Open Times Have Changed

[Nox Solus]

Nox was aboard a shuttle, a whole wing of them flying in formation to the surface of the planet. Each one was loaded with Crusaders, once more multiple clans cooperating together. They would be primarily filled with Solus, Vizla, and Wren, the most tested clans as they had actively participated in the campaigns the most. Even with the long-built animosity between the Solus and the Vizla, the constant fighting together has, almost regrettably for some, formed a deep but begrudging respect for the two.

After the fleet had been freed up from the campaign, rearmed/repaired, and filled out more with Sullustan ships, he continued pressing the initiative and moved the Fleet to Saluecami. It occupied the small defense fleet as the planet had mostly relied on the assistance of other systems and didn't get a chance to pick up production efficiently. With that taken care of, a force was able to slip through toward the surface of the planet.

As they made their way toward their designated beachhead, Saleucami Town, Nox would turn to face the others that accompanied him. The first face he would see once more would be Arthos, a Vizla he was becoming more familiar with as time passed. His respect for the warrior had grown with each battle they participated in and he knew, despite the clan differences, his flank would be watched. As he passed, he would place his metal hand on the Vizla's shoulder, giving him a light pat before taking a few more steps.

Then his visor would be placed on Song, one who had been there with him since the very beginning. With Rothana, it felt good that both of them were in contact again and he appreciated her joining him. Nox would stop a few feet away and hold onto the railing above before giving her a nod. Both would be near finished speaking with their fellow clan members and the Solus would speak up, "We move fast and quick. Just like we always do."

Within a few minutes, either the shuttles would land or the doors would open and allow Crusaders to take to the sky. Nox personally waited by the door as they drew nearer to the port.

@Nefieslab @Song

 

[Song Wren]

Song stood rigid inside the camouflaged transport, the perfect picture of a Mandalorian. With Vizsla aboard, she intended to make a solid impression of Clan Wren: sharp, unwavering, and loyal. She only relaxed slightly when Nox reached her little spot in the corner, answering his nod of acknowledgment with a curt bow. “Of course,” she said, clutching one hand to the railing.

“You know,” she added quietly, “to say I’m not worried about today would be a lie.” She tilted her head at him and smirked. “Because unlike you, Solus’alor, I still have both arms to lose.”

She clapped him on the shoulder and turned her focus back to the shuttle doors. The joke was in poor taste, but she’d grown comfortable enough with Nox to make them, their partnership now having developed into something like camaraderie. Like old friends. Although perhaps not close enough to greet him with a badger-born head butt. Knowing him, he was more likely to shatter her visor with that thick skull of his, and she’d preferred not to suffer a concussion before the fighting began.

As the ship angled to make landfall, black clouds masking their descent, Song couldn’t resist offering the Solus one last glance. Surprisingly, she found his company less irritating than when they’d first met, comforting even, and she had every bit of faith that his leadership would bring the planet swiftly to heel. It was for that very reason why she’d accepted his invitation to join him on this attack in the first place. She would have gladly laid her life down for the alor, knowing he would do the same.

Just before the cabin lights turned green, Song checked some of her things again: her clan’s ancestral sword, a temporary high-end rifle, the two additional clips to her sidearm blaster. She took in a low breath, internally preparing for what might end in a heated battle, and readied to take to the dark skies of Saleucami.

@Nefieslab @Orbit

 

[Arthos Vizsla]

Times might have changed but war? War never changed.

Arthos had checked his equipment half a dozen times before even pulling it all on but as he stood in the shuttle, hurtling toward another battle, he took the opportunity to check his helmet again. Holding it in his hands, he wiped off some imaginary dust or grime from it before slipping it on and fastening it tight to the rest of his armour. Taking a deep breath underneath the helmet, he patted himself down for a second before grabbing up the carbine he had taken from one of his vod for this assault.

He nodded to some of the Solus crusaders with him for the ride even as he moved to stand by Nox Solus and Song Wren. Part of him longed for naval combat but he knew his place was here - diving feet first into hell. When Nox placed a hand on his shoulder, the young Vizsla nodded to the older man in acknowledgement. He would hold the line and guard the man's back come hells or high water.

Arthos was ready.

He had swapped out the functionality of his Scout HUD for the display and integrated controls that would allow him to control the jetpack on his back. Despite not having trained with it growing up, his trial by fire by learning on crusade had done wonders for his aerial skills. As he waited by the door, he reached up and tugged the bottom of his helmet down slightly as he uttered a prayer.

"Dir be ner adate Ni sraoa at gar. Nakine woor, nakine taab, nakine gaan. Cinyc hokaanir, utreyar sacr, cinyc kyr'amur. Pu'ur ra kyr'am." he muttered quietly, off-coms, before activating them and speaking to the Vizsla crusaders in attendance across the shuttles, "Pu'ur ra kyr'am!"

