Ask Invasion Attack On Dathomir

[Jonathen Baize]

The battle was quick and brutal. After they were finished, the beasts scattered to the wind, the rancors dead or repelled; Jon surveyed the field; a horde of beasts lay dead in front of them, but they had taken losses of their own. Rancors had breached their line for only seconds and wracked dozens of kills before being brought down by the Grand Marshal and others.

"Medics, secure the wounded." he commanded. "FORM THOSE LINES UP! FILL IN THOSE GAPS" he said, commanding reinforcements to fill the gaps in their lines. He turned to a Colonel next to him. "Begin rotating soldiers who have been at the front with fresh troops. I want our front and back flanks manned by our freshest troops," he commanded.

The moment was calm, but he knew it wouldn't remain so. Soldiers were commanded to hydrate, restock ammo and be ready for combat again within moments.

Jon turned; the command staff was gathering. "Yes, Sir!" he sounded crisply, witch blood still staining his helmet.

With his Orders received, he turned back to the soldiers. "I want our armor to be spread out throughout our forces, to cover both flanks." he issued to a nearby Officer of the Armored divisions. "Have the soldiers begin digging in, but I want to remain mobile enough that we could move out quickly if need be," he ordered another Officer.

He then checked on their Northern flank. "Lt. Terick, continue to sure up our position here and secure this ridge. Nothing gets through this canyon," he said a nod. (@Altaris ) This was their least complicated flank; Any enemies would be funneled into their fortified position. It would hold between the soldiers and the armored units for quite some time.

Lastly, he deployed scouts to the top of the far ridge from the place to keep be able to spot any dangers from the cliffside or palace.

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

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Arriving during the calm after the carnage was strange. Aadya's eyes swept the battlefield and took it all in, the bodies piled here and there, the pooled blood, the massacred beasts.

It was all just so.. needless. Every life lost on Dathomir fueled a nameless, faceless machine who's levers were pulled by people who would never have to see the destruction their decisions wrought.

Aadya found Altair and the others just as Grand Marshall was giving his orders. She nodded to indicate she understood the direction. She had no idea who Vanya was but trusted Altair's discretion.

She followed him like she had so many times before, though she remained uncharacteristically silent. Chasing the Queen of Dathomir through her own backyard seemed like a fool's errand to Aadya but there was no point in voicing that concern now.

@Sreeya @Phoenix @Mr. Teatime @Alhon

 

[Ailis Drast]

The battle wound down to a lull as the last of the beasts were either slaughtered or fled the field. Ailis found herself ordered to hold the southern flank alongside the majority of the remaining soldiers and armor.

A quick bacta patch was applied to the wound on her back by a medic, but that was all the care the Imperial Knight got with so many dead and wounded imperial soldiers as a result of the various tactics of the Nightsister Queen. Witches indeed, they fought without mercy or any sense of honor. Not that it was to be expected, war was war.

"Commander Baize." Ailis addressed the officer as she approached, giving a quick salute. Her armor which had been clean and polished on landing was now dirtied with dust and carbon scoring. "Knight Drast reporting."

Things were different now within the Empire. Where once a Sith might have held power over even those officers above them, the role of the Imperial Knights was to serve. Commander Baize had been given the command of the field and it was Ailis' duty to follow the Commander's orders. She was no tactician or commander of men anyways, but she would act as their sword and shield wherever the Commander saw fit.

In the meantime, with whatever time remained before the coming storm, Ailis would center and prepare herself. Several boulders lay close to the front lines where they had struck the rancors and other beasts and Ailis set up on them with her lightsaber, carving them into more manageable sized chunks that could serve as cover or ammunition for her to fling at whatever enemy came at them. Dathomir was a graveyard and she was determined that it would be one for the witches that lived here and not herself or any more of the Imperial soldiers that fought alongside her if she could help it.

