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Dathomir Death March - partial story...

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  • Dathomir Death March - partial story...

    We stepped out of the jungle growth into a clearing on the edge of a low ridge. We were greeted by the sights of long rows of tents and a barricaded compound before us. Shouts came up from the camp and we began to take fire. "This isn't a supply depot, this is the frickin' main Mandolorian army encampment!" It was the last words out of the Sgt before his head was vaporized from a large beam cannon emplacement. Our medic, the corporal, screamed into the comlinks to pull back and spread out, his voice cut off mid sentence as another beam sliced through his upper torso. The recruits spread out and scrambled for cover as I called into HQ for air support. Waves of Mandolorians in armor were scrambling up the ridge to our location as we fired desperately into their ranks. A pilots voice crackled over the comlink "30 seconds to area, give us a target..." I yelled back "Hit my own position, we're overrun!" I grabbed the flare gun from the corporals corpse and fired it into the sky, knowing I probably doomed my entire team...

    The skyraiders screamed in through the sky and it felt like time stood still as I watched the plasma cluster bombs tumble through the air all above me. I yelled at my team to hit the deck when the explosions swallowed me up and threw me backwards through the air. A wave of heat overcame me and my visual and audio dampeners cut in and shut out the explosions and conflagaration around me.

    After a couple of minutes, the overrides released and once again I could see and hear the sound of sizzling earth and the screams of the dying. Long corridors were cut into the dense treeline where the plasma tumbled and spread leaving the ground molten into glass from the heat. The jungle burned and acrid smoke filled the area with the scent of burning undergrowth and charred flesh.

    As I got up and began to search for survivors of my team, I could see huge piles of burning armored Mandolorian corpses scattered throughout the area, but enough gutted shells of Republic armor to tighten the knot in my stomach at the loss of my friends. I found a recruit lying facedown on the ground. I rolled him over and looked into his cooked remains as the plasma had completely dissolved the front of his armor and body. I scanned what remained of his armor code to send back to his family and left his corpse and moved on through the flames looking for others. 2 more recruits stumbled out of the smoke and I ran to join them. At least a couple made it through the bombardment. I'm sure the shock of the attack had the enemy stunned for now but we needed to get gathered up quickly and move out before they regrouped. "Head South!" I yelled over the comlink to any who could still hear, and we all took off running. I could see movement around the edges of my vision but with all of the smoke I just kept the group moving hoping to get back to friendly lines.

    As time went on, the jungle growth once again inhibited our movement, but we were out of the main area of the battle. One of the surviving recruits had lost his arm and the stims were only helping so much but the pain regulation was beginning to wear off. Dawn was breaking and we only had so many medpacks left. As the adrenalin of the run was wearing off, he was beginning to stumble and wasn't going to be able to keep up. I hoped we were clear of the Mandolorians as I once again opened my comlink to try to call for a pickup. "We're heading for map position E-13, requesting evac". My heart sank as the coded "unable to comply" message appeared on my heads up screen. "We have to keep moving, too many hostiles in the area". I looked to the other unscathed recruit. "We'll have to take turns carrying him" pointing at the wounded trooper...

  • #2
    The call came into the barracks. "Orders to ship out? Are they crazy? These are green recruits and they haven't even finished basic..." The sergeant listened more and grew angry. "What the hell is up with high command? Orders by some Jedi girl? Disturbance in the force my ass, this is bullsh..." The sergeant's face hardened some and his voice grew quiet. "Yes sir... Following orders sir..."

    The metal garbage can flew into the middle of the bunkhouse and banged loudly across the room. "Okay sleeping beauties, I want you in battle suits in 5 this is not a drill, we will be using live ammo, I repeat live ammo..." The recruits sprang up from their beds half dazed and scrambled to the lockers to get in gear. They were still getting used to the sergeants wake up calls but this day felt different, the sergeant sounded even more pissed off than usual.