As one they responded in a boom across the com-line.

"PU'UR RA KRY'AM!"

With a nod to Nox and Song, Arthos would throw himself forward as the doors on the shuttles opened and the Mandalorians began to descend from the heavens in a way that was so very unique to them.

@Orbit @Song

 

[Nox Solus]

Nox couldn't help but smirk underneath his helmet too with Song's words. Ever since he had become Alor, he was treated with more respect than he was used to. It was nice from time to time to just shoot back and forth with someone and give him a taste of his old life. The Solus would turn to face the shuttle doors, giving it a shrug but one that was clearly intended for her as he murmured playfully, "Don't forget about the legs too." Hopefully, it would be a lesson that wouldn't need to be learned by her as well.

The shuttle doors eventually opened and Nox would step forward as he gave a swipe across his gauntlet. Two bursts of flame would sprout from his jetpack as he took to the air and flew in formation with the rest. A cloud of metal and various colors formed around the strike force, crimson, yellow, and black. Starfighters began to lower their altitude to fly alongside them, their guns warmed and whirring with anticipation. After a press to the side of his helmet, he would connect to both Song and Arthos' line, "100 meters until in range."

But as they approached closer and closer, no fighters spilled forth in order to screen for the town. There also appeared to be no movement along the walls as well and Nox couldn't help but be shocked slightly. At this point, they would have normally heard the warning sirens and general bustle from a city as they prepared to be assaulted Even though he was surprised by the sight, he pushed on as his flight path didn't deter at all, "40 meters."

After a few moments, they would be within the hostile airspace of Saleucami Town but no shots came still. Nox first glanced at Song and then at Arthos, curious to see if he was the only one confused by this tactic. He sent a message to the fighters, "Pull up." The Solus would do the same as he angled upward to get altitude and a better viewing angle.

The sight they would see next would really shock him. It would be the entire population of Saleucami Town already waiting for them, not screaming in fear but letting out welcoming cheers. A white flag was suspended from a building which gave the indication of a town center. Once the fighters had pulled up and soared past the town, the action would earn a massive wave of cheers.

Nox's visor would scan the crowd, wondering if this was a trap at first. But even as they got closer, the shouts of support become more prominent. After a second of this, he connected to the other two once more, "Fall in on me." Adjusting his angle, he made his way straight for the open plaza.

@Song @Nefieslab

 

[Song Wren]

No warning bells. No alarms. Song blinked in genuine surprise by the lack of feedback from the settlement, and wondered what might be happening. For some reason, she found the silence even more worrying, suspicion clawing at her throat. She swallowed it as they neared the town, and raising the scope of her rifle, she gave its high walls and defensive perimeter a quick sweep. Again, nothing. Only once she pulled up on Nox’s orders and settled into a vantage point that she realized what they were facing.

It wasn’t an army of civilians. It was a fucking party.

A white flag snapped over the town plaza, choked with cheering people. The first thought that came to mind was ‘trap,’ but it soon became startlingly clear that wasn’t the case. A little girl sat on her father’s shoulders, waving what could have passed as a toy beskad. Several women flew flags colored after their respective clans: Wren, Solus, Vizsla. These people really had come out to receive them. As for why, Song hadn’t a single clue, but she suspected they would have an answer soon enough.

“An entire settlement on our side and we didn’t even have to lift a finger.” She snorted a laugh as she landed against the plaza, much to the gathering’s delight and shouts of welcome. Head tilted toward Arthos, she spoke in fluid Mando’a, “Is this your doing, Vizsla? I know it’s not the Solus’alor’s. He’s not charming enough to draw a crowd of this size.”

Song thought to relish in the celebration, but she tensed when a young boy approached, her fingers tightening around her rifle in uncertainty. But he carried no weapons and wore no armor. Instead he stopped short from where she’d settled, holding a very loose, bead necklace. He stood on his toes, offering it to her, and she hesitantly leaned down and allowed him to throw it over her helmet and around her collar. As she stared at him and the necklace in mild confusion, the boy smiled.

“Um, thanks?” she said, now very put off by the whole situation.

@Nefieslab @Orbit

 

[Arthos Vizsla]

The assault was... not going to plan but in the... best possible way?

As soon as Arthos landed alongside Song and Nox, he was aware of the fact that the locals seemed to be less frightened than they had any right to be. The Mandalorian crusaders had come in hot, after all, and now they weren't even upset that they were here? He eyed the civilians approaching with more than a fair amount of trepidation.

He turned his head to regard Song Wren.

"... I haven't got a single fucking clue what's going on." he admitted to his fellow Mandalorian, grip tightening on his blaster carbine, "But I don't trust it."

One of the civilians came from the crowd and approached Arthos with joy - Arthos immediately raised his blaster carbine at the man but he seemed not to worry. Indeed he offered a bottle of local beer to the young Mandalorian who eyed it. They weren't on Mandalore which meant common laws of the Rim applied which meant...