@Raydo

 

[Max Dram]

Max watched with grim satisfaction as the heavy fire and missiles slammed into the rancors. The beasts were huge, making relatively easy targets and they roared with fury as the hail of fire tore into their flesh. The riders were apparently very skilled however, leading their mounts to dodge and duck beneath the hail to swipe and claw at the soldiers. It took time and some particularly acrobatic moves from Altair to take them all down.

Max made his way up the lines as the fighting died down briefly. He was still in awe of the Tiefling on many levels and was pleased to see he was alive and seemingly uninjured. They needed the Grand Marshal more than ever if they were to successfully close the net on Renfry.

He was pleasantly surprised when Altair called him up by name. "Yes sir, seek and find" Max said eagerly, unholstering his rifle and flexing his fingers. The Adumari in him was thrilled to be moving to the sharp end of things and their main force was safe in Baize's hands. The Commander had impressed Max since their first meeting on Charros and there was no one present the General would rather have left in command.

He stalked quickly after the Grand Marshal, two troopers from Max's personal unit detaching to follow. "How tight we keeping this sir?" he asked the Tiefling. He could bring as many of his men as were needed, but if Renfry was indeed nearby he expected only a small force could move quickly enough. His expression hardened as Imperial Knights came into view, and his finger nearly went for the trigger when he saw the Nightsisters themselves. So not all of them had a death wish after all.

 

[Astrid al-Bahir]

Astrid glanced aside at Vanya, disappointed there was no proper correction or counter-argument. "You don't think so? Please elaborate." From the Knight's point of view, bloodying the enemy at the cost of many lives gathered from a low-population world just wasn't pragmatic. Doing so in order to prevent future invasions rather than other options felt much like pride. Nor had it worked in the past.

The only time Dathomir had been held by a foreign force was when that force was led by their own kind: Queen Renfry. Perhaps she still thought like a Sith. Or perhaps not, it was too early to tell. Astrid thanked Vanya for what she assumed had been assistance with the beasts- the Knights certainly had no beastmasters among them, and moved along to the next task.

"Sir." Knight al-Bahir saluted the Grand Marshal after he spoke his orders, visor lingering on him a couple of seconds longer than strictly necessary. She turned on her heels and relayed to the marines their new marching orders. They, the Knights aboard, and the Singing Moutain warriors were fresh thus far unlike the Grand Marshal.

Astrid returned and offered her water canteen to Altair without comment. Her visor turned to Aadya. "What did you find?" she asked, unable to miss the fact the woman was soaking wet and looked somehow dejected. She settled back into flawless attention as General Dram arrived, paying no apparent mind to his tense demeanor. "Knights and marines at the ready, General."

Their dropship and the Gunboat Diplomat would depart when everyone was boarded and ready unless the Grand Marshal ordered otherwise.

@Phoenix @Sreeya @Logan @Alhon @Raydo @Arcangel

 

[Asher Teric]

“Yes sir.” Asher replied back over the shared comms. There was no more that needed to be said - and the Lieutenant didn’t waste time in carrying out the orders. They had a brief respite from the fighting, and he would ensure Imperial Forces couldn’t further be ambushed.

He began to issue orders to the rest of his platoon - establishing surveillance and stationing troops wherever needed.

 

[The Storyteller]

Attack Force​

Vanya was surprised when the Imperial Knight (@Mr. Teatime) seemed to make further attempts to discuss the motivations of the Nightsisters.

If a foreign army can walk in here and drag off the ruler of Dathomir on a whim, that means they can occupy the planet on a whim. What would it say of your Empire if the Emperor were surrendered without a fight? she asked. The woman might call it pride, but the perception of power was power.

The blood shed to bring in a single person by a fraction of the Clan's power demonstrates that occupying the planet is impossible, she said, pausing a moment. And yet, the Singing Mountain Clan stood against her anyway.

Further, she corrected the Imperial Knight regarding her thanks. No, we did not break the hold on the beasts. They were released of their own accord, Vanya warned. "Why" was anyone's guess, and even the Singing Mountain couldn't answer that question.

