Turning a page, in the story of Naboo...

[Kaylon Neroka]

​

"If Naboo is to be the epitome peace, then its soldiers are to be the epitome of self-sacrifice"​

Each man and woman of the Jafan Palace Guard Company had been assembled across the muster field. At their side, the Starborne's number were amassed in preparation and by them, the fighters of the "King's Own" Royal Naboo Air Force Wing.

Word had passed from the King down the chain of command, trickling like rumours as much as by briefings to spread amongst the men. This was to be the first strike in a greater war that would see the Jafan dynasty demonstrate its capacity to retaliate against the terrorism spread by the Alliance.
Hopewell, a large logging estate was to be their target. In the region of Centrif, it would provide the greatest access point into the region known for its abundance of tree life and its pre-disposition for high moisture.
The tactical maps were even now laid out across the wings of the air force's fighters, assembled alongside the runway that was little more than a stretch of reserved grassland. Units of ground infantry gathered with the aircraft's pilots to pour over the maps with a tactical eye.
High altitude surveillance of the area had been near useless by the dense forests obscuring the ground below, but the tell-tale signs of the Hopewell chateau and its associated roads were barely visible amongst the largest gaps in the canopy. Each squadron leader had been told to converse with the members of command on Helia's own orders, letting them know visibility, weather and any information they had collectively gleamed in advance. It wasn't much.

Helia was stood by her aircraft, repaired since the conflict of Theed alongside all the aircraft that would be serving with her this day. It was a sight to behold, air force and ground forces collaborating on the plan of attacks, discussing the tactical approach each unit had been tasked with as part of the greater operation. To have a Company of the Jafan Palace Guard serving alongside the King's Own Air Wing and their Starborne comrades, there would be no grander statement than the hammer blow that would follow their storming of Centrif. And no surer way to ensure victory than to have the company of such men lead the charge.

Her own aircraft was also adorned with a map of the region across its wing, where the detachment she would support bickered over their approach to the chateau at the Hopewell estate. There was a chain of command, even stated by the King himself, but with such poor visibility for the aircraft, Helia had insisted the close collaboration of ground and air forces so that without seeing, the pilots in the air would know even vaguely what glimpses of movement on the ground were likely friend or foe.
Her own attention would be on the skies. Even from their position in the grassy plains, they could see the cloud cover creeping in like a wave engulfing the skies of Centrif and the region that sloped to higher altitudes. Every pilot here knew there was a storm coming, and she knew that even in this greatest assembly of forces she had seen coordinate an attack, every pilot would be expected to do their absolute best, and she had spoken words of advice to each of them. Those words had perhaps been intoned a little strictly, but good-natured and meaningful support nonetheless. She knew coming through what they had, those who did and those who didn't serve during the Theed attack would be driven with a vengeance that would galvanize their morale and raise their spirits.

She at last turned her attention back to her craft. It was battered and beaten following the damage in Theed's hangar, but the craftsmanship of the repairs could make an untrained onlooker think the event had never happened. It would be good to fly in old faithful again. Even as her fingers drifted over the marks on the nose she made in memory of her wingman Jonas, she felt a sense of righteousness. He hadn't survived Theed, but when he passed she made a vow to protect her men, and to end the baron of the skies. She'd hold true to that promise if it was the last thing she did.

They wouldn't have long before the ground forces would be assembled to move, and the aircraft readied for take-off. But even now, Helia was wondering again and again if there was anything else they could do more in preparation for this push. The plans had been organized and every avenue for failure they could think of had been taken into account. That still left the dangers of an uphill battle, with minimal air support despite their birds being in the air. The weather was visibly conspiring against them, but there wouldn't be a better opportunity for the push than there would be today. This would be their greatest hours, even if for some it would be their last.

Spoiler: Known Participants

@Lightspeed, @J-Wash

 

[J-Wash]

Sukie strode across the staging grounds with her Lieutenants at her sides and a sinking feeling in her stomach. Her new RNSF insignia sat uncomfortably alongside the Starborne's own markings on her uniform, and made her feel like every eye watched her. For the sake of appearances, she'd managed to cajole her Lieutenants into wearing their Naboo rank markers, but they looked even more hacked-off about it than she did, Karna in particular had her nose wrinkled in distaste since they'd stepped off the Relient.

She could feel the unrest in the company, coiled and suppressed by the coming battle, but tense, humming like a wire under stress. Even as they strapped on weapons, armour, and filter-masks, even as they rolled the barrels of incendiaries aboard the Relient, soldiers' glances lingered on one another, a single unformed question on their lips. Are you going to take settler's rights? Imy and Karna hadn't given their soldiers a free vote on it, but the soldiers were having their own ballots regardless. Those with local partners were straining at the bit to settle, and even those who hadn't considered it were being pulled in by their friends. Even Sukie could see the attraction on Naboo; nice weather, guaranteed land, peace and quiet. Plus, if there was no Company, there'd be no need to wrangle her Lieutenants into letting her stay in command.

But that could all come later. Sukie's Lieutenants peeled off to give their platoon briefings, while Sukie herself hopped into a her command speeder. With it's rounded canopy and looping radio antennae, it looked like nothing so much as a big beetle without wings. It irked her that even now she had to beg, borrow, and steal RNSF speeders for her operations, but at least they had soft, leather seats.

She screwed in her earpiece and tuned to the air force frequency.

"The Relient's loaded and ready, Helia," she said, maybe a little too informal, "she's ready to drop the defoliants if your cover's ready."

'Defoliants' was a fancy word for naval torpedoes suspended in drums of liquid fuel attached to an impact fuse, but they'd be enough to clear the forest and put the Peak soldiers on the back foot. She just hoped all the RNSF had received their masks.