"Not old enough to drink." he grunted to the man, "Tell me what's going on here. Now."

Song Wren would know immediately that Arthos Vizsla also currently lacked the charm required to get the entire village on side as it were. The civilian obliged.

"The General took over our government in a military coup - the military and some of the cities agree with his rule. We do not and we never have!" the man declared, to the cheers of some of the locals, "Will you remove them from power so we can join you Mandalorians with your freedoms and strengths?!"

Arthos blinked once underneath his helmet... before turning to Nox as he used the private com-line between the three of them.

"Fucking help. I don't know how to diplomat and pre-invasion intelligence screwed the strill on this one...!"

@Orbit @Song

 

[Nox Solus]

As they fell in on the plaza, Nox swung his legs smoothly underneath to slow his descent and land in a small open circle the crowd made. When he stood to his full height, he couldn't help but swing his visor across the crowd in shock at their reception. At first, he wondered if it could be a trap of some kind but upon being so close, he could spot the actual glee and what appeared to be hope in the people's faces.

People running away and screaming in fear was the sight he was familiar with after becoming a Crusader. Like the other two, he was tense at first and evident as he didn't speak but instead remained vigilant. But, witnessing a boy put a necklace on Song and then Arthos offered a beer, Nox eased up upon the realization that the people really did support their arrival. It was different, and while the disappointment flared that there wouldn't be a fight at first, it certainly made their job easier of obtaining a foothold.

A man amongst the crowd separated himself as he declared that the town was ready to pledge themselves to the cause if some general could be removed from power. Arthos comm'd the private line asking for help and Nox stepped forward and spoke in basic just like them, "We're willing to help once we know more. Are you these people's leader or someone else?" While he could appreciate the crowd and man's spirit, he wasn't going to throw his people into a situation they just found out about.

The man opened his mouth to speak but someone else stepped forward, "That would be me. Thank you, Talwick." It would be an older man, one with white hair and experience painted across his face. "My name is Salvor Voss. If you're willing to help as you say you are, then let me fill you in on what the situation is. Please, follow me." The mayor would turn around, two guards doing so with him as they flanked his sides. He would split the crowd to make his way to the townhall, ascending the steps and entering without another word.

Nox stared into the mayor's back as he walked away and comm'd the rest of the crusaders, "Secure the perimeter." Mandalorians would take to the air as he focused his attention back on the other two, "Let's see what the situation is." He knew he would only need them two to accompany him and he began to follow after Salvor.

@Song @Nefieslab

 

[Song Wren]

“Not old enough to drink?” Song repeated, astonished by the revelation. Not only did Arthos edge her out by a whole head in terms of height, but the Mandalorian carried himself like a seasoned veteran and a man burdened by life and battle scars. It seemed ridiculous that he was years behind her in age. Worse, it made her feel old. Very old.

“Well,” she added, shaking off her surprise, “if you won’t take it, allow me.” Song leaned over the Vizsla’s side and plucked the bottle of liquor from the civilian’s hands. She nodded thanks, then wedged it behind her utility belt as if holstering a sidearm blaster. She wasn’t much of a drinker—more of a tea person, really—but she wouldn’t pass up the opportunity of free alcohol.

As more people gathered around them, offering cheers and shiny new gifts, it became startlingly clear that they had come of their own volition, and not by the Vizsla’s… radiant charm. She supposed this was a good thing. Instead of being faced with a terrifying battle for a city that did not want them, the people of this settlement were offering it to them freely, serving themselves up on a silver platter.

Didn’t matter if the Mandalorians were feared across the Rim. Here, they were wanted. No, needed.

Song followed the mayor, Salvor Voss, into the city center. A giant slab of marble that was in desperate need of renovations, the building was nothing much to look at. Neither were the guards accompanying the old man. Although Song was grateful the people of the settlement were already on their side, she wasn’t quite sure if they’d make any real difference in a greater battle for the planet—or the galaxy, especially.

No matter. At the end of the day, they had come to take Saleucami for Mandalore, and they would need every ounce of support to hold it—starting here and now.

“His name is Ghassan, but we only know him as the First General,” Voss explained as they crossed through the foyer, slats of sunlight coming in from the windows. “When the Free Worlds crumbled, he took the opportunity to seize power and the rest of the government. And while he lives lavishly in his glass tower at the capital, Taleucema, the people suffer. He must be deposed, else I fear Saleucami will be lost forever.”

“We may not have the strength or the firepower to take on Ghassan and his soldiers, but we have information.” The old man turned to the Vizsla and the Solus'alor, handing each a small data-pad. “His location, the number of his guards. It’s all there.” His eyes, sunken in age, were now full of pleading. “I know this is much to ask of you, and if I must fall to my knees and beg for your help, I will. But please, this planet… my people… they will not last without the aid of the Mandalorians.”