Turning back to those who were gathered and had been selected for the assignment, she nodded (@Sreeya @Alhon @Mr. Teatime @Logan), but as they kept speaking and debating, she began to shift nervously and impatiently, turning back to the other Nightsisters to begin discussing with one of her Sisters. She had already pressed upon them the time against them, but she could only press them so much.

There was almost relief on her face as they mounted up and started to head over the jungle. Trees passed by below them, and she could sense the abundance of energy within it. She knew the Sisters were setting rituals below, but she also sensed no presence of the Queen.

She closed her eyes and focused in. Although she couldn't pinpoint the Queen's location precisely, she had a good enough idea to be able to guess the location.

I believe she is at ruins here, Vanya said, motioning to a holomap of the area. It was the run down ruins of a temple. I assume she will not be alone, but it should only be a small team now that you have killed the Captain of her Guard, she said.

As they looked at the holomap, they would be able to see one large temple-pyramid type of building with several other "buildings" that had once been held up by columns.

We will follow your lead for how to assault the temple. There is a front door leading underground or a rooftop - pinnacle - landing point that we can work our way down. Or split the group and cover both areas, she said.

Main Army​

The red sun above slowly began to set to the other side of the planet even as storm clouds began to roll in over head. In the distance, they would all be able to see lightning flashing over the planet's surface, and after what everyone had seen, they might find themselves wondering if it was a natural or unnatural storm that was coming in toward them.

For the moment, though, the soldiers would be able to secure the area around the edge of the southern jungle.

They would dig in and set their sentries up above as they moved the wounded inward. Still, above them, the areas of the mountain where the palace sat were unsecured, and time would tick by with them wondering whether their "cover" was really any cover. The paths through the tunnels to the palace were still an option, but at what risk?

 

[Altair Din]

Altair joined the others right as he overheard Vanya make her little speech. He still gripped Sheehan’s spear in his hand. He calmly listened to the woman before he cut in, “No one is above consequence,” He stated flatly, “I personally removed the Sith Empress from power because her actions were leading us to ruin. Renfry has done the same and yet her planet followed her blindly. So today we bring justice. Do not, for one moment, believe if Renfry had Dathomir’s best interests at heart and prioritized the prosperity of her planet that we would ever have come here. We would not have known of your existence,” He took slow steps towards her, tail swishing behind him, “We would not have wasted our resources. We would not have shed our blood here. We have as little desire to be here as you do to have us here. So if you want to air grievances, your Queen is the more appropriate target.”

He wasn’t going to disrespect a critical ally, but he also wasn’t going to let her spout nonsense. The Empire had absolutely zero intention of ever returning to the dump that was Dathomir if they could ever manage to elect a Queen that only cared about the planet and its people, “When you play the game of galactic thrones-” He stated firmly, standing less than a foot across from Vanya now, close enough to where she could smell the blood and sweat on him, smell the stench of burnt flesh from where lightning seared him, shining green against his inky black torso, “-You win or you die. There is no middle ground.”

With that he turned and began to make his way towards the ruins. At some point, he looked at Vanya again, “What of the Nightbrothers? Can you summon them to join the main army?”

Regardless of what she did, he stepped away to call up Baize (@Raydo)again, “Pinged you the target location,” He said, “Take a small group of Imperials and Knights to that location. We will pin Renfry from both sides. Do not let any Nightsisters witness you coming,” He said. He purposely waited till now to brief Baize on the plan because Vanya’s forces were away from the battle and couldn’t see. On the offchance that she backstabbed them, Altair and his small group would have additional numbers to help them.

“We will move to the rooftop,” He declared louder for the others as they began to make their way. Altair relied largely on Vanya’s tracking. But the others needed to stay on guard for any movement or activity ahead. Their approach was discreet and quiet. They only had somewhat of an element of surprise unless Renfry was already warned about clans betraying her.

@Phoenix

 

[Jonathen Baize]

Ships were coming and going, resupplying the army as they dug in. Jon's comms buzzed in his ear. "Yes Sir." he replied evenly.