 

[The Good Doctor]

Standing with the Jafan Palace guard is Lt. Troy Pierceson. Today, after the Deeja Peak Alliance's heinous attack on Theed and their attempts at his Majesty's life, today will start a campaign with the intent of going into the Alliance's own territory and crushing them until the Alliance is no more. Seeing as how some of Pierceson's good friends in the RNSF died in Theed's defense, Pierceson is more than happy to take part in dismantling the Alliance bit by bit. For right now, the objective is the homestead of Hopewell. He's been briefed on the situation. With Sukie's Starbourne and Helia's 'King's Own' Royal Airforce Wing reading to mobilize, Troy Pierceson and the ground forces are ready to move out. Pierceson is wearing his SmartSec A21 Armor over his RNSF uniform with his particle blaster rifle slung over his shoulder and he has his other usual equipment. The armor's Auditory Frequency Modulator in Pierceson's helmet has been replaced with a filtration unit seeing as how Sukie intending on dropping defoilants to clear the forests. The comlink in Troy's helmet is on the air force frequency. Chain of command is in full effect and he is to collaborate closely under Airforce and the Starbourne. The royal troopers have filters on too, ready to move out, as is Pierceson himself. It's almost time for the show to begin. If the Alliance wants a war, they have one coming right to their doorstep.

 

[Kaylon Neroka]

Watching as the cloud cover slowly continued to creep across the sky, almost in slow motion, Helia turned her attention to the men once more. Each had an expression she knew to expect: Stress, anxiety and pride. With each fighter still burdened by the spread out maps of the ground forces, she could see that the emotions were far from shared equally, though it looked like they would be as ready as they would ever be.

"The Relient's loaded and ready, Helia" The comms spoke out from her open cockpit. She glanced to the Relient and could see Starborne men bearing the mark of service to Naboo upon their chests going about their duties, leaving the ramp of the loaded vessel and returning to where speeders and transports were assembled further down the line. "She's ready to drop the defoliants if your cover's ready"

The idea of using such weapons against the vegetation of the otherwise-peaceful planet left a bitter taste in her mouth. Strangely it felt no more so than when she'd watched Theed burn, as though she was jaded through the inhumanity of the act. Each man and woman had a point where they were no longer phased by such destruction and would be either jaded thereafter or break under the pressure. They had planned points to use the defoliants, and the nature of Naboo would recover given time, but it wouldn't do to shake the morale of the men by scarring the land with an inferno that could go uncontrolled.
Nonetheless, they were there to send a message. And if that was to be the cindered remains of where the first steps of retaliation were taken, then that was as poignant a memory as any to remember what this war had come to.

"My birds will be in the air shortly" Her gaze reversed, turning back to the men looking at their maps as they began to conclude their briefings, and turning further to look once more at the high ground of the Centrif region itself "Groups Nero and Zelta will be covering your approach"

Helia's personal Group, Akta, would be in reserve, while Phantis Group was to be dedicated close ground support, to come in when the Relient had done its work with the forests. Codenames had been given to each, making them quicker to address in the heat of the battle, and harder to identify their purpose, unlike their full titles.

On some level, the idea that her entire wing was assembled for this push swelled her with pride, stained with the dismay that it was authorized by the King with a heavy heart.

With a few shouted orders, the ground troops began to move out, as one shifting their focuses away from the fighters and assembling under orders of their commanding officers to their transports and speeders. They would take them most of the way, though Helia had been informed some would disembark some distance into the forest to sweep the flanks of the main road. It wouldn't do to have them ambushed after all.

The hum and then the roar of intake feeds and engines coming to life filled the air and in a cascade of activity, Helia's wing prepared to mobilize.

 

[J-Wash]

"Alright, over and out," Sukie said, switching to the Relient's bridge channel. "Take her up."

The deep bass roar of the Relient's takeoff filled Sukie with deep and abiding nervousness as the ship that had been her home for a year or more lifted up above a battleground filled with high explosives. It lifted up to a few hundred metres, and glided across the battlefield just out of small-arms range. Rockets rose up from the trees and splashed on its shields and Sukie's heart leaped into her mouth, but Helia's fighters dived at the offending woodland and although even without seeing their targets they blasted away at them.

The Relient was about halfway out across the sea of green, but Sukie could still see the back doors open and the incendiaries tumble out. They flashed and glinted in the fading sunlight as they fell out of sight below the treeline, and then erupted. Lovely plumes of reddish-gold boomed up, sending splashes of burning fuel cascading down. The Relient flew on regardless, the surrounding fighters making it look slow and haggard by comparison, and the trail of smoke and fire behind it put Sukie in mind of a slug tracking across a lawn. The rising wind of the coming storm swept the flames onwards, and soon the smoke thickened as leaves and wood caught.

Still, now was hardly the time for pontificating. For the moment, the gambit was paying off.

"Ground units, advance slowly behind the smoke," she said, curtly. Her Lieutenants copied with admirable speed, although Tokarian sounded distant and distracted.

 

[Kaylon Neroka]

With the bulk of the Relient lifting off, Helia knew it was time for the flight groups to take to the air.
Her thumb and her forefinger came to her lips and caught the attention of her pilots with a sharp whistle that pierced the din of the assembled engines. Spinning her other hand pointing to the sky, she spun it around like a hurricane, knowing her own voice wouldn't reach them all. Her handsign for "move out" was received with nods by her own pilots and in turn the signal spread across the
The last remains of the ground infantry in the proximity of the aircraft were jogging clear now, as slowly each craft came about to the cordoned area for them to pull away into the air.