@Nefieslab @Orbit

 

[Arthos Vizsla]

Ah he'd said the quiet part loud and the loud part quiet it seemed... well if anyone looked at his medical information for treating a wound he received on campaign it would be clear that he had only really turned 18 a month or so ago. He tilted his helmet to the side and shrugged, allowing Song to grab what she wanted from the civilian. This whole thing was already so far from his comfort zone, he didn't want to risk breaking local laws just because they seemed to want the Mandos here to 'save and protect' them.

In his experience they'd love to do that... just as soon as the planet surrendered to the Mandalorian people.

Looking around, Arthos tried his best to ignore how some of the liberated civilians seemed to be more than willing to roll out the welcome mat for the Mandalorians. Some of it took the form of food and drink - some of it was in places to stay. He was also, eighty to ninety percent sure, that the woman who kept telling him he'd have the "first shot free" was offering him a service that he really didn't want to get into right now.

Curse his hormones.

Listening to the sob story... Arthos scowled ever so slightly.

"Sounds like a load of people too weak to depose someone actively oppressing them." he piped up over the private com-line, "Remind me why Mandalore is going to be strengthened by their presence?"

He was being awkward, he knew, but it was only because the entire situation made him feel awkward in different ways. Instead, out loud, he spoke up.

"If we have the Vizsla and Wren warriors swing to attack the tower and city from the west, the Solus from the North; we can force them to leave the city and the tower. The only safe direction would be South-East - where we can be ready with an ambush."

They had managed to avoid fighting in the middle of a town or city by sheer dumb luck before but now they had a chance to avoid it through cunning.

@Orbit @Song

 

[Nox Solus]

The group eventually entered into the center and eventually what Nox presumed to be his command room but in reality, was just an office. It was an appreciated break from the adoring crowds as he still didn't know exactly what to think about that fact. The Solus understood combat and war better at this point than anything else. There was a weakness, you exploited it, there was an enemy, and you in turn become unrelenting until they ceased to stand in their way. People offering him drinks and food was an aspect completely new to him.

Nox also couldn't help but agree with Arthos' assessment of Salvor and his people but they were just a stepping-stone for them. He would comm back on the private line, "They won't but this First General and his men might. Besides, they seem more shipbuilders than anything else." If they came in blasters blazing as intended, it would have just simply been a massacre. They were at least serving another purpose.

After hearing Salvor's and Arthos's assessment, Nox contemplated to himself for a moment before speaking up, "He won't abandon the capital. It's his seat of power and gives him legitimacy." While he didn't think the General would leave, he agreed with the rest of the Vizla's plan, "We attack from multiple directions like you suggest, leave the South-East open for civilians to evacuate from the fighting. That will make our targets easier to pick out." Not all of them would clear out or even in time before the battle started but the option would at least be open.

Nox then focused his attention back on Salvor, "Is there any glaring weakness to force this General's hand? If not, this siege could be long and bloody." They thrived on speed and surprise and while they of course were built for war, urban fighting was deadly.

The mayor would stroke his chin in thought for a few seconds before arriving at an idea, "The vents. Geothermal vents heat and power the city beneath. You take control of that, you basically control the heart."

Now that was information they could properly use. If they seized control, it meant they could prevent a fight where every inch of ground was fought for. The cogs turned quickly in Nox's head and he placed his gaze on both Song and Arthos, "Take your clans and assault the tower. Occupy the General's attention or even take him out if you can." The Alor's visor then slid to Salvor, "I'll take my men and take control of the vents. We'll use the plans you'll provide." Nox would go quiet then, waiting for the others to either oppose or agree to his plan.

@Song @Nefieslab

 

[Song Wren]

Song left the talking to the men. It wasn’t that she was no good at strategy or diplomacy, just that she hadn’t quite gotten used to her position as a leader. She had spent most of her life bounty hunting in the Rim, exiled and alone, then serving as an obedient dog to her father, a man she no longer trusted. Leadership and responsibility were concepts she still needed to learn. Most of all, accept. Better to let the Solus’alor take the reins for this particular operation. Or the Vizsla, even, horrendously young as he might be. At least they had truly earned their ranks.

And once they finished speaking, she’d say nothing more.

“Understood,” she replied with a curt nod in Nox’s direction.

Song could be respectful when she wanted to be. For all her taunts and jabs at the Solus’alor, she held him in high regard, and whatever his reasons, she’d follow him to the ends of the galaxy if he asked it of her. That was a man she could trust. A man she would gladly throw her life on a line for. So, without another word, she turned to leave, ready to rally her brothers and sisters waiting outside—and ready to wreak some havoc.

The capital was nothing special. Like the settlement, it was like a crumbling spaceport, the boroughs squeezed together like penned cattle and its surrounding farms bleak and gray under the darkening sky. The real prize was the city’s factories, and the great steel-forged tower that rose above them: the seat of Ghassan’s power. Small wonder why he ruled from it. The whole complex was set with all kinds of armaments and fancy tech: communication arrays, hangars, anti-aircraft turrets.

