max Dram didn’t need to be a Force user to feel the sickening pulse deep in his gut and his heart as his men dropped in one fell swoop. Jonathen Baize didn’t need to be on the opposite side of the collapse to feel sick to his stomach. The Imperial Knights didn’t need to see to know that their Captain fell in battle. No one needed to be told just how grave this situation was. This planet was unforgiving, the people were relentless. This was a formidable enemy. It was a ruthless enemy. They would show no mercy.

But neither would Altair.

From where Max Dram and all his remaining forces stood, they would see a lone figure on a ridge high above. Altair’s uniform had burned away from his upper body in the fire, his muscled torso bare with streaks of a green lightning injury branded into his chest. His hair had been burned off, horns standing proud and tainted with the blood of the Queen’s right hand Nightsister.

Amethyst eyes gleamed with rage. Thin smoke still trailed from his body, pain and anger fueling him in ways he hadn’t allowed in years. The Dark Side beckoned to him and he found it hard to fight back as he looked over thousands of his dead brethren. His tail swished erratically, his grip tightening around the spear he held in his hand. Sheehan’s spear.

Without a word, he channeled the Force and called it to himself and into the spear. He would make this weapon obey. He mustered the strength of a Sith Councilor, powers he hadn’t summoned because of what it twisted him into. All his passion and powers imbued into the spear as he lifted it and slammed it down on the ridge.

A devastating fissure would streak through the debris, working to carve out a path. There was nothing to be done for the dead and they would be crushed further under the debris to create a path for those still living. This alone wasn’t enough to move all the pieces, but it was a start. It was a controlled aftershock that collapsed the debris at a calculated angle. Any other aftershocks would cause debris to roll to the flanks and away from the direction of the central fissure.

The Starwings called in by Dram swooped right past Altair's head and towards the palace. They would circle around from the back and do an initial bombing run to torpedo the building. However, coming around the eastern flank ensured that the debris couldn’t fall back towards the main forces.

“IMPERIAL KNIGHTS! TO ME!” Altair called out, his voice amplified by the Force and projecting. He needed them all converged together now for the final push. He turned to regard all the Imperials - both the vanguard forces and the main unit.

“This Queen destroys her own planet to save her own skin! This false leader hides in the comfort of her own palace while her sisters bleed for her,” He shouted out loud, knowing that his words would reverberate throughout the very same network that brought the planet to life. It would reach several clans, “I stand with you, Imperials! I will kill any in our path that threaten our brothers and sisters,” He called out, raising Sheehan’s spear, “This Queen fears us. She is desperate. Victory is close at hand. This is the final push. Find your courage, find your cause, find your purpose, fight to avenge those we lost. I am with you every step of the way, Imperials! I have always been and I always will be!” With that, he slammed the spear down again, sending another fissure to clear the path some more.

Altair was banking on the bombers to keep the palace guards occupied while Dram’s forces quickly moved through the gorge he had created. He expected Nightsisters to attempt to close it in on the men, but he and the rallying Imperial Knights would fight it. He called out to Baize, “Guard our Southern flank,” He said simply, counting on him and his men to engage anything coming from the forests surrounding the palace.

@Alhon @Raydo @Mr. Teatime @Logan @Altaris @Phoenix @Arcangel

 

[Jonathen Baize]

Music​

They made it through the canyon as the ground began to shake, the cliff collapsing behind them, snuffing out the lives of so many of their brothers and sisters. They pressed forward, meeting up with the Grand Marshall and his forces, firing on the fleeing Nightsisters.

A soldier stumbled in front of him, looking back at the carnage they had narrowly escaped. "GET UP SOLDIER!" he yelled, hauling the trooper to his feet. "Keep moving! Don't Stop!" he yelled, commanding them to press just past the Grand Marshal before giving the command to hold a position on their southern flank.

Their situation was dire, they were cut off, but they would fight to the bitter end. The Commander moved throughout the Regiment, forming them up, trying to stem to panic and hopelessness that threatened to spread across their lines. That's when the air crackled with the energy from the ridge behind them. The Grand Marshall's voice heard by every soldier, felt in every heart. Hope surged as his men stood straighter, resolve solidifying in their very beings.

He turned, slamming a fist to his chest in salute, acknowledging their orders. "FORM UP! DEFENSIVE POSITIONS!" he yelled, turning back to his soldiers and moving through the front lines of the 12th Regiment. "12th Regiment! You are the sword, the shield of the Empire! HOLD THIS LINE." he continued. "Make them pay 1000 fold for each drop of your brother's blood spilled!" he said as he passed the squadrons of tread speeders ready to move.

"HOLD. THIS. LINE." he shouted; blasters pointed across the large clearing and the tree line of the jungle beyond. They would cover the tree line, the cave entrances, and the cliffs. They would hold.

@Sreeya @Arcangel @Altaris @Alhon @Phoenix

 

[Astrid al-Bahir]

She felt Winnz die, sensed his life wink out, and, undoubtedly, those who'd gone with him. Aadya was busy elsewhere. Hopefully not also dying. Astrid took a breath and clicked on her comm to contact her soldiers back at the FOB. "Track my signal and bring the dropship. Hold fire on Nightsisters with me; Singing Mountain is with us. Be quick. Contact the Gunboat Diplomat for priority escort." She switched channels. "Knight Rasheer. Anything?"