Each taking off in turn, they chased the Relient like a flock of birds, catching up with ease and each squadron falling into formation at the orders of their commanding officers.
Helia watched with pride overcoming all other thoughts before turning away and mounting the bulk of her own craft, climbing into the open cockpit and kissing the necklace of her family about her neck.
She could faintly hear Sukie's men confirming their orders before the closing of her cockpit shut out all exterior sound. She fixed her mask to her face and strapped herself in. The engine was brought to life with a growl of shared anticipation and she looked about the cordoned area as the last of Zelta took off after the Relient.

Sure enough the sight could make one believe there was no need for the other birds in the air, but knowing they would be breaking new ground into Alliance territory, it wouldn't hurt to have everyone else on standby.
Memories of the red streaked fighters still haunted her and caused her gut to twist with unease. If they were about, then they'd need every skilled pilot they had to face their opposition.
Their best hopes to avoid any unnecessary encounters would be shock and awe.

The distant booms as fuel detonated amidst the trees and in the undergrowth could be heard even from here. Black smoke beginning to choke the air above, giving unpleasant memories of the skies above Theed.
As she thought, shock and awe.

The engine rumble grew to a roar as she slowly urged the craft forward and slowly round to the cordoned area for flight take-off. The fighters could take to the air from nearly a stand-still, but it couldn't hurt to have clearance for so many aircraft to manoeuvre.
The familiar pull of G-force tugged at her hands as she gripped the flight stick and she remained firmly planted into her seat. The padding added to soften the turmoil of spins and soften the repeated blows to the head were an aesthetic choice she'd requested only weeks before. And she hoped it would at least give her one less distraction in the air.
First squadron of Flight Group Akta took to the air behind her, forming up into a diamond formation. It wouldn't be long before the other squadrons took to the air. With only a minor reduction in speed for them to catch up, Helia peered through her viewscreen as she climbed, hearing the chatter of the other flight group's commanding officers orchestrating retaliatory strikes against incoming fire rising from below.
Her own target would be the skies, as steep a climb as she dared, they carried higher and higher, towards the dark mass of grey clouds.

"Status check" Helia declared over her squadron's comms, letting the staccato of 'Roger' and 'Check' follow the idents of each fighter. When all called in, she clicked channels and waited until the dark clouds engulfed them.

"Flight Group Akta is airborne, and standing by" Helia spoke firmly through the comms unit. With luck, both Starborne and RNSF would be informed, else they would rely on their own initiative, and amidst the clouds, where they would have some measure of stealth, they would rely heavily on the radio.
Vapour and raindrops clouded the viewscreen, running in streams down every surface of the craft. It felt somewhat lighter nearer the upper regions of her view, but at the same time the whitewash was all-encompassing and impenetrable.
"Akta Squadron Leaders" She changed channels again "Break off into a loose formation. If we have to show ourselves, let's make ourselves look numerous"
"Flight Group Nero, what's the situation?"
"Smooth sailing so far, Wing Commander. But the Relient is making us linger invitingly"
"Roger that. Keep alert and report in if anything comes up" Another channel change "Zelta Group, what's your status?"
"Man-portable missiles coming in from the lower regions of the forest. We're firing blind suppression though it looks like the Relient's payload has them caught off-guard. The road up looks empty from up here. Smoke's going to hamper visibility along the Relient's path"
"Roger that. They'll likely be lying in wait, not wanting to give you any clear targets. Keep alert"
"Understood, Wing Commander"
The channel clicked off from the Zelta Group Leader and she idly began to cycle through the military channels, listening to the progress of the battle below. If anyone intently opened a channel to her, she'd know about it. The bleep in her ear, alerting her to other channels opened, would be all the prompt she'd need.

 

[J-Wash]

The filter mask dealt with the fumes and the smoke, but it did nothing for the smell. Woodsmoke mingled with the choking tang of burning fuel, and the occasional savoury whiff of flash-roasted animal. Sukie's speeder stayed behind the advancing line of infantry, mostly RNSF with Starborne support, who jogged from cover to cover behind still-smoking logs and ash-choked streambeds. Going was slow as they waited for the fire to blow over, and breezes blew clouds of smoke back over them, reducing visibility down to a few feet at times, but at least no one shot at them. The last of the Relient's bombs flashed in the distance, lighting the smoke up with red and orange, and no sooner had the last one gone off than the pilots hurriedly announced they were finished and were heading back towards base. Sukie copied, and overhead the huge repulsorlifts purred as the ship passed by, accompanied by the higher pitched howls of starfighters. Ahead, Sukie saw two Starborne troopers stop over an irregular lump of smoking matter.

"Eyes on hostile," said one, poking the lump with their gun barrel. "Looks like an overdone steak."

"Looks like a piece of toast that's been under the grill too long."

The Starborne channels rippled with chuckles, but Sukie cut them off.

"You can laugh on your own time," she said, curtly. "Keep moving."

The two troopers muttered, but fell back into formation. Aside from the crackling fire and the howl of starfighters high above, the stillness was intense. The fire rolled away in front of them, a curtain drawing back on a desolate ash-scape. Jagged, clawing shapes jutted out of the debris that Sukie decided were only charred twigs. She ignored the glint of buckles, buttons, and half-melted equipment. She occupied herself with the map, charting their advance towards Hopewell. She flicked to the air force channel.

"Helia, how's things up with you?" she said, conversationally.

 

[Kaylon Neroka]

"Helia, how're things up with you?"