Quickly he switched his comms channel. "I need six transports and an escort of three E-Wings." he ordered over the comms. Those ships were back at their initial staging area and would only take several minutes to arrive; time he needed to gather forces. A small force like this would never cover the distance on foot through the jungle, especially at night.

He found Knight Drast with her other Imperial Knights resting and refocusing after their efforts from earlier. He moved in close, speaking quietly. "Knight, there has been a change of plans. Gather a contingent of Knights and be ready to leave in ten. We are going to support the Warmaster's hunt." he said, offering no further explanation. (@Arcangel )

Jon then turned his focus to gathering 120 soldiers. He ordered Lieutenant Teric (@Altaris ) and two others to gather three platoon soldiers. 120 Soldiers and Knights and enough to man the 12 tread speeders the transports could carry.

The Commander's last minutes were spent re-organizing the command structure of the main force, leaving them in capable hands.

The soldiers had trained rapidly deploying, and within a handful of minutes after arriving, they would be airborne and en route to the given coordinates. Once aboard the transports, he tapped into the comms of each of the ships. "We are going to be assaulting the witch Renfry's position. We will be dropping on the far side of the force already assaulting her location. You have been chosen because you are the best, the fiercest the Empire has to offer. We will not fail the Warmarshal. The night is dark and full of terrors...WE are those terrors." he said.

"We will move fast, and we will strike hard when landing. Keep moving. The transports and escorts will provide cover fire as we join the final assault." he continued briefing them as they moved the sky, pilots flying fast to catch up. They moved quickly ahead of the gathering storm.

"Long Live the Empire." he said finally.

He then raised the Warmaster. "We are en route. ETA five minutes." he reported. (@Sreeya)

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

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis had just finished refocusing mind and intents on the mission at hand when Commander Baize approached her and the small cadre of other knights at his disposal. The Commander's whispered words were met with a stiff nod of her helmeted head and a resounding "Yes sir.

As the Commander made his exit to finish whatever preparations he needed to make, she turned to the other knights who looked to her expectantly.

"Gather whatever you need and be ready in five. We're joining the hunt." She said with a grin under her helmet and in her voice. There was little of course that the knights needed. They had their armor, their lightsabers, and the force. What more they could bring would only be extra, if not a hindrance. The group of knights would be split, with some joining the hunt while a few remained behind to support the main force.

The transports arrived swiftly and they were off. The Commander's speech filled the ears of every Knight and soldier and Ailis couldn't help but grin as she repeated after him "Long live the Empire." With luck, the Empire would live long past the day of her death, whether that be on the battlefield of Dathomir that day, or on a bed hooked up to machines as she drifted slowly off into the force, old and gray. Long live the Empire.

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Aadya couldn’t help but let her mind wander to the battle ahead as they flew over the treetops towards their destination. She wondered just what kind of resistance the Queen of Witches would give to their little band of apprehenders.

She wondered if Renfry would rather die in her home than be a prisoner confined to a cell of metal and stone. Would a place like that even be able to contain her? Seemed unlikely. A fight to the bitter end seemed more like the inevitable outcome.

Hopefully their newfound.. “Allies” would be willing to fight just the same way. Even with the power in their small strike team, Aadya knew they would need more to vanquish Renfry. They would need the Nightsisters to keep their end of the bargain.

Aye, sir. Aadya replied to Altair.

Landing on the designated rooftop, Aadya immediately went to surveillance mode in an attempt to get any pertinent information about the ruins they were in. Sight lines, vantage points, anything out of the ordinary.

She wasn’t going to let something as cliche as an ambush finish them here. She would remain on the rooftop for now, waiting for a clear signal from Altair to do anything different. They had the element of surprise.. Maybe, and she was going to be the one to blow it.

Hopefully the fight would not drag much longer. Aadya feared with every passing second they remained on Dathomir meant the goodwill of the clans allied with them were dwindling. They could not afford a war on two fronts.