Astrid then turned fully to Vanya, standing tall, with amethyst eyes looking her in the face. She placed her helm back over her head and sealed the unusual configuration once more around her horns.

"We do now. We will be ready." Without the Knight-Commander or other senior members around, the four knights with Astrid looked to her for guidance. They all felt the loss of Winnz and Aadya's absence. Astrid turned to them. Jameson, Akto, Haramin, Jaeger. "We go to the Grand Marshal," she said after a few moments of silence. "Together with Singing Mountain, we will end this. Today we bleed into the same earth, and bleed we must. Have faith." Sharply, they saluted, a gesture she returned stoically, but in earnest. Even from a great distance, they could feel the determination of the Imperial military.

Commander Baize, General Dram, Grand Marshal Din.

“IMPERIAL KNIGHTS! TO ME!”
"HOLD. THIS. LINE."​

The dropship made its approach. "Grand Marshal, this is Knight al-Bahir. Singing Mountain is with us; we're on our way." While boarding and getting underway, Singing Mountain and Imperial forces together- no doubt with a large amount of side-eye back and forth- Astrid would address Vanya with a series of questions.

"What is a 'Chirodactyl'? What abilities and tactics can we expect from Queen Renfry? What can you tell us about her location? Defenses? What are your warriors capable of?" Astrid intended to be quite thorough, trying to cover as many angles as she could. While they spoke and the soldiers aboard double and triple-checked everything, the ship flew its way to the main battlefield- and closer to the Queen. They'd need the Grand Marshal for this.

But he would not fight alone. Just as he stood before the Imperial Forces, those same forces stood at his back. The Empire fought with him.

@Phoenix @Sreeya @Raydo @Alhon @Logan @Darasuum

​

 

[Ailis Drast]

While Ailis maneuver was successful in picking another enemy off the board, there was a mounting frustration as the blaster fire receded into silence as the enemy disappeared from the field. Ailis held her ground for a moment, eyes roving the jungle in search of a foe, finding none. Instead the roar of Imperial treadspeeders began to fill the air as the front of the column closed in on the strike teams position.

There was a thunderous crack in the distance, followed by the roaring of showering boulders. Ailis felt it, attuned to the force as she was. A pulse of energy and the crying out of hundreds of souls in the force. The silence that settled after. Her free hand involuntarily moved towards her chest as she felt the sudden mass of deaths. And among those deaths, a single, distant, scream echoing in darkness.

She felt sick for a moment, the waste of it all. Hundreds of men, gone in an instant. And for what?

To capture and bring to justice the former Empress. Empress Andruil of the Sith. Queen Renfry of Dathomir. The few men that died here were just a drop in the ocean of blood that soaked her hands. It seemed futile. The woman had been locked away on this hellhole of a world for years. The Empire's efforts were like stepping into a mother rancor's den and poking her.

“IMPERIAL KNIGHTS! TO ME!” ​

Altair's words boomed through the very air, echoing through the red-barked trees. Ailis looked up to see the Grand Marshal standing above. Battle worn, shirt burned away, lightning scarring his chest. His words rang through the forest and to the imperials below. The heart of the Empire still beat and with it the men of the empire found their courage.

Ailis stepped forth, making her way up towards Altair to stand beside him. She had always liked adventure, and what was more adventurous than poking a rancor. And who better to poke a rancor with than Altair.

"I am with you." Ailis said as she stepped to his side. To the end. The words left unspoken. Despite the folly of their quest, Ailis had taken an oath when she decided to serve as an Imperial Knight. Rather than slink off into the dark as a Sith or return to a life of squalid mundanity. She had chosen to serve, to stand for the Empire, for what she believed it could be. To stand alongside the men and women who shared those beliefs, and there was no one who believed in the good of the Empire more than Altair. So she would stand with him, and perhaps forge a brighter future for the Empire.

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Asher Teric]

By some miracle, Asher managed to make it through the canyon - moving just ahead of the collapsing cliffside and hurtling boulders - albeit not without a cost. The Lieutenant only needed to glance backwards to see the bulk of his own platoon had failed to make it through in time - crushed beneath the ambush they had all been dreading. Men and women that Asher had fought, drank and dined with for years. Men and women who deserved to go home to their families as heroes, but would remain forever trapped beneath Dathomir.

His heart shattered and fell into the bottom of his stomach, and Asher could feel the tears that began to sting at his eyes. He wanted to scream and cry out, to mourn the loss of those who had been his brothers and sisters, and yet forced himself to carry on. To mourn their loss later, and to ensure their sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.

At some point in the struggle, Asher lost the standard-issue helmet that accompanied his armor - forcing the Lieutenant to carry on without it. He felt the dust and debris that clung to his face and hair, the small cuts and gashes that added crimson to his features. But with each step - marching forward - Asher forced himself to keep pace with the rest of the Commander’s Regiment. Towards victory.