It was good the Solus’alor was taking aim for the geothermal vents, because if the General managed to rebuff their initial assault, a siege on the tower might last weeks. Months, even, depending on the loyalty and ferocity of his men.

Song doubted it would come to that, though. She’d seen the hope in the eyes of the civilians back at the town, and the hate they shared for Ghassan. He was a tyrant. Those under him must have seen it too, and they’d likely lay down their arms at the first opportunity they could. Honestly, they were up against Mandalorians. At the end of the day it was either surrender and survive, or fight and die for nothing. She prayed they chose the former. Not because she didn't like her odds, but because she wasn’t keen on scrubbing blood off her sword all night.

She let out a sigh, watching as the transports neared the city perimeter. Once more, the lights in the cabin dimmed from red to orange. “Ready, Vizsla?” she asked Arthos in Mando’a, a hearty and slight challenge in her voice.

@Nefieslab @Orbit

 

[Arthos Vizsla]

Arthos wasn't some Death Watch diehard of the past - he realized that not everyone who contributed to the dream of a greater Mandalore was going to be doing so in combat. Those who crafted weapons and grew food for those who would? Theirs was a respected role and a vital one at that. But it still wasn't a nice thought to think that these people might end up being rewarded for their display of cowardice.

Even a Mandalorian farmer or shipyard worker would take up arms if someone tried to force them to do something against their interests. Still, the subject was set to rest and it was not his place to question Nox in front of outsiders, even on private coms. He acknowledged the change to the plans and started sending messages from his com unit to some of the other Vizslas.

"Oya."

An assault on the tower...?

Well he had been fielding complaints from his clan members about a lack of proper action since the initial drop from orbit so he was happy to give them such a straight forward, violent, objective. As he and Song shared a shuttle he was able to see on the scanners when they started approaching the objective. Their shuttle rattled as the anti-aircraft cannons started up and the pilot started evasive manoeuvres.

Looking down at the woman from his rather tall vantage point, Arthos leaned down as if to speak to her before tapping the forehead of his helmet against her own. The beskar would chime around both of their heads, drowning out some of the explosions.

"Try and keep up, Little Wren."

With the shuttle's doors opening, Arthos threw himself out the gap with his jetpack bursting into life to slow his descent to less lethal levels. Riding the jetpack, he landed behind a parked speeder before firing two blaster bolts into the chest of a nearby enemy soldier, catching him entirely by surprise.

"CLAN VIZSLA ON ME! OYA!"

"OYA!"

@Orbit @Song

 

[Nox Solus]

The two agreed with his plan before quickly setting out. Nox was glad it was them two accompanying him. They both only needed to be told something once before understanding what had to be done. Most importantly to him though, he knew they would watch his back and he would do the same for them. Unfortunately, the assault would split them but if they wanted the city, those vents had to be under their occupation. Either way, he knew both the Vizla and Wren were perfectly capable of getting the job done and it left him little to worry about on their end.

With everything situated on their front, Nox would be ready to depart himself before Salvor approached him. "I can assemble the militia we have. I know my men aren't Mandalorians but they will fight for their home. We'll secure the southeast, help the civilians evacuate, and take out any of the General's forces that try to escape or flank." The Solus'alor would gaze upon him a moment, surprised that there did indeed seem to be some fight within them. Nox would give a nod, "Then you best fight well and stay out of our way." After that, he would leave the center and organized the Solus warriors as they prepared for the assault.

---​

As the Vizla and Wren prepared for the tower, Nox took the Solus to approach from a different direction, encircling the city as they planned. Just like the other assaults, the crusaders would be loaded up into shuttles and escorted by Jai'gaalars, the mechanical roar of the engines almost deafening. A few of the townspeople accompanied them to act as their guide once they breached the city and made their way to the vents.

The air wing was in the air and at half speed, they flew toward the direction of the city but waited until they got the signal. Nox stood in one of the shuttles, his left hand above him and holding onto a handheld while his other gauntlet was held up by his chest. A few minutes later, one of the lights on it would start to periodically blink and he knew exactly what it meant. Song and Arthos had launched their assault and he silently asked Kad to bless them both. After that, he connected to the pilots assembled with him, "Begin the assault." An assortment of oyas and whoops could come back to him before he felt the rumble of the engines, fully letting loose with the Jai'gaalars soaring ahead of them.

Within minutes, the starfighters would attack the city and clash with the local air force as shrapnel would rain from the sky with each explosion. It prevented any heavy air support against them but also took out the possibility of it for themselves. Either way, the shuttles would press on, dodging flak and stray bolts from fighters.