Spoiler: tl’dr

aadya lands on the rooftop and begins conducting surveillance, looking for anything out of the ordinary as well as possible sightlines and vantage points they could utilize to get the leg up on renfry and whatever forces were gathered in the ruins.

 

[Max Dram]

Max tried to stay close to the Grand Marshal, rolling his heavy booted feet where possible to keep their approach quiet. The Tiefling still looked every inch a demon out of hell, his bloodstained bulk leading them through the jungle. Max knew Altair could handle himself, but he seemed to have history with these people. General Dram, by contrast, could not tell one member of the Singing Hulabaloo Clan from another and he did not care to.

His grip rested uneasily on the trigger guard of his rifle, ready to drop the first witch he saw, whether attacker or traitorous ally. Max was unsure of the merit of trusting Nightsisters, particularly now he could see them up close. He studied them carefully, his hazel eyes making roving patrols of their perimeter only interrupted when he had to duck below a branch. Max was the tallest in their group and it occasionally showed.

"Why the rooftop, sir?" he asked, stalking along close to Altair (@Sreeya ). "Won't we be exposed scaling the pyramid? Or are you thinking we flush her out from above?". Max had hoped they would catch the Queen on the move and he was wary of her slipping through their fingers. Too many men had died to have come this far in vain.

 

[Astrid al-Bahir]

Astrid listened attentively to Vanya's elaboration, although from the Nightsister's perspective it may just look like the Knight was staring at her. The ending comment about her not helping with the beasts was mildly troubling and set her thoughts awhirl with possibility, considering the different tactical angles of Dathomir and its people.

Grand Marshal Din arrived and cut into their discussion, during which time Astrid patiently listened and waited for him to finish. It wasn't the argument Astrid would have made, but then the other Tiefling was known for his passion for such things. She nodded respectfully as he left and turned back to Vanya.

"I'm not questioning her base reasoning," she corrected Vanya, "But her tactic of direct confrontation. What her choice of counter-offense tells an enemy is to strike from the sky, not the ground." An enemy who wanted Dathomir enough would burn Nightsister homes and villages in a lightning strike, utilizing pyroclastic weaponry to clear forest for heavy armor vehicles. Just as the CIS had centuries ago.

Queen Renfry was Empress and should know their tactics. Her head-on assault was either a matter of pride to make an impression or, perhaps, a sort of feint with heavy casualties to open the Imperials up to something clever. Astrid wasn't sure which. She'd never known the former Empress personally.

She bowed her head respectfully. "My thanks for your indulgence, Sister Vanya. Should we succeed, may your new days be prosperous." At this point, she went to speak to Altair.

"Grand Marshal. I believe Queen Renfry's forces retreated knowing we wouldn't follow. They have reserve forces to combine with the beasts and attack when ours are most vulnerable." Perhaps more clans from elsewhere, or some secret army. Astrid wasn't familiar with the Dathomir military- no one was, really- but the facts so far seemed to line up. "Our staging area may be targeted." Namely the primary landing zone. It was fortified decently enough, but immobile, and the only way for them to get reinforcements or supplies from orbit as needed.

After her tactical assessment, she started giving orders to the Marines under her command. "Red group, blue group, split flanks . Eyes wide." Astrid's marines split into two groups, each with two Knights among them on alert. She agreed with the rooftop. Clearing a building from the top down was optimal. Their forces would be at a disadvantage going through the front door and clearing upward levels and any potential underground as well.

She herself stood near the Grand Marshall, well aware he'd be the primary target in an ambush. With patience and calm, with forces poised and ready to sweep the building, Knight al-Bahir awaited her orders.

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Asher Teric]

Upon receiving orders from Commander Baize, Asher quickly moved to gather three platoons of Imperial Soldiers. Dozens of men moved into position and dutifully waited for the arrival of their aerial transport, prepared to follow the Grand Marshal no matter where it took them. Several dozen Imperial soldiers remained stationed throughout the canyon, ensuring that the natives would be unable to flank them from the rear without facing resistance.