Towards the voice of their Grand Marshal - booming across the ridge. Even from a distance, it was easy to see the injured that their leader suffered. The smoke that rose off his battered frame, and the lightning scars that sprawled across his chest. That voice echoed through each and every one of them, sparking the courage that had nearly been snuffed out by the horrors of Dathomir.

Turning with the rest of their forces, Asher leveled his rifle upon the treeline ahead - contributing to the line of Imperial soldiers that solidified across the southern flank of their army. Asher felt his own heart pounding in his throat, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Despite the pain, despite the loss, despite whatever was still waiting for them - Asher was certain of one thing alone.

They would hold. No matter the cost.

@Sreeya @Raydo @Alhon

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

As she was being dragged down below the water's surface, Aadya faced the very apparent reality that this is where she was going to die. Something she always knew was going to happen eventually, of course, but it was also something she never really tried to run from either.

There was no influx of panic, no thrashing of limbs. Only the serene calm of acceptance and then.. an arched eyebrow of confusion when the scythe of the reaper did not pierce her heart.

Firrereo were a lot of things but fish they were not, so Aadya's only explanation as to why she was able to seemingly breathe - or well, not drown as she dared not to open her mouth - was because the Frenzied River was allowing her to. It wanted something but she was unsure of what.

Surely all of this was not just to kill her with mundane theatrics. If that is all the Witches had wanted they could have easily done so on the surface above. As she floated there, Aadya could feel something shimmer through the force. It was clouded, muffled by the water and the distance, but she could still feel it.

Its familiarity was unforgettable, and Aadya would feel the emotions of Altair even here. Rage and darkness and defiance, things she was familiar with. Things she knew. There were also things she didn't, solidarity, brotherhood, authority that rang in the ripples through the force.

Something was happening on the surface of Dathomir and she felt the call to get back there. Aadya was under no delusions that she was going to stand side by side with her Imperial cohorts or the soldiers fighting and dying. No, she felt called to return to the only reason she was here in the first place.

The only reason she had done anything at all the past however many years. For Altair, despite all he had done. Despite the sadness that she still and forever would carry in her heart at what might have been.

With a kick of her feat, Aadya tried to swim to the circle of red above her. She had no idea what it was, where it would go, or even if it was a good idea at all.

But over the course of her life, she had always trusted her gut, and something in her was telling her not to reach out for the glowing figures despite the alluring nature of their song, no matter how much she might want to.

Alone in the depths of the Frenzied River, Aadya swam toward the circle of red light. Her hand outstretched, seeking salvation.

Her mind made up, unafraid to die.

@Phoenix

 

[Max Dram]

Max gripped the rail of the Scorpio as the column rolled on, thousands of boots pounding the earth and an army of voices united in song. They moved as one, an inescapable force of nature. Nothing could stop them, not smoke, nor arrow or whispered poison.

The General glanced around at the cliffs above. Is this it? Is this all you can conjure you old hag?

As if in answer, the very earth beneath them began to shake. Max hurriedly called a halt, trying to check his instruments, but it turned out there was no time. The west rock face seemed to ripple, a deep rumble sounding like the tolling bell of death. Half the stone seemed to break away, falling in slow motion like the end of all things. Max saw in a flash what would happen and felt the punch to the gut knowing he could not stop it.

"NO!". But it was too late. Rock slammed against earth and the wave of dust and debris that billowed through the canyon shoved the tank backwards violently. Max lost his footing but his metal fist still held the rail. He rebounded against the chassis and everything went dark.

________​

When Max came to a few moments later, he was still holding the damn rail, his second shouting inaudibly in his ear. The General shoved the man aside, his blood pumping, leaping off the Scorpio and stomping around it. There was blood in his mouth, but he did not care. He had to get to the men, save any he could. Any.

Even among those closest, there were injured. The more steps towards the center Max took, the more he saw the destruction that had been wrought. So many men, good honest soldiers who deserved a better death. He walked slower and slower as he took in scale of death in the ranks, his fury the only guard against despair. At least a third of his men had been lost and and the survivors found themselves staring at a wall of rock between them and those ahead.

Max's humanity almost made him pause in that moment. But then the air stirred, the dust cloud parting as a new power moved. He stared uncertainly at the horned figure through the gloom. He knew Altair even at this distance, but he had never seen the Tiefling's powers, until today. Max would never forget how the Grand Marshal brought his spear down, his sheer force of will splitting rock to bring them salvation. With Altair at their head, they could be conquerors still.

Max drew his blastsword, a unusually long blade fit for his large frame, that glinted even in the dim light. He flashed it through the air, motioning fiercely to those officers that remained. "Reform the line! Reform the line!" Men and machine hastened back into position as quickly as they could, many glad for direction. "Armor to the center!" he ordered across the comm, bringing the remaining Occupiers and Scorpios down between the infantry units. Leaping back up onto his old ride, Max signalled toward the fissure Altair had created. "Target the breach point and FIRE!".