"Wet" She answered the blinking light of the opened channel.
She wasn't wrong. From what she could see of the nose of her fighter the reflective sheen of the chromium plating was doubly so with the gloss of water coating every surface. She couldn't see much of anything else.
The engine was rumbling as it fought through the downpour, and while visibility was poor, pockets of empty space were frequent relief.
Helia's own squadron were doing well on her tail, keeping in formation even as they lost direct visibility of one another.
"How are things on the ground going? What's the resistance like?" She realised only as the thought played on her mind that she had mixed feelings about whether she wanted there to be resistance.
The people of Naboo were not known for their warmongering, very much the opposite. But right here she wished for any excuse to come out of the drizzle and fly about, as much as the implications of the thought shocked her.
The scope of the plan would have her flight group in wait until support was needed by the other groups, but with a clean run they hopefully wouldn't be needed.
"I hear you're Relient's drawn attention to itself with its cargo drop." She ventured, she had no idea where she was going with the conversation "You have our thanks for its support. Flight group Zelta will be lingering as dedicated ground support wherever possible, while half of Nero escorts your ship back to safety."
She'd given such orders when Zelta group informed her of the last payload's deployment. In truth whether they lingered or left, there was more than enough aircraft in this operational theatre to account for gaps in the push.

 

[J-Wash]

"Much appreciated," Sukie said, leaning back in her seat, "it's quiet down here. Resistance is, uh, minimal. We should be under decent cover until we reach Hopewell. Stay safe up there, alright?"

Sukie looked along the line of advancing troopers, but smoke blown back obscured them. She radioed her Lieutenants for their positions, unboxing a small line of pins for marking the map. Muery and Curian were where Sukie expected her to be, but Tokarian and Imy were drifting back. More alarmingly, Karna had leaped forwards a half mile.

"Karna, check your spacing," she said into her mic. "No more than a hundred yards behind the firewall, yeah?"

Karna's response crackled with interference and irritation. "It's not a straight line Sukie, our bit's caught the wind is all."

Sukie bristled. "We've got to breach the far side at the same time, Lieutenant," she said. "Unless you want to go forward unsupported, hang back."

Karna had a response for that, but Sukie didn't have the patience for it. Another few moments and they'd break cover, and if Karna didn't let support catch up, well, that was her problem.

 

[The Good Doctor]

With the defoliants landing their mark, the forest burned. Initially it was hard for Troy Pierceson to stomach, observing as the once beautiful forest transforms into a battlefield. In the end if that's what needs to happen, then it needs to be done. Troy Pierceson was on the ground. He advanced alongside some the other RNSF ground troops. His re-breather chip in his helmet would keep him protected him from any fumes from the fires and the transperisteel visor would keep any smoke from getting into his eyes, while his HUD would be able to pin-point hostiles that come into line of sight (unless the smoke is too thick as to obstruct line of sight).

The Hapan had his particle blaster rifle at the ready, weapon checked, with a fresh powerpack and everything ready to engage at a moments notice if need be. On the comms, the Starbourne and the Air Wing are coordinating very well. Pierceson could see the starfighters do their thing in the air and the Starbourne's ship presumably heading back to base. So far so good though. No active resistance yet. Although he he overheard not too long ago one of the Starbourne troopers talk about an 'overdone steak'. It seems it was the man-portable missile troopers reported earlier consumed by the flames. Horrible way to die but then again Alliance did set Theed on fire, so they are really just returning the favor back to them. They still have a lot more to answer for though. Now with the mission on Pierceson's mind first and foremost and nothing else, he still marches forward along side the other Dynasty troopers. Won't be too much longer, or at least Pierceson hopes.

Spoiler: OOC

If I missed anything important or got anything wrong from the previous six posts, feel free to let me know and I'll edit when I can!

 

[Kaylon Neroka]

"Much appreciated, it's quiet down here. Resistance is, uh, minimal. We should be under decent cover until we reach Hopewell. Stay safe up there, alright?"
"Will do, take care of the men. I'm only a channel away" The channel closed with a press of a button and Helia was once more alone in her cockpit.
The sound of the water hammering against her fighter was growing to a continual roar, really starting to restrict visibility.
"Wing Commander, our men can't see anything in these clouds. Request permission to descend" The channel was that of her second squadron leader. A by the book man by the name Yellerson.
"Negative, we're above the fight for a reason. Bring your birds up, plus eight hundred metres"
"Acknowledged wing commander"
The channel with Yellerson closed and with similar orders presented to the other squadrons, Helia began to climb further. Pushing through the rainstorm as if it fought their invasive presence, until abruptly all resistance gave way. The rain stopped as they left the envelope of clouds below them. Like a sea of white-grey cotton.
"What a view" It was the new guy on their squadron channel. Helia couldn't disagree. Before levelling out, the sky above was nothing but the clear air of Naboo sky, illuminated by the majestic radiance of the sun. Even after she levelled out she had the distinct feeling like she was swimming over a white ocean, and the silence that was left from the rainclouds (save for their engines) filled Helia with a sense of spontaneous tranquility.
It was sights like these that made her fall in love with-

There was a glimmer in the distance as dots started to form.
The mood dropped as Helia's mind fell into the steps of combat readiness once more and she flicked onto the open military channel.
At this distance it was hard to count however many there might be, and the sun was at their enemy's advantage.
"Contact" The only word she announced to all forces as a fussilade of laserfire flew close past them.
"Into the clouds. Dive, dive, dive!" She shouted over the comms to her own fighters. Her stomach lurched as her own fighter turned into a nose-dive.
Almost as one they plunged back into the wet darkness of the rainstorm, with almost as much intensity as plunging into a sea.
"Group Nero, whoever's not commited to escorting the Relient, turn to the skies and keep vigilant. They're above the storm"
"How could they respond so soon?" The Group leader responded.
"They're ships are as fast as ours. Theed should have taught you that" She stopped, only then remembering that Nero Group hadn't been in Theed when it was attacked. She'd have to assume he would know what she meant.
"How many?"
"I don't know" Helia rolled, her whole craft embracing the obscurity of the clouds. They wouldn't have fired if they hadn't seen Akta Group. But neither would the enemy's aces of the Theed battle betray their own position so early on. Unless...
The laserfire had been easy to dodge, but it had forced them into a worse environment to fight in, giving them the advantage to shoot at any chromium fighter to emerge from the clouds. It had to be assumed that they'd realise Helia's force would occupy the clouds as best they can, which could only mean that any other forces would come in from other angles soon.
"Keep your eyes peeled, we can't assume they're the only ones. Call in as soon as you see fighters closing in that you don't recognise as ours" She changed channel yet again "Captain Sukie, we might have incoming"