As their transports arrived, Asher quickly checked his equipment and boarded up the durasteel ramp - and found himself airborne within a matter of minutes once again. Each of them had trained for rapid deployment, and it meant that the IAF was able to quickly move to reinforce the strike force hunting Renfry.

Through the commlink, Asher listened to Commander Baize - nodding along to their objective ahead. He knew they were walking into the lion’s den. Renfry was amongst the most powerful Force Users alive - and Dathomir was where she would be strongest. But he heard every word of rally from their Commander - encouraging them to fight on, and reminding them of why they’d been chosen for this operation.

“Long live the Empire!” His voice followed after the Commander’s own, and was succeeded by dozens of others across the transports.

 

[The Storyteller]

Despite the Grand Marshal's bloodstained body and intimidating presence, Vanya didn't back away or flinch. It seemed her original intention to move on from the conversation had been wiser, and perhaps entertaining the conversation of her initial escort had been imprudent.

You know nothin, Grand Marshal, she said flatly. At least one thing they could all agree on was that no one wanted the Empire here. Not the Nightsisters, not the Empire, not even the Queen. The conversation was evidently over, and the planning for the attack began. As Altair asked if she could summon the Nightbrothers, her head tilted slightly to the side.

Singing Mountain's Clan of brothers can help at least, she said. She turned to one of the other Nightsisters and gave them several instructions in Dathomiri.

They will require transportation to the Clan that can bring them back to the main force. It isn't far by shuttle, she said. Although it would mean diverting a shuttle, it was potentially a worthwhile endeavor to bring together additional forces that knew the planet well.

As the force landed on the peak of the pyramid, Vanya was one of the first out of the shuttle, the other Nightsisters spreading out over the roof to secure the area along with the soldiers that had accompanied the team.

As they touched down, the pyramid itself seemed to shake and then without further warning, the peak of the temple collapsed inwards. Stone fell away and they were plunged down in a horrible crashing.

Stones would collapse onto those who had landed and even the shuttle itself would fall down and in. Troopers that had come and even some of the Nightsisters snapped arms and legs or were crushed under stone as it all fell together. Those who were among the officers would likewise be forced to attempt to find out how to survive without being injured or killed.

And as they did, the mists of green began to seep into the room. They would have to choose either the north or south room exit and choose whether to leave their wounded comrades behind.

Flanking Force​

As the flanking force began to load up and move to their new positions, the Chant of the Dead finally came to fruition. From where the dead lay, they began to stand up with speed, leaping at the Imperials wherever they stood. Even worse, the wounded who had been moved away from the perimeter had been unknowingly moved closer to the soldiers who had been previously killed in the collapse. Mangled corpses that were driven by the tendrils of the Shadow lunged for the wounded and dying.

Perhaps the most horrifying part of it, though, was that these were the bodies of those who had once been friends and allies... brothers in arms. Now, they were husks of their old selves, bent on nothing but destruction. And worse still, each new person killed was another added to the army of the dead.

The Imperials under Commander Baize would be forced to decide between staying and clearing out the undead, splitting their force, or abandoning the plan for ambush.

And even as it happened, the storm overhead and the darkness grew thicker, almost stifling as rain began to fall over the planet.

 

[Jonathen Baize]

As they were finishing loading up, chaos broke out in a part of the line as some of the dead soldiers rose and began attacking others. Their attacks were quick, but their helmets and gloved hands kept the initial attack body count low. Confusion continued to mount as several of the mangled corpses crawled from the rubble and tried to attack, though those corpses were most severely damaged from the collapsing rocks which had killed them.

Jon turned around, surveying the confusion. They needed to leave, but he couldn't help but want to jump in desperately and aid the main force. They had been left with capable Commanders. "Continue loading up; we must reinforce up the Grand Marshal." he said to the soldiers climbing aboard the transports. This whole mission lived and died with the capture of the witch queen; if she defeated the force assaulting her, the war would be lost anyway.