Those of the main force's tanks in visual range fired on the weakened channel in the collapsed rock, heavy duty weapons blasting apart the larger chunks and raining more dirt and dust. It was impossible to avoid the odd debris injury, on both sides of the obstacle, but blood had already been drawn. Soon, a wide passage was created and Max's force charged through, men and machine racing to reunite with the vanguard.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry could feel the death of her long-time friend and ally even more acutely than anyone else. It ached in her heart, and her teeth clenched together. Sheehan had been there with her through everything like a sister. She wanted to grieve, but she knew she couldn't. She didn't have the time, and she knew she was likely enough to join her soon.

Shadows and dust.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the ground shook with the detonations of the fighters. Although on the far side of the palace, it shook the stone that Renfry knelt on and she watched parts of the palace-temple crumble away into ruin in the not-so-distant distance.

The Queen could feel the way the Force pulsed below, and she knew that it couldn't have been anyone but Altair. There was a temptation within her to drop down and face them directly, but that would come in time and even for all of her power, trying to attack the entire force while it was moving together as a blob was inadvisable.

Your Highness, the First who had earlier engaged with Ailis Drast came to the Queen. Captain Sheehan is dead, and our initial forces have scattered into the jungle. They will need time to regroup, she said. Renfry wasn't surprised. She already knew that her friend was gone, and she also knew at least the general course this battle would take. It was never about winning.

She nodded silently for a moment, a grave expression on her face. Take the remaining troops into the jungle and around to the Forgotten Valley's north edge, she said. What Renfry knew - and this young woman didn't - was that there was a good chance she and her troops would see no more battle today. She also knew that the report meant that she'd lost nearly a third of her own troops as well.

Everything she did was measured and calculated as it had been when she was Empress. The scales of blood, survival, and safety were measured and balanced, and those who had already fought... they may well find themselves still fighting today, Renfry also knew she needed to plan for a Dathomir after herself.

Go, but be ready should the Imperials head to that area, she said.

And with that, she returned to her seat once again to begin the next ritual.

Main Battlefield​

The shaking in the ground that had nothing to do with clearing debris or planetquakes became all the more noticeable as rancors burst free from the trees. A dozen of the creatures - all of which held Nightsisters on their backs - moved toward the formation.

They would tear into the vanguard with great force, claws and teeth tearing into flesh and armor alike. There were only a handful of the creatures, but what they did was bring sheer shock factor. Few people had ever actually seen a rancor and fewer still bearing down on them with a near-mythical witch on their backs. Once more, were morale not so inspired by the officers, the army would have broken and fled right then and there.

Síle and a force of two dozen beastwardens waited in the South Jungle beyond the treeline, reaching out collectively to the Shadow. They chanted and called on the other creatures of the jungle which followed behind the rancors. A small horde of lesser creatures would assault the vanguard as well.

Bane back spiders, cavern spiders, boars, voritors, and even a pair of nydaks and innumerable other animals descended on the Imperials.

The Imperials would be faced with many decisions and questions about how to engage the creatures. Use brute force against the rancors? Attempt - with much difficulty - to shoot the Nightsisters off? Would the pheromones even work when the Nightsisters were still directly controlling the creatures? Did they even have access to the pheromones after the collapse? Engage the lesser beasts first? Attempt to hunt down the beastwardens in the jungle? Many decisions and little time.

Fortunately, the gap between the treeline and the troopers would allow them more time to pick off the wildlife now assaulting them.

Imperial Knights​

Vanya boarded the Imperial shuttle with a dozen Nightsisters. Although a small group, true strength that the Singing Mountain warriors brought was knowledge.

She grabbed a hold of the seat harness a little tighter as the vessel took off, and turned her gaze back onto Astrid as she asked her questions.

Flying predators. Bats but ten thousand times larger, she said. There was something about sharing this information with outsiders that felt wrong, but it was about saving Dathomir.

Get over it, and spit it out.

They do not care about victory, they care about killing your troops. Making the invasion so bloody that no one will ever dare set foot on Dathomir again, she said. To know the mind of one's enemy was to know how they would act.

They don't die to protect the Queen, they die to protect the planet. The palace and tunnels leading into it will likely already be sabotaged, she said.

She paused a moment to think.

The main landing zone of the palace is covered by turrets installed by the Queen, but there is a small area on the north side where one shuttle could land, she said. Astrid would put together that it would mean only a handful of troops could go for the assault.

We are all skilled warriors and will accompany you, she said, leaving the remaining spots in the transport for Imperial troops. Unless, of course, the Imperials rejected the assistance of the Singing Mountain Clan.

Meanwhile, @Aadya Rasheer would continue to hear the song of the waters, now mixed with whispers. Begone interloper. You could have been us, but now you destroy our world, the voices said.

Aadya would reach out for the surface and immediately her lungs would begin to burn with a need for air. Just when she would think she was going to lose consciousness she would burst free from the water, her head coming up to clear air once again.

There was still no sign of the Clan, but Aadya would have a sense that she had received her answer.

 

[Jonathen Baize]

Music​

They had been briefed about the Rancors, but no briefing could prepare you for the sight of the dozen behemoths bursting from the jungle. Bolstered by the Grand Marshal at their back, they were as ready as they would be for the horde pouring from the trees. "FIRE!" Jon shouted. A wall of blaster fire slammed against the hellish horde. "Focus your fire on the less armored targets," he commanded his foot soldiers, knowing their rifles would have little effect.