 

[J-Wash]

Sukie saw the underside of the clouds light up before she heard Helia's warning, and she let out silent thanks that the Relient was far away by now.

"Copy that, Helia, I'll keep an eye out."

Ahead, the treeline thinned out, the last few stands consumed in fire. Gaps showed in the smoke, revealing the lush green field dotted with patched of fire, and the sandstone walls of Hopewell beyond it. This was it.

"All units mount up and break cover," she said. "Karna and I'll go first, then Muery and Curian, then Tokarian and Imy. Got that?"

A chorus of "Yes ma'ams" followed, even if Karna's sounded a little sardonic. She flipped to the RNSF channel.

"Lieutenant Pierceson, are your lot ready to break cover?" she said, unconsciously dropping her voice an octave. She didn't expect him to be unpersonable towards her, but she hadn't met a Hapes-born man who wasn't yet.

 

[The Good Doctor]

The true battle is starting in the skies with the Royal Air Wing taking on what appears to be Deeja Peak fighters, meanwhile, Troy Pierceson saw what was beyond the treeline. With that, the fighting on the ground will be getting under way very soon.

"Lieutenant Pierceson, are your lot ready to break cover?"

The Hapan heard via comlink. "We're ready to move on your signal." He replied to the Starbourne leader. "What's the plan?" He asked Sukie a moment afterwards, deferring to her leadership as he is looking at the sandstone walls at the moment. Is she wanting the royal troopers storm the place, or does she have something else in mind? Whatever the case, Pierceson is prepared to start moving in on them.

 

[Kaylon Neroka]

They had planned for this. Contingencies were in place for a reason and Helia's Akta flight group was held in reserve with Phantis for a reason. This was that very reason. So that Nerok and Zelta could focus on the ground combat below and providing close air support.
And yet, even as they moved through the clouds she felt the enemy planning to break their illusion of control. Perhaps her peers were right, no strategy survives the opening shots of a battlefield. It had been seconds after the first shots had fired as both forces has closed in with one another. A majority of the Alliance's air power was still above the clouds, but every so often, a startling flash of a ship moved across the nose of Helia's fighters. It was difficult to distinguish friend from foe.
"Keep in formation, Akta. We move in, and we pull up above the clouds and strike from beneath" Their sensors were picking up on the enemy now, blips on a radar which determined neither allegiance, nor altitude as each blinked and moved. "We know where they are now, keep watch on the radar and pick your targets carefully"
"I'm bringing Beta Squadron up now, Wing Commander" One of her leaders spoke out over the chatter of the comms. She ascented with a curt acknowledgement. All her fighters were talking now, giving orders to squadrons or updating other squadron leaders as to their position to avoid friendly fire.
"They're everywhere up there!" One of the pilots had fear saturating his voice and his comms cut off scant seconds later.
The rain still hammered them, washing their fighters with the dense downpour, and Helia just about caught sight of a yellow flash through the rain, the telltale sign of an explosion as one of the fighters, her own or theirs, was hit by the discharge of laserfire. It was a game of reflexes as to who would die and who would live if they stayed in the clouds for too long. They were already starting to come amongst them.
Her subordinates were calling as though reading a register, desperate to determine who was hit, but as the flashes across the viewport became increasingly common, it was clear they would not have time to determine so quickly who was lost.
The numerical advantage could have been to either side, with so many flashes of light, it was as hard to tell as engaging a foe in guerilla warfare. A strike here, a sighting there.

Helia tugged her flight stick into a spin and she rolled through the turmoil of clouds, avoiding another spray of oncoming fire. The manoeuvre shed the water from her ship's frame as best she could, only to be coated in water in as many seconds as it took to correct her flight angle.
The open comms were filling to the sound of a rambling crowd all shouting into microphones, forcing orders to be issued on a squadron-by-squadron basis, through their individual channels.
Every now and then, the call of "I got one!", followed by "You just clipped him" or "Watch where you're firing!" still bled through from where the newest recruits displayed their itching trigger fingers. The more experienced pilots were showing their mettle, staying their hand until a clear shot, or a sure chance to hit a target.
The deeper they went into the clouds, the less the shine of the chromium plating became obvious as light was blocked out by a dark engulfing grey and craft of both sides became glossy with rain.

The turmoil would grow, though their losses seemed forgivingly few and their enemy losses likely the same.

"We have our hands full up here, Captain Sukie. Watch out for any surprises down your end" Helia afforded the ground forces channel only a few seconds to say her piece, before the distant sounds of horns penetrated the rainfall from below.

 

[J-Wash]

"Just keep us supported, Pierceson," she said, "I'll trust your judgement on where and how, alright?"

Dust and ash kicked up as the speeders in Sukie's platoon sped forward, knocking aside burnt-out debris and rushing out on to the cleared land surrounding Hopewell. Karna's platoon broke cover seconds after, hanging back a little behind. Sukie braced herself for the worst. As fast as they had been in planning and executing the assault, there was no reason the Alliance wouldn't have reinforced this position.