Nox would glance at one of the guides before pushing a button, the shuttle door opening to reveal the city. He gestured with his hand toward the city, "Where are the vents?!" The guide would stand beside him, gazing upon the city before he found the target. "There! Once inside the planet, you'll have access to the maintenance tunnels all throughout the city!" Following the finger, Nox saw the plant and would give the man a nod after, "We'll take it from here. Crusaders! On me!" With a swipe, he activated his jetpack and flew out from the shuttle, fellow Solus joining him in the air. As a crimson cloud formed, they would all bank and aim straight for the plant.

 

[Song Wren]

“Little?” she repeated after Arthos with a scoff, “I may not be as horrendously tall as you, but aren’t you the underaged minor here?” Song shook her head. She had no idea his exact age. He could have been a twelve year old on stilts for all she knew, but by the deep sound of his voice and the experience he carried on his overly-broad shoulders, he had to at least be bordering on adulthood.

As the lights turned green, she watched the Vizsla leap from the shuttle, eager for battle. “Cloud-botherer,” she grumbled, not quite over being called small, before diving after him.

Wind lashed at her armor as she fell. Steadying herself, the clouds parted to reveal the tower beneath them, alarms starting to blare. She glanced back at the other Mandalorians following her, rifles and swords bared, and she cried, “Come on! Show these bastards your wings!” Once she came close enough, she activated her jetpack, flames guttering at her back. “For the Solus’alor!”

It might’ve been odd to use Nox’s title as a war cry over that of the real Mand’alor, but Fenyang was gone. Vanished into thin air. If there was a Mandalorian she considered a leader, it was the one currently assaulting the geothermal plant east, and the one who’d brought her to Saleucami in the first place.

She raised her sword like a spear towards the tower. As anti-aircraft turrets lit up the sky, bolts screaming past her and the rest of Clan Wren, she descended on the closest one. To whoever had manned the turret, she must have seemed like a screeching eagle, talons out and hungry for blood, just before she sliced the top of their head off with a smooth swing. Song didn’t waste time checking to see if he was dead. She moved onto the next soldier and effortlessly leveled their shoulders.

Blood sang in her ears. So, this was what crusading felt like. The rush of adrenaline that came after you killed a man. Even after a lifetime of bounty hunting and a year of serving Mandalore, she still wasn’t totally used to the feeling. Maybe she never would be. Sure, she enjoyed the thrill of battle and the glory in fighting for her people, but death had never been something she found very entertaining.

Not like it’d stop her now. Not like it ever would.

@Nefieslab @Orbit

 

[Arthos Vizsla]

Arthos smugly didn't respond to her comeback to his little pet name for the Wren warrior. It wasn't a good comeback really and they both knew it - hence the silent but smug little smirk on his face beneath his helmet before he threw himself into the thick of battle.

Song and her warriors landed on the major gun emplacements that had been pinning Arthos and his own crusaders down. With them down, Arthos drew one of his vibroblades in his right hand and his blaster pistol in his left and stood up.

"Vizsla - on me!"

"OYA!"

The warriors of his clan rallied to him as though it was the most natural thing in the world. This was the allure of command as he had heard it explained often enough. The unbeatable feeling of knowing that your commands would be obeyed by men, women and warriors one and all.

Rushing forward, up the steps towards the main entrance to the tower, Arthos blasted up at some of the scattering defenders before they could turn and shoot on Song or focus on him. Caught between two hammers of Mandalorian attackers they did what most people would do in their situation; they died.

Charging ahead of his crusaders, Arthos roared as he tackled an officer straight into a wall. As the two of them collided with the wall, he raked his blade across the man's throat and opened it up before turning to Song, who was still some distance away.

"Cover me, Little Wren. I'm making a break for the door."

Without waiting to see if she actually would, Arthos activated his guantlet buckler and told his men to lay down suppressing fire before sprinting forward, out of cover, toward the door.

@Orbit @Song

 

[Nox Solus]

The Solus flew in formation toward the plant but they wouldn't be able to make the first greeting. With the assault from the air and from the Tower, all of the city was on high alert and that especially meant the plant. A few moments into their flight as they soared to their target, blaster bolts would rip through the air and become an upward hail of death. A few crusaders had been unlucky, caught by the general flak as they would fall out from the sky and crashed onto the ground or into buildings. "Spread out!" Nox snapped into his comm, immediately seperating from the rest to prevent them being such easy targets.

The Solus'alor immediately banked to his left, the rest of the crusaders taking their own direction and greatly reducing the effect of the AA defences. They would close the distance rapidly, a small group of Solus accompanying Nox as he flew low and directly at one of the guns. Shouting the order through his comm, "Take out the guns!" The loose formation of mandalorians would quickly close, forming into small squads, one for each gun. Those accompanying the Alor would quickly form beside him, lifting their wrists with him and letting loose their wrist-rockets. Each one found purchase as they struck different points of the turret, the explosion ripping apart the fortification as pieces of it streaked through the air. The same strategy would be repeated for the rest, the plant shaken from the concussive force of each one.