Their ranks were a couple thousand strong, with more joining them through the gap Altair and the General created. They also had the majority of the tread speeders as they had led the charge through the canyon.

He nodded to the Lieutenant of the Treadspeeder platoon he had specifically briefed for this. They had been equipped with rear-facing grappling hook launchers. Their task was to fire their grappling hooks into the legs of the rancors, using their speed to circle them, entangling their legs and bringing them down. They shot forward, the shields protecting them from the stray blaster fire. "Treadspeeders, engage the enemy and deploy your pheromone canisters. Then engage the more heavily armored creatures," he commanded the rest of the speeders, subordinate officers relaying messages as he moved on. Their heavier Blaster Cannons effective against the armored jungle creatures.

"Snipers, bring those riders down!" he shouted. "Flamethrowers, keep them off our front line!" He continued. They had been given time to get into a solid defensive formation, spreading out their flamethrowers throughout the front lines.

The rest of the army was already reinforcing them. "Armored units, focus fire on armored targets," he radioed.

"Command, request air support along and just inside the tree line," he said, hoping to interrupt the charge of further animals.

They would hold the line.

@Phoenix @Sreeya @Alhon @Altaris @Mr. Teatime @Logan @Arcangel

 

[Altair Din]

Altair could hear the rumble behind him and he knew it had nothing to do with the earth. He first commed Astrid (@Mr. Teatime ), “Knight al-Bahir. Good work! Singing Mountain specializes in mastering the beasts of this land. Can you bring some of them in to disrupt the forces arriving from South Jungle? We need the animals to feel compelled to abandon the fight.”

He turned to regard Ailis (@Arcangel ), “See them through!” He called out, pointing back to Max and his column of men still moving through the gorge. It would be her and the responsibility of the Knights now rallying around her to flank them and join as a part of the main Imperial push. It was critical that every man alive made it safely through that gorge.

The tielfing ran back towards the vanguard, speaking into his comms, “Commence second round of bombing,” He ordered the ships that collapsed a chunk of the palace. Those ships would circle back around and bomb the central section of the palace, still careful to ensure that the debris wouldn’t fall back on the arriving forces.

Meanwhile, as requested, air support was en route to fly in to fire inside the treeline. They would arrive within moments.

Altair caught up near Baize (@Raydo), clapping him on the shoulder. He had a wide grin on his face, “Live or die, they will sing about this day,” He said before he tapped the front of Jonathen's helmet with his horns, leaving a faint trace of Nightsister blood on the white surface, “Give 'em a whole lot to sing about, brother!” Altair said before he charged towards where the beasts began to rush at them.

“FLAMES! THEY FEAR FIRE!” He called out to the men that were using their flamethrowers. Altair used the Force to fan them back towards the treeline, creating a wall of fire similar to what he had done with Sheehan’s forces. He knew that even with the symbiotic bond they shared with their riders, rancors would be greatly distressed by the fire. Such was the disadvantage of the more intelligent rancors on Dathomir - they had emotions such as fear.

The tiefling rushed towards a rancor that broke through from the side. He darted in with Sheehan’s spear, aiming to pierce the side of the beast with the magick imbued blade. If that found purchase, he would then hoist himself up and swing around with a solid punch directly into the face of its rider. If it landed, it would shatter her face to pieces and the rancor would have Altair at least briefly perched atop its back.

@Phoenix

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis looked at Altair as he gave his order. There was a moment of doubt, concern for the man as he would no doubt once again charge headlong into the fray, but looking at the column of tanks blasting away at the rubble. She understand.

"By your command." She said simply before turning away and then she was off. A handful of other Imperial Knights had gathered with her and they followed as she ran for the breach. Her back pained her where the shot had bled through her armor, but she was still in fighting shape. Much better shape then the men who lay dead and broken underneath the rockfall.

Reaching the breach, Ailis leaped up onto the largest mass of rubble overlooking the path that had been carved through it. "Clear a path!" She called out to the other knights with her as she reached out towards a rather large boulder that was narrowing the gap. A bead of sweat began to drip down her brow as she concentrated on the rock, reaching out towards it with both hands, though she still held her unlit saber in one.

The boulder began to rise before moving to settle outside of the path. Glancing towards the front lines in time to see a horde of rancors and other beasts charging the vanguard, Ailis turned towards them and raised her hand's even higher. The boulder shuddered as it lifted, up, up. With a massive shove, the boulder went flying at one of the charging rancors, aimed to collide with it's body. She was careful to make sure there wouldn't be any Imperial collateral damage with her aim. "Aim for the Rancors!" She commanded the other knights before turning again to the gorge to lift another boulder.

Between Altair's force use and the cannon fire, the gorge had been blown open and now it was just about making room for men and machine to pass through unscathed. The other knights would work at this as well, switching off between moving material and flinging them at the charging beasts and watching the various ridges and jungle scapes for signs of an attack. They would deliver their charges to the other side safely, or die in the attempt.