But no fire erupted from the walls, only a few skirmishing shots from snipers hidden among outlying buildings and machinery dotted the speeders as they approached. At this extreme range, the rounds only scored hulls and canopies, and Sukie could see the snipers scuttling back to the cover of the walls as their fire proved ineffective. She smiled and gave the order to fire. They'd learned since Theed, and the heavier-framed speeders had been equipped with blaster cannons, which let fly now at the stone walls of Hopewell.

But instead of an almighty blast, the heavy rounds stopped a metre or two and ricocheted up into the dark sky. A shimmer like oil in water deformed the air around Hopewell, reflecting and absorbing every shot. Sukie swore and ordered her speeders to hang left. They hadn't expected a shield generator, even with a mad inventor like Vis on their side. Judging by the lack of fire from the Alliance positions, it was a two-way one, impenetrable from either side, but why? All they'd achieved was a stalemate.

Then a chrome starfighter shot out of the dark clouds above and strafed the speeder on Sukie's left, blowing it into molten chunks before rising back up into the thunderhead. Five Starborne troopers and one RNSF speeder ceased to exist in a matter of seconds, and Sukie felt her heart drop. They couldn't breach Hopewell's walls without being right under Alliance guns, and she'd destroyed all cover behind them. They were completely at the mercy of the Alliance's fighters.

 

[Sangga]

The other flights from Centrif had engaged above, and within the clouds. So it was mere childs play to slip in at tree height, especially once the burning wreckage of the dead began to fall. The chromefighter of the Baron pulled up, his scarlet striped colleges raided some of the ground units. The shield was up and the enemy were pressed against it by their own foolish actions all was going to plan. He was pressed into his leather padded seat as the flight ascended toward the clouds. There were more levels to this game, then some might believe. In a few seconds the Baron's flight would be punching into the King's Own.

With the skirmishers in, and the shields up it was only a matter of time. The Militia of Hopewell were veterans of a whole other kind. They were not at Theed, they were not flying aces, or a Palace's guard. They were veterans of this land, and now their enemy would be angrier than anything the Alliance citizens had made them. All they needed was to keep an ear out, to try and hear it passed the crackle of the shield and the gunfire. Then the drone began.

It was quiet at first, maybe one horn. That horn was not one continuous note, soon there were three or four. Then dozens and then scores. Hopewell was very much an outpost, a fort of sorts. Now the true denizens of these woods were coming, to avenge the trees destroyed. The Gungans were coming. From the air, it would seem as if a wave of dust was being shaken from the green carpet of trees. Out by the scorched earth, and especially from the battlements, a few birds were breaking the cover. The drone developed into such a cacophonous roar that the skies above were drowned out. The ground itself rumbled, as out of the trees came score after score of riders on beasts. Kaadu cavalrymen, with spears and bio-electrical grenades. Large Falumpasets were crewed by a small howdah that contained light ballistae that shot miniature versions of their grenades. The whooping of the riders was shrill enough to carry over the roar.

Some of the Militiamen looked over the parapets, some veterans ran to the gates to brace them. They had learned from previous mistakes, shields wouuldn't stop any charging Falumpasets.

 

[The Good Doctor]

"Just keep us supported, Pierceson," she said, "I'll trust your judgement on where and how, alright?"

"Copy that" Piereson replied. Soon after, the Starbourne charged forward. And to support them, the NRSF Troopers charged forward as well. There was a fireteam of friendly snipers hanging in the back however, still in cover. As the Alliance Snipers took shots at Sukie's speeders. The NRSF troopers were providing sniper support, but given the extreme range of their targets, they proved mostly as ineffective as the Alliance snipers against the speeders, but they did provide some form of fire support to help Sukie's and the RNSF' advances. Pierceson and the other RNSF troopers were hanging in the back as Sukie's speeders were blazing through.

But... things went downhill really fast. Pierceson witnessed Sukie's speeders let loose with their weapons, only to find that a shield went up right before their eyes. Pierceson didn't know what to think as he saw those blaster shots bounce off like it's was nothing. That was not the end of it however as he heard the roar of a Alliance Starfighter come closing in and fire it's laser canons and annihilating one of Sukie's speeders and personal before retreating into the skies above. To the Air Force channel (@Kaylon Neroka ) "We're getting shot up from alliance starfighters. Lost a speeder. Can anyone help?" He said in a panicked voice. He knows he heard that the friendly air units had their hands full, but at this rate this is just going to be one big target practice session for Alliance starfighters if this isn't stopped.

So, with the Alliance outpost surrounded by a shield and alliance starfighters able to abuse their craft against more-or-less defensless ground targets, things couldn't get possibly get any worse. That was until horns in the background started being sounded. Pierceson turned backwards to see what was going on. It was just one, quiet one at first, then it was getting louder and more frequent. Then it was apparent that Gungans of all things were coming. They are clearly very angry with what happened to the forest. The snipers were facing the rear too, still at the edge of the cover. Then three Kaadu-mounted Gungans then charged the snipers. The Snipers were firing, but due to the fast speeds of the Kaadu and them maneuvering around dead trees to evade blaster shots, the snipers were impaled by their spears.

Pierceson and any RNSF troopers in range fired back, taking them down pretty quickly, but there was many more where that came from. There were more coming. More Kaadu and then Falumpaset war beasts. If this situation wasn't FUBAR before, it's becoming more apparent now. But still, the the Dynasty will prevail.

In Pierceson's peripheral vision. He did see more Gungans, this group going after the outpost. There were more Kaadu, and some more Falupasets. They were in particarly aiming for their gates. Looks like the Gungans are lashing out at everything in-sight. At least with the Alliance shield up for now, their goons can't attack RNSF troopers through it. But with starfighters still a very big threat, Pierceson is hoping that the King's Own can get them off the ground forces' back before they claim anymore troopers with them.