They were away from the commotion but made sure the ship's anti-personnel turrets would protect them from the attack of the risen abominations, the soldiers surrounding the ship were also there to guard their escape.

He listened to the comms as the last of the soldiers were loading up. "There is a small group of insurgents just beyond the bombarded area of the jungle; they appear to be chanting around some sort of bright green orb." one of the snipers reported before giving their exact coordinates. The Jungle had been thinned out by the previous bombings giving the perched sniper a clear view of the witches.

Jon radioed the XG-1s. "We need a bombing run on the following coordinates," he said before relaying the coordinates the sniper scout had given them. "The rest of your payloads. I don't want a single thing left standing in that area. Nothing lives." he said.

The fighters would swing around and unleash fury upon the stationary witches as they cast their spell. Hopefully, it would cease whatever foul magic they were using, but it would give the rallying Imperial Forces.

Their transports lifted off; they would do a pass over the carnage of the burning jungle. Anti-Personal turrets would target any living creature they found before they continued their path toward Altair.

@Phoenix @Sreeya @Arcangel @Altaris

 

[Ailis Drast]

The sounds of combat began to break out along the line as Ailis and her accompanying knights finished loading up, ready to take off for their destination. Looking back towards the flank where the sounds were coming from, the sight of mangled Imperial corpses rising up to attack her comrades was... Well about the last thing she had expected to see.

More beasts, sure. Nightsisters definitely. But the waking dead? What other tricks did these witches have up their sleeves.

Ailis yearned to leap back into the action, to put herself between the enemy and the Imperial soldiers who fought and died against the onslaught. Anticipated the order to return.

It never came however, instead, the order to continue on was issued. Ailis had little choice but to stay aboard the ship as it rose from the jungle floor. They had a clear view of the carnage that was beginning below them. The lights of blaster fire and yellow sabers stood against the dead that the witches would not allow to rest. A churning anger built within her gut as she watched the scene before the ships flight took them away.

 

[Astrid al-Bahir]

Even as Astrid was giving her orders the temple shook and her senses spiked with the approach of immediate danger. The roof they all stood on collapsed inward and she was left with an immediate choice, guided by instinct and training. Your average Force user could safely fall immense distances and land on their feet with little to no issue, even when surprised. But she and her Knights were trained to and must defend the soldiers and officers along with them.

"Tuck and roll!"

Knight al-Bahir fell and reached out with the Force to stabilize and slow her own fall and those of the soldiers and Nightsisters around her, risking her own safety to help the others. Each pair of knights in the Red and Blue Marine groups did the same without hesitation. They'd all crash down roughly and likely injured, but less than if they'd simply gone down in freefall. Those still in the shuttle were likely better off than those outside. The next part was harder.

Astrid crashed down and rolled, pain shooting through her, shooting to her feet and raising her arms to guard against falling debris with the Force and prevent those under her care from being crushed. While stones fell toward her, her soldiers, and her fellow Knights, the Singing Mountain Nightsisters, her steadfast pride granted her strength in the Force. As she towered over the others guarded in her shadow, she thought only of her duty.

Rock crashed down deafeningly, followed by the even louder sound of the shuttle hitting the bottom and rolling halfway over. For several moments it would appear that Astrid and her people had been buried. The stones trembled, shifted, and then lifted heavily off of them. Through the Force, Astrid had prevented the rocks from burying them completely, forming a dome above them.

She stiffly pulled herself to her feet. "If you can walk, take those who cannot," she loudly ordered, sparing not a single moment to complain of any personal injuries. "Red, Blue, sound off. Grand Marshall (@Sreeya), General Dram(@Alhon), Knights?(@Logan)"

Her head turned rapidly to look around, immediately noticing the ominous green mist. It was otherwise difficult to make out who was who through the dust clouds. "Vanya?" she called out, guessing she'd survived the fall. "What is this mist?" Astrid stiffly turned to find her squad sergeant, battered but alive. "Sergeant. Call in to divert a shuttle for Nightbrother reinforcements. We will need them."