@Phoenix @Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

The Scorpio rolled through the opening they had created, grinding rock fragments in its wake. The fissure had been blasted wide enough to accommodate a tank at a time, flanked by a single file of footsoldiers either side. General Dram watched their flanks for unexpected collapses as they hurried through, gritting his teeth with resolve as they cleared the gap.

Up ahead, the front line was finally coming into view. Max felt a slight apprehension at joining the battle proper; it was often the most dangerous moment, when vital considerations could be overlooked. “Rear units stay on your guard“ he commed back down the canyon “hold your ground and raise the alarm at the first sign of trouble”. He had left a substantial rearguard to guard against attack, but Dathomir was proving merciless. He would not let it ambush them again. He would not.

Desperate cries on the radio heralded a new terror. Slowly but surely huge lumbering shapes came into view through the gloom. Max was Adumari and had seen more weapons of war than most. But the sight of a dozen ferocious rancor, ridden by wild screeching witches, was up there. Baize’s commands came loud over the comm, as did shouted words of encouragement from the Grand Marshal. The Tiefling was almost godlike right now.

Max was still too far off to make any precision moves, but if there was one thing he and his men could do, it was hit large targets. He gave the orders and drew several Scorpios and Occupiers into a line on the far side of the collapse, taking aim at the rancors with their targeting computers, and firing single heavy bolts from their cannons. The sound of artillery fire urged him on, as did the distant rumble of bombs falling on the palace.

“Infantry with me!” the General shouted, jumping down from the tank and readying his own weapons. His personal guard closed around him, but he looked through them for the men from the Juggernaut. “Bring the concussion missiles up” he ordered, glad to have saved the things for precisely this kind of threat. Reaching a ridge overlooking the vanguard’s desperate battle, he had the missile teams set up and position their launchers, smiling with grim satisfaction as the rocket trails surged into the sky.

This was hell, but they had brought devilry of their own.

 

[Astrid al-Bahir]

Knight al-Bahir listened carefully to Vanya's explanations, standing quite still on the crowded shuttle full of mixed Imperials and Nightsisters. She made no comment until the Nightsister had finished speaking. Not even her spear-ended tail moved, wrapped neatly around her waist as it was.

"Queen Renfry sends her people to die for pride," Astrid stated evenly, feeling the brief explanation allowed her greater understanding. "I appreciate your joining us." She offered a respectful nod of the head. "Vanya, correct?" Upon getting the Grand Marshal's message she paused to listen, then addressed Vanya. "Can you help us discourage a beast attack? A stall in the fighting is needed." She didn't know if they were capable of that or not but it doing so would both protect the Imperial flank and limit meaningless death on both sides from the rush forward. Perhaps it would even discourage Nightsisters from continuing to fighting if they knew their own Sisters were divided.

MUSIC​

"Copy that, Grand Marshal." Knight Astrid al-Bahir turned to the soldiers on the drop, fellow Knights and marines both. She turned to the Singing Mountain members guiding them, toward Vanya. She looked at all these soldiers, many of whom may well be about to die. She could easily die along with them And yet, though she sensed an aura of fear and nervousness, there was also courage and determination. Not a single one would fail to fight for their fellows, their people, for what they believed in.

"Together now, we fight. We fight until we can no longer hold weapons, until we can only crawl. And even then, we will not be defeated. Even then, we will spit in the face of death. Those who bleed with me, I call them sister or brother." Her tail unfurled to wave toward the Nightsister warriors. "Our enemy is not Dathomir, but Queen Renfry who sends Dathomir to kill both our peoples. We are an iron shield to shade those behind us, spears raised against surrender. And together, we will end this. "

She spoke with purpose, with pride, determination, and durasteel conviction behind her unreadable demeanor. Her tail snapped behind her like the crack of a commander's whip. "As one!"

"FOR THE EMPIRE!"
"Vivat Imperium!"
​

A chorus of voices shouted from on high to cut through detonations, blaster fire, and the roar of powerful heavy gunship engines and fearsome Dathomirian beasts. The Gunship Diplomat's cannons would blast down toward the tree line along with streaks of concussions missiles per Commander Blaize's call for close air support. Meanwhile, Astrid's dropship lowered near the command line, hovering near @Altair Din and @Jonathen Baize while its repeater turret fired at beasts within range. If Singing Mountain was to help ward off the beasts with their magic, now was the time.

"Grand Marshal, Commander. This is Vanya of Singing Mountain," spoke Astrid from the boarding ramp, standing tall in the red-orange light of flames and artillery fire, braid-wound hair blowing behind her helm in the ashen wind. "Giant bats will respond to air support. The palace and tunnel entrances are trapped. Vanya told us of a viable landing zone for one shuttle, sir." Her visor locked onto Altair Din. "We should hurry. Queen Renfry's goal is to bloody us all."

On that note she rose her hands, commanding the Force to whip flames from Altair's wall into the face of one of the approaching Rancor. Astrid al-Bahir wasn't about to sit on her hands however brief she was here at the front.