Spoiler: OOC

Lost alot my post due to laptop errors and had to retype. -_- if I missed anything please let me know!

 

[Kaylon Neroka]

The moments of conflict escalated rapidly, as the occasional sighting of an enemy fighter suddenly turned into a swarm, like an angered hive flying through the obscurity of rain and clouds to attack anything they didn't identify as their own. It was a game of reactions as Helia shouted orders to her own flight group and relayed commands to that of the Phantis Flight Group hanging back. Her channels were alive even more so with the coordination of her aircraft. At first skittish, and now somewhat falling into the pace of full scale engagements. Her more senior pilots knew what to do in such times, and it was their unspoken to guide and coordinate the rookies into an able and capable task force. If even the rookies proved too incompetent, then they had no place serving in the King's Own.
Aircraft were coming from all angles, and all directions, as Helia dived, jinked, served and rolled through the madness. Only the pit of her stomach told her which way was down. The assurance of a gravitational pull to orient yourself around. But as for altitude and direction, that relied on the instruments she had at her disposal about her cockpit.
"We've got incoming aircraft strafing the ground forces. The Relient's home free"
"Groups Zelta and Nero now moving in full strength to counter and minimize damage." More chatter was coming in at random intervals, often detailing what had already become known to her through another voice or two moments before.
"Ground forces are taking losses. The enemy's using our own defoliants to their advantage"
"The enemy have shields about the premises, ground forces requesting support wherever possible"
"Incoming gungan forces from the Eastern region of the forest. Their strength is unknown, but they have mounted and unmounted support engaging our flank."
"Group Nero, your priority is supporting the ground forces, strafe the gungans and give a few runs against the shielding, test its strength. Group Zelta, the air beneath the clouds are yours. I don't want any more casualties wearing a uniform we respect, is that understood?"
"Yes Wing Commander"
"Yes Wing Commander" The voices of her group commanders answered in turn.

She was on the tail of an enemy, flying through the air and weaving around dogfights happening around her. She had some of Group Akta still on her tail, breaking off only to engage unchecked enemy fighters in squadrons and the rest of her flight group had been ordered to intercept the forces in the air above the clouds once they had closed in enough to gain the element of surprise. They were to be quick, striking hard and fast before disappearing into the clouds again. This was to be their offensive, and they would be shamed if they weren't going to make that abundantly clear.
The flare of the engines of the fighter she was following betrayed her prey's position as she pursued. Feeling much more confident in her actions, back in her own craft and outside her own home turf, she had the spark of her flying ability back in her flight. And apparently it was showing as the rest of her squad, aces though they were, were struggling to keep up at times.
She pulled hard on the firing control trigger and in front of her through the grey of dense cloud there was a bloom of amber light and fire illuminating the sky with a radiating heatwave that stirred and churned the clouds about it.
She didn't slow down. The pace and adrenaline that was coming through her veins was keeping her on edge, and her training, her own lessons, had taught her to be wary of her surroundings and the slightest chances of mistakes. Recklessness bred mistakes in pilots, and she would strive to produce as few mistakes as she could possibly manage.
"Flight Group Phantis, take to the skies above the clouds, mop up in the wake of Akta and take over, shoot anything that doesn't match our chromium craft" She spoke out again, changing channels almost without thinking.
"Captain Sukie, our forces up here are doing the best we can, but we need full autonomy of the ground forces. I've got forces looking to test the shields and provide what help they can give, but the meat of the work is going to be down to you. You can contact them on the fifth encrypted channel, passcode Akta-Akta-Four. Once you're on, you'll have to be their eyes. Good luck" The channel clicked off again, almost automatically with the speed of her actions. She imagined her hands would be shaking as they continued to weave through, testing her nerves and reflexes as sporadically as the engagement could.

That was when the glint of something purely chrome plated shot through the sky, perpendicular, past her. It caused her to hesitate for a moment, jinking thinking she was going to collide, before turning her nose up to take pursuit. What the hell kind of craft was this?? It looked the same as their own, in almost every way, bar for the fact that it was entirely chrome plated save for a deep red mark that ran the length of the wing.
Wait, was this them? She paused breathing for a few seconds, an easy thing to do with the weight of gravity pushing her back into her chair.
The craft ahead wiggled its wings up and down, a non-verbal gesture between pilots. Yes, this had to be them.
It, her and her fighters all burst from the cloud cover in an eruption of white wisps of vapour. Embracing the harsh light of day without cloud cover to filter it. He was rolling, avoiding her aim and steering them towards where the sun was at both their disadvantage. Then he continued to climb.
"Wing Commander, what is that?"
"This one cost us too many pilots in Theed. Its mine" She spoke, not realising that her teeth were gritted and she was caught up in the contempt she felt for this foe "Keep a loose formation, don't let it turn our numbers against us, but don't let it escape if we spread ourselves too thin."
The channel clicked to silence as they each acknowledged and followed her orders without response. Not every order required verbal acknowledgement, not when she knew her own squadron well enough to follow every word she said.
"Akta group, focus on the cloud fight, dogfighting's the order of the day, anything not in chrome is free game" A few words of acknowledgement was given this time.