Waist-wrapped tail and posture stiff as a statue, Astrid gestured to his comm. "Inform the Diplomat we have wounded and to stand by for extraction coordinates." Luckily the Gunship Diplomat had escorted them to the ruins and could potentially be used to retrieve the injured.

Astrid could handle these other details things while General Dram and the Grand Marshal decided where to move. Once an exit was chosen she'd drag an injured man in that direction. Imperials did not abandon their wounded so she didn't consider that possibility.

@Phoenix @Sreeya @Alhon @Logan @Arcangel @Raydo

Spoiler: TLDR

Astrid protects herself and others around herself during the fall and is injured in the attempt. Rough fall in general. She orders her sergeant to call for the Nightbrother shuttle and to inform the Gunship Diplomat of pending injured. Once an exit is chosen by some higher officer she goes that way, dragging an injured man along with her.

Spoiler: Gunship Diplomat

It continues its escort task, hovering above the target zone and standing by for further orders.]

Fall Roll: 16/100

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

As the temple beneath their feet began to give way, Aadya made a mental note to ask who the fuck pressed the down button on the elevator before warning anyone. Sure, it was a faster way to get down, but at the very least give a girl a hint or something instead of just plunging everything and everyone into the dark.

Thinking on her feet, or well, what little solid ground remained beneath them anyway, Aadya reached out with the force and kept a small, personal sized piece of rubble beneath her. She would use it to float/fly herself down towards the others - waiting until most of the men and machines had fallen down - hopefully landing with little injury outside of some minor scrapes and bruises from flying debris.

She saw the two potential exits and had no inkling on which to choose. She would wait to see who was still alive after the collapse, hoping that Altair would manage to make it and give them direction. If it happened that he had died, she would simply abandon this place and those that were left. She would have no reason to stay.

Saving the wounded also seemed pointless. They didn't have time or resources to adequately care for them, and staying in the collapsed temple seemed like a terrible idea. Aadya ignored Astrid's instruction to help the wounded.

I am here. She replied, at least taking the time to let Astrid know that she was still alive. I am unsure of anyone else.

Spotting Astrid, Aadya would move to her general location, her eyes scanning the wreckage for Altair and the General.

Spoiler: tl’dr

aadya uses the force to rock surf to relative safety instead of freefalling. she ignores astrid's instruction to help the wounded and looks around for altair and the general. she holds back on choosing an exit until she is sure altair isn't still alive.

dice roll for injury: 78/100 (success)

 

[Max Dram]

Finally atop the temple, Max would have staked good credits on any threat coming from their surroundings. They were raised up and silhouetted against the sky - arguably his personal default position - but it was a terrible tactical disadvantage. Enemies on any flank could take potshots at them with the right weaponry.

Then there were the threats within. The Nightsister Vanya had all the markings of a fickle ally and Max was not prepared to turn his back on her for more than a moment. The Knights were supposed to be paid up Imperials, but the General's checkered past with Force users meant he could still not fully trust Al-Bahir, Rashir and their brethren. Like Queen Renfry, they were susceptible to the excesses of the Dark Side and part of him feared the whispered voices like those earlier might twist them to betrayal.

But in the end, danger struck not from the enemy without or within, but the stone below them. Max was half way through the shuttle hatch at the time and had no more warning than anyone else. Grabbing the bulkhead as he tried to understand the rumbling and shaking, he could do little but try to hold on as the world tipped on its axis, the pinnacle of the pyramid collapsing in seconds. He braced his metal arm against a grab rail, reaching for some crash netting with his human hand as everything shook and went dark.

When the General came to, he knew immediately that certain things were wrong. Dust and tendrils of smoke filled the air and he felt dazed, almost pinned in place, though by what if anything he was unsure. The former squaddie in him heard a call for sound off and he coughed 'One, two!' through the gloom.

He had to move, and soon. He had to get hold of his weapons and let this damn Nightsister Queen know that he'd really had enough.

55/100 for injury avoidance success