@Phoenix @Sreeya @Alhon @Raydo @Arcangel

Spoiler: TLDR

Astrid asks Singing Mountain to help disrupt the beast attack if they can do so. She gives a hopefully inspiring speech to the soldiers/knights/warriors on the dropship. While stopping by the main battle to pick up the Grand Marshal, the dropship fires its repeater toward the beasts and Astrid whips a bit of Altair's flame wall at a Rancor's face to discourage it charging.

Spoiler: Gunboat Diplomat

Serving as the dropship's escort, it lays down CAS fire at the treeline since it'd be close by anyway. It is a Malleus-class Heavy Gunship.

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Lungs on fire, Aadya desperately raced for the surface as the sinking feeling she was never going to make it started to settle in. Before the point of no return she felt herself break the surface of the water and taking several long, haggard breaths.

Swimming back to the shore, Aadya took several steps onto dry land before simply falling onto her back and staring at the Dathomirian sky. The words of the Sisters below echoed in her mind, their spoken truth like a soundtrack that just kept playing over and over again.

She could have been one of them. Her thoughts drifted back to the short time she'd spent here with Renfry all those years ago. Like so many other things in her life Aadya had left this place behind, abandoned what she'd sought to do. So many things left unfinished, barely started.

She could have been so many things, but instead all she had managed to become was..

What even was she?

She had no sense of purpose. Not anymore, not really. Was this all she was destined to be? A destroyer, a pillager, a killer for someone else? There had to be more. She felt like more than this. But maybe she wasn't, and what she was was all she had ever been.

Alone, unsure, following the wills and whims of people she so desperately tried to get close to but only ending up further apart than when she'd started.

Rolling up into a kneeling position, Aadya let out a deep breath. Her lungs still hurt and they probably would for a time, but she was used to pain. She looked at her hands and wondered how many they had killed and the futility of it all was enough to make her weep.

But she didn't.. not yet at least.

Instead, she stood to her feet and headed back the way she had come, back to the battlefield. It would take her some time to arrive, but her yellow brick road would become obvious in time. The sounds of war and death her road sign, growing louder and louder as Aadya continued to march.

The Frenzied River clan will not be aiding us, She said in her comm to whoever would pick it up and relay the information. I am returning alone.

The force flowing through her more freely than it had in some time, Aadya raced back to the battle as fast as she could, though she was not entirely sure she still had the will left in her to fight.

@Phoenix

 

[Asher Teric]

Asher kept his gaze fixed onto the frontline - rifle pointed and loaded in preparation. He watched as trees began to crack and break across the horizon, rancors and other beasts pouring forth from the jungle. It was their main assault against the Imperials, but he hadn’t forgotten about the space behind them.

Opening a comm to what remained of his platoon, Asher spoke. “Fall back to cover General Dram and our rear.” Dozens of troops would peel back and reposition to cover the General, snipers taking position along the fallen debris and rocks that any flanking force of Nightsister’s would need to climb through.

Asher, meanwhile, held his ground on the front lines. He leveled his rifle onto the incoming Rancor and pulled back the trigger, aiming to kill the beasts themselves instead of their riders. They were certainly easier to hit, and had a chance of heavily injuring other attacks in the process of toppling over.

 

[Renfry]

Detonation from the bombing of the palace began to shake the location where Renfry and the others knelt, and her eyes flicked open. The impacts landed close enough to be cause for concern, and Renfry gritted her teeth together in annoyance. She knew that the Imperials couldn't hit her without killing their own troops as well, and maybe that would even be worth it, but no. No, she had a higher toll to take on them still.

More bombs and cannon shots fell, and as it did, she watched the palace itself begin to crumble. All that had been left of the Forgotten that had kept the Entity at bay for all those years was gone. All that was left of Renfry's kingdom unifying the Nightsisters. She had wanted to hand the reins to her daughter, but Arla had been... upset and distant since Raze's split. She wasn't even sure that her daughter would ever want to return to take the throne. Whatever she chose, though, Renfry would be proud.

But musing on her daughter was foolish and out of place now.

Scatter and regroup in the Forgotten Valley, she said to the Nightsisters with her before reaching out to Síle through the Shadow.

Síle, Chant of the Dead and displace, she said, rising to her feet and pulling the Shadow around herself. She let her essence flow down the current of the Shadow and across the planet she knew so well.

It was clear that direct confrontation was out of the question, but Renfry could lead them on a merry chase through the jungles, forcing them to look for her. Bleeding them of their resources and life. A battle of attrition.

Main Battle​

At the end of the day, the Imperials were a far more formidable force for direct confrontation than the Nightsisters. It was why so little of the fighting had been face to face, and the Imperial strength was demonstrated by their response to a direct assault.

Blasters of varying sizes tore into the creatures pouring from the jungle, cutting down a vast majority before they ever reached the Imperial forces. The rancors, too, struggled against the incoming fire. Although their thickened hide was in many ways impervious to small arms fire, there was more than just small arms fire to deal with.