"Air's getting pretty thin up here, Wing Commander"
"These craft were supposedly based on space-capable fighter designs. They can handle it" She shot down the concern like she planned to shoot down this craft. Only realising as it began to rapidly approach that its vapour trails following in its wake died to nothing and the bright glow of its engine went dark.
Its whole body rolled back on itself, power cut from the engines and going into a backwards dive, tail-first with its front end swinging down to overtake it with the aid of manoeuvring flaps. Had it not been for the light it had cast in their eyes by the sun they might have shot at it in its moment of weakness, but its timing was perfect.
"Watch out!" Helia shouted into her comms, as the chrome fighter did a gravity-assisted U turn and hurled between the gaps of fighters made within her squadron, others flying free to escape the oncoming risk of collision it presented. The pilot was bold, but also had a remarkable understanding of aviation and aerodynamics. Heck, after this, Helia might even make a note of that manoeuvre for the pilot's handbook.
But for the moment she fought the more pressing issue of her squadron facing sunward as their target raced at speed back down to the battle below.
"Reverse turn, reverse turn!" Helia called out, leaving the channel on as her pilots cursed and tried to correct themselves.

 

[J-Wash]

Sukie heard the horn before the contact reports, and staring over her shoulder saw the cavalry charge coming towards them. Their alien forms came to her from dozens of orientation briefings and scouting reports, the gangling warriors depicted in tapestries and wall-paintings in Theed's palaces dedicated to the myth of founding. None of the fraternity or cooperation in those paintings was apparent in the hail of crackling grenades that fell just short of Sukie's speeders but splashed among Karna's troops in the rear, blowing the engine cowling off one and sending it skidding messily into the ground.

"All units stay mounted!" Sukie shouted into her headset. "Gun your engines as fast as you can and lower canopies! These chaps want to run? We'll make them run!"

"Moving to support you, Sukie!" Tokarian shouted.

"Not yet!" Sukie replied, "Wait 'til they've committed everything, then hit them in the rear!"

The thinning smoke wouldn't cover her other three Lieutenants for long, but hopefully it would be long enough. Sukie's speeders scattered away from the charge, levelling volleys of blaster fire from lowered canopies and out of open windows. Kaadus and riders fell as speeders easily outpaced them and rifles out-ranged them, and a handful of speeders made passes at the falumpasets, blaster cannons blowing chunks out of their stocky legs and sending their howdahs tumbling. In the swerving battle, she drew up alongside Karna's speeder and shouted over the whine of engines and gunfire.

"Bleeding easy, isn't it!?" she yelled.

Karna turned, a sneer on her lips, but a bright flash blew through the driver's compartment and her speeder vanished in a cloud of dirt and debris. Sukie's driver swerved to avoid as a follow-up grenade detonated inches from the rear bumper.

"Peas and rice, Karna are you there?" Sukie yelled into her headset. In the rear view mirror, she could see the bodies scattered around the smoking remains of the speeder. Nuts, she thought, I'm going to have to go back for her.

 

[Sangga]

The song of his ship's engines cut out and gravity's embarce had the craft tumble over. The engines thrum returned at a press of the ignition stud, and the Baron descended onto those that dare thought him prey. Akin to a nightmare, this silver killer would be lost in the Sun as he rolled over and over, his laser cannons firing to keep his path clear. He saw in his rear view that his pursuers were turning to give chase, how damning for them. He descended even further, not into brawl but something else all together. The Baron was gone, dissolving into the cloud cover once more; his chrome plating no longer shining, but matching the grey of the clouds. The only sign that he was still in the fight would be a rapidly cut off 'He's on m-' as another one of the King's Own were dispatched. His wingmates were not holding back either, clearly this silver killer had trained the half-chrome and red killers well. Only four craft and they had begun shepherding the Helia's allies together, to allow the less experienced Centriff flyers some fun. Once more the full chrome, craft punched out of the cloudy soup and zoomed into the brawl. Some more wrecks began to fall, and the Baron was hardly there for long. The chrome fighter arced around the higher edge of the brawl, rolling slowly to cut across the axis of the battle and sweep under it. Once toward the bottom of the brawl he used the spped to clip a fliers wing and then descend to support the destruction of the Dynasty's ground forces.

The whooping, the drone of horns, the screeching of mounts and bellowing of wounded warbeasts match the cry of the forests. A majority of the riders that were chasing Sukie and her elements continued to pursue her, only two Kaddu riders peeled off to ensure the off-worlders were out of the fight. One rider span a bolas of the crackling grenades and urged the mount to charge faster. He let fly as his Kaadu was struck by blaster fire and the grenades span closer still. Elsewhere, the cavalry charge had wounded quite a few of the infantry.

In Pierceson's sector the Gungan attack on the gate was making some headway, a Falumpaset was pressing the gate. Yet some of the rear elements of the besieging unit shad seen him and his men. With that, a whooping cry was let out and some half a dozen riders charged his position. The hatred was clear in the Gungan's faces they snarled like beasts as they got closer some threw their spears and leapt after them.

Within the trees, ranks of humanoids began to appear. These were not human, and they were not mounted. Suddenly, immensly large versions of the grenades arced toward the shield, passing through and the shield flickered. At the first sign of weakness a battle cry roared out and rank after rank of Militiagung stepped out of the woods. They each activated a personal shield, made within a metallic frame, that covered the Gungans from neck to toe. This shield wall of individual shields began to move forward. More shriller horns blared, and immense drums began to beat. The whooping stopped and in unison the warriors chanted. Some ten or fifteen ranks deep, with enough in each rank to line the facing wall of the farm; units of the Grand Gungan Army marched to take on the Off-worlders.

The units in Hopewell had abandoned the gate defence. The units on the wall had left, some had garrisoned the structures in the farmestead. Using loopholes and windows they would pick off units that would come over the wall. Around a dozen men were still facing the gate, behind a waist high rock wall. They were holding the garrisons only pair of launchers, if the beasts broke through it'd be taking at least rounds that could stop light tanks.