Once they had been taken out, the Solus would land and the real battle would begin, local security forces meeting them. Their enemy wasn't equipped like themselves but they were fighting for their home. That helped balance it out and Nox didn't want to drag out the fight anymore then he needed to. Multiple levels of fighting happened, on the ground, on the roof; the crusaders could strike anywhere and they wouldn't allow themselves to be picked off.

But in one of the rare times, Nox wasn't on the front line and instead remained in the air, his visor scanning the area until he found it. There was a series of three massive tunnels beside the plant, each one locked with a large metal door. Finally finding his target, he flew over to it and dropped right in front of the tunnel in the middle, avoiding the fight. Inspecting the door and realizing he didn't have the armament to get through the solid steel, he comm'd his second in command, "Vroj! Get over here." He would recieve an instant response, "On it." About a minute later, the marked Solus would drop beside him.

@Song Wren @Nefieslab

 

[Song Wren]

“I’ll cover you,” she told Arthos, “as long as you can fit under the door.” A smile played across her lips. She had a feeling this rivalry of height was going to be routine between them. A bit of harmless fun, really, but Song had no intentions of letting the younger man walk all over her—figuratively and literally. She’d been shown up by a Kryze and a Solus before, and she would be damned if she added a Vizsla to the list. They might be equals in rank, but she was the adult here, for Mandalore’s sake.

“Clan Wren, advance!” she cried, and her brothers and sisters in arms pushed farther up the stairs, guns and rifles blazing. Unlike the rest of them, however, Song reached for the daggers hidden up her sleeves. In a flash of polished metal, she took one, cocked back her elbow, and let it fly across the tower landing. The razor sharp edge embedded itself in the chest of one of the guards and they fell into a crumpled heap. Then, as if out of thin air, Song revealed another dagger, and another, and another.

She carried more knives than a butcher, and at the rate the battle was going, she'd likely to use every single one by the night's end.

One by one, she cut and stabbed her way to the tower entrance, and in a matter of seconds, most of the defending soldiers had collapsed. Overwhelmed by the onslaught of warriors from Clan Vizsla and Wren, they never had a chance. But there was little chance to celebrate. They needed to get the tower entrance open soon, else they would be dealing with a lot more than a few surprised perimeter guards.

Over the roar of gunfire, Song leapt toward where Arthos was situated, using her jetpack to close the distance in the blink of an eye. She settled behind him, back to back, half-covering him with her body and her raised sword.

“Does it usually take you this long to crack open a door?” she teased over his shoulder. It was an unfair assumption. She’d read the schematics provided by the locals. ‘A door’ was putting it lightly—the entrance was made of a special titanium alloy, two-feet thick, and set with a control panel that required the latest clearance codes, of which were cycled through weekly.

The security was beyond ridiculous. On the ride to the capital, Song hadn’t an idea how they might get past it, and now, she had to wonder just how Arthos was faring. “Please tell me you have a plan, Vizsla. I would very much rather not give Ghassan the opportunity to rally his troops, if it can be helped.”

@Nefieslab @Orbit

 

[Arthos Vizsla]

Arthos thought up a comeback about being able to fit into small spaces but just thinking about it made the young man's face flush underneath the helmet. Instead he said nothing to it, letting the Wren have that point scored against him uncontested. In his current state, his voice probably would have broken when attempting a parting shot - better to avoid that.

Charging forward, Arthos fired with his blaster pistol repeatedly to keep the guards around the door under cover before he arrived. Pistol-whipping one so hard he heard both bone and metal crack, he fired twice into the chest of another before taking a shot to his buckler shield from a third. With a grunt, he pulled the trigger on his pistol while it was low. The man howled as Arthos blasted his foot in two before the Mandalorian put a blaster bolt in the head of both the third and first guards.

With them taken care of, he holstered his blaster and drew one of his vibroknives. Activating it, he began his plan - not attacking the door. Instead he started to dig into the duracrete to the right of the door, just underneath the security panel that would open it up. Prizing chunks of duracrete free with the tip of his blade, he started pulling chunks loose with his free hand as he worked on it.

"Want to avoid hitting my head on the way in." he shot back as he get deep and deep into the wall, "Wren I got this... universal fire regulations mean...!"

His blade cut into something different and he quickly dropped it with a muttered curse, shaking out his right hand as it numbed from the electric current. However, his vibroblade had done its job of cutting through the main power-line to the door's control unit. A door that locked during a power cut was a death-trap waiting to happen... so they didn't.

They opened.

Drawing his blaster pistol in his left hand, Arthos blasted two very confused guards as the security door they had been preparing to make a last stand behind suddenly opened without any fanfare.

"Got more than just size on my side, Little Wren. Want to help me start some fires?"