Two of the rancors were brought down by the trip-cords of the treadspeeders, but at cost. Several of the speeders were caught up in the surge of animals, their riders dragged screaming to the ground. Three of the rancor riders were brought down by snipers, and their mounts were caught up in confusion by the scent of the pheromones, ultimately causing them to flee back into the jungle.

A mixture of flamethrowers and missiles tore into the bulk of the attacking force, catching a rancor in its blast and turning it to rancor mush.

Still, one of the creatures managed to tear through the side and rip into the troopers, bringing down nearly two dozen in its rampage before it was stopped by Altair. An earsplitting roar erupted as the tiefling wedged the blade through its thick hide and into flesh.

The Nightsister rider - having never seen such a thing before - failed to anticipate the attack that came in next. In a single flash, everything went black as her body fell limply to the ground. The connection between rancor and rider was severed with great violence, causing the creature to begin flailing about in a blind and unbreakable rage. Altair had only a moment to put the beast down before it brought down a whole platoon of soldiers.

When it was all said and done, only three of the rancors remained upright with riders on them. All three had made it to the Imperial lines and one was knocked to the side momentarily by the stone of Ailis Drast, letting out an enraged roar as it did.

Armored fire fell on them, slamming into thick, armor-like hide, but ultimately all three met the same fate: death of beast and warden.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Knights and Nightsisters would begin to return. You will never understand us, and it will be your undoing, Vanya said, shaking her head in response to the Imperial Knight's comment about the reasons for the fighting. Perhaps there was no point in discussing it with the woman. The Singing Mountain Sisters were not the Empire's friends, they were forced allies for a time. Common interests aligned for a time, and then they would be nothing yet again.

She gave no immediate comment about the beasts attacking the Empire. That was a more complicated question, and as they drew closer and the Imperial gunships added to the fire, the remainder of the attack was repelled. In fact, it seemed almost as if the animals had lost all focus. Some - being natural predators - continued to attack, but without any unification.

Respite...​

Theme​

Over the course of the next several minutes, things became almost calm. No further signs of attack were immediately manifest and it almost could have lulled the Imperials into a sense of calm after turning back the horde of creatures.

Vanya's eyes swept over the area. Bodies of beast and man alike littered the area. Countless were dead, and she could sense the souls of those - Nightsisters and Imperials alike - drifting across the Veil. The scent of burned flesh filled the air, and she could still see the remains of the rubble - now partly cleared - in the canyon beyond.

Death was a natural part of life, and Vanya didn't grieve for those who were gone, but she took no joy in it either. Her Clan had long had tensions with the others in this part of the planet, but she would have wished for peace between them. That seemed further away now than ever.

As the officers (@Altaris @Logan @Alhon @Sreeya @Raydo @Mr. Teatime @Arcangel) began to gather and the Imperial Knight introduced Vanya, the First would take the opportunity to speak to those who were gathered.

Time is your enemy now. The Queen has already left the area, I can feel it, she said, her eyes flicking up to the palace - now in ruins - above them.

There are many more traps and rituals in wait for you, and the longer you're here, the more men you will lose to them. We need to be able to move quickly and with great violence, she said.

And like that, the Imperial officers would be forced to make their next decision: press on to attempt to find the Queen with their entire army, follow the First's advice and hunt her with a small, elite team, or spread their forces into the jungle to seek her out.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was seated on a rancor, and hilariously this was not the first time. What felt like a lifetime ago, he had managed to tame one. He knew how empowering this felt when a bond existed. Right now, he was only atop a mindless beast. He saw the rancor starting to charge at the soldiers, and he reached down to grab the spear, jamming it to one side to cause pulses of pain. This would hopefully steer the beast abruptly towards where the other surviving rancors remained. Altair conjured heat in his hand and pressed it near the wound, causing blinding hot pain to the beast that would charge full speed at its kin.

The tiefling jumped backwards off the rancor as it would charge at the other rancors and hopefully cause a bloodbath. Regardless of how this played out, Altair used the Force to yank the spear back to his hand before hurtling it again at its head for the final blow. Being well versed with the wan-shen meant his attack would almost certainly find purchase. If his attempt to steer the rancor towards its brethren didn’t work, he would simply jam the spear into its head before it could kill Imperials.

Altair was getting intel about Renfry being on the move and he cursed to himself. He knew this was likely, but he despised the thought of splitting forces. Sweat was lining his body from heat, fighting and grime. Exhaustion weighed on his bones and muscles, and this was all before he faced the Queen. A sense of dread remained at the pit of his stomach regardless of how much he hyped up his Imperials and shined as a beacon for them to rally.

“Dram, al-Bahir, Rasheer, we go with Vanya to seek Renfry. Baize, you are in command of the forces here,” He added. He was extremely impressed by Ailis handling the rancor and the ambush in the woods, so he was fully confident in her abilities to hold back the southern units. He continued speaking to Baize, “Hold the line but also consider a greeting party if we manage to chase Renfry into an ambush. This is risky, so act upon evaluating the risk,” Altair said firmly. He wanted to minimize loss of life. Avoiding it was impossible.

With that, Altair rapidly made his way over towards Vanya, coming into sight of her for the first time.

@Alhon @Logan @Mr. Teatime @Phoenix @Raydo