@Song @Orbit

 

[Nox Solus]

Blaster bolts and Mandalorians flew through the air, the planet a mixture of a power facility and military installation given its importance. Explosions rocked the earth and building, emplacements and posts taken out as wrist-rockets were unleashed. Nox utterly wished he could fight right beside his men but they had a target to seize, one that would end the fight completely and in their favor. Once Vroj landed beside him, the Alor simply jutted his head to the massive set of metal doors, "Get it open." His second in command nodded before he jogged forward, explosives pulled from his belt and bandolier in each hand.

As Vroj prepped the breach, Nox pressed a button on his helmet, activating his comm, "On me!" A detachment of crusaders would fly in towards him, dropping in from the sky beside him as beskads and blasters were pulled out. The last two not only brought themselves but the guides that had first joined in the shuttle, both simply carried like a sack of potatoes before dropped gently on the ground. Nox would then connect to the line that both Song and Arthos used, "We're about to make our breach into the tunnels. Keep up your assault." They held most of the attention and initiative, leaving little resistance for the Solus to administer the crushing blow.

The final charges would be in place, the two guards taking cover as the rest of the Mandalorians waited out in the open to breach. In one smooth motion, the beskad was pulled out of the Alor's belt while his gaze narrowed on the door, quietly murmuring to those near him, "Give nothing." A few seconds later, Vroj would activate the detonator and a hole would be torn through the metal, the force behind the blast easily ripping through and providing them an entrance. The whole tunnel as did the ground shake once again but all of the Mandalorians remained on their feet.

Nox would stabilize himself before he returned his attention to the breach and gave a single jut of his head. On cue, all of the Solus screamed in unison before charging in, half taking to the air and the other remaining on the ground. They poured through with ease but it wouldn't be completely unguarded, security droids were stationed there as they opened fire. Nox would step through the hole than with the two guides, leading them to cover before all of them crouched down, "Where is the mainframe?"

The guide on his left spoke up first, "It's at the center of all these tunnels. We've worked here before, we can show you the way. We all have to be careful though, the vents regularly exhaust heat to keep themselves cool and power the city. The droids are the only ones who can resist it. There are hazard rooms laid throughout all the tunnels we'll need to hop in and out of to be protected." Even in the brief moments, they had been in the tunnel, all of them would begin to become drenched in sweat, reinforcing his point.

Nox glanced between the two of them for a moment before asking, "How do we know when the exhaust activates?" He didn't imagine his death being cooked alive. The guide then slapped his own chest, "I'll lead the way." The Solus just let out a sigh, not exactly comfortable leaving his fate in the hand of another but he had to accept it. "Then we'll clear a path," he replied gruffly before he stood up and charged forward into the droids.

 

[Song Wren]

“I was wrong about you, Vizsla,” she said, a short smile tugging her lips. She stepped over the two crumpled guards. “Maybe you do have more use than as a foldable step stool.”

She clapped him on the shoulder and strode deeper into the tower entrance. A grand foyer, teak pillars were lined in rows down a hall of vaulted ceilings, with lanterns that swayed over the floor like hanged men. The occasional explosion outside rattled the building, but it was eerily quiet inside of Ghassan’s stronghold and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. She didn’t like this. Then again, they had decimated his perimeter guards.

Perhaps victory was closer than she thought.

“As tempting as your offer sounds,” Song replied, “I don’t know if we should go around setting this place on fire. We may need it as a base of operations in the future, once we take the rest of the planet.” She moved further down the corridor, examining it for traps or hiding guards. Only shadows greeted her in response. “Ghassan shouldn’t be far, but with the landing platforms under our control, I doubt he’ll be able to pose an escape.”

“And why would I ever want to do that?”

The voice didn’t come from behind, but from above. Her eyes shot forward. Then, she saw him, standing on a balcony two stories up, arms folded over his chest. The General. Ghassan.

“My friends,” he called, his mouth splitting into a grin. “Welcome to Saleucami. I’m afraid I never received a notice of your arrival, so you can forgive me if I did not have food or drink prepared for you.” He adjusted the collar of his military uniform. Song wasn’t lost to the sea of ribbons and awards that littered his chest, or the shimmer in the air before him—an energy shield. It was silly to think that she might have captured him asleep in his bedchambers, but clearly, he seemed far more prepared for them than how she’d initially imagined.

“However, I am a generous host,” Ghassan continued, “and I thought my new guests deserved a proper welcome. Oh, and some proper welcoming gifts, too.” His smile widened. With the snap of one gloved finger, several automatic turrets appeared beside him, as well as what could have been a half dozen assassin droids, red eyes unblinking. “How do you like them?”

Song took a hesitant step back. “You know what,” she murmured over Arthos’ shoulder, calculating their odds, reaching for her flamethrower, “I might take you up on that offer, after all.”

@Nefieslab @Orbit