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    • #3
      "So we have a bargain?" The large Hutt sat across the table from the Senator Parvil and the Jedi council leader Satele Shan awaiting a reply...
      "We'll provide the diversion so you can retrieve your goods, and then your contacts will provide us with access to Sith artifacts that you have acquired" Senator Parvil responded.
      "Very good, when shall we be able to land on Dathomir?" the Hutt chuckled and rubbed his hands.
      "I have sent a detachment of Republic forces in a feint to attack the main Mandolorian base on the southern side of the planet, that should allow you to slip in and retrieve what you requested" said Satele Shan "the losses will be negligible to the overall Republic victory in gaining the artifacts we sought on Korriban at the start of the war".
      "Good doing business with you. We will send your package once my goods are in hand". The hutt slithered out the door leaving the senator and the jedi leader in the conference room.

      Senator Parvil whispered to Shan "You are very focused on getting those artifacts, so much that you would trade many lives for it?"
      "My master died trying to gain them, I will do whatever it takes to bring them back".
      "Even at the cost of dozens of lives?" the senator smirked "You are a wonder..."
      "They live to serve the Republic, their lives are of no consequence..." Satele Shan stated with a cold resolve...
      Last edited by Thavious; 05-22-2013, 01:39 PM.

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      • #4
        The mandolorian encampment had suffered the majority of the casualties as the sith Delran Malve looked over the battlefield. "This small skirmish tests our mercenaries resolve and offers us a chance to weed out the weak and undeserving..." He briefly smiled as the bodies from both sides were being bulldozed into a makeshift pit for quick burial, some of them partially alive and unable to walk screamed and struggled to escape as the earth was pushed over them.
        A holo-projecter crackled and the image of Darth Sinres appeared. "ah, the Republic has found my little project... now they cannot be allowed to leave the area... See to it that there are no survivors..."
        "As you bid my master..." hissed Malve "may I put the experiments to use?"
        "Yes, we might as well test our new pets..." the holo-projection ended.
        Depressing a stud on the side of his ring, a nearby gate opened and a cyborg-rancor emerged. It screamed in both pain and fury as it lumbered from its holding cage and set off down the trail looking for living flesh... "What the rancor doesn't kill, I will..." Malve smiled as his light saber activated and he began to run down the trail following the frenzied rancor.

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        • #5
          I checked my macrobinoculars for any movement from down the trail behind us. It seemed clear so I pulled my group off of the trail into a thicket to discuss the situation.

          Trooper Heimrich: Dawn is coming and soon the Imperial satellite array will reposition over our area and if we keep moving during the daytime, we'll be spotted. Kernov is starting to go into shock now that the pain stims are gone...

          Thavious: Kernov, can you hold on a little more buddy? We're almost home...

          Trooper Kernov: If you have to leave, set me up against that tree with my rifle and I'll keep the mandos busy while you escape.

          Thavious: We're all getting out of here, no heroics. Heim, how's our other supplies?

          Trooper Heimrich: This is one hellhole of a planet... Our ration crates were lost in the bombardment and our water is only good for 2 more days, plus the water purifier was cracked during the bombardment. Most of the wildlife and plant life is poisonous. We'll need food soon, especially Kernov if we want to keep him conscious. I have a couple of energy liquipacks in my pack, to tide us over.

          Thavious: Same here, I'll give Kernov this liquipack for now. We'll need to change direction again and try to keep the mandos off our trail till we get to an evac zone. I suggest West through the swamps, we might be able to...

          A roar screamed out echoing through the jungle and a flock of Wingmaws flew up into the sky escaping the sound. The ground began to shake and the tremors of the large creature moving rapidly in our direction became apparent. The creature finally broke through the tree line and the outline became apparent...

          Trooper Heimrich: Rancor!

          Thavious: How did it find us? Wait, what's that on it's body? It looks like... armor!

          The cyborg-rancor paused, and took a deep inhale through it's nostrils, it turned and then headed straight for our group.

          Trooper Kernov: It's me... It smells my blood and wounds! Run and get going, I'll draw it away...

          With a last burst of adrenaline, Kernov pushed past Heimrich, grabbed a thermal detonator and ran out of the thicket straight at the cyborg-rancor. We yelled to call him back and began to fire upon the Rancor, but our blasters were not getting through the armor plating fast enough. With a quick swipe, the cyborg-rancor grabbed Kernov and with him screaming bit off the top half of his body. A couple seconds later, a muffled explosion went off and blood, bone, and brain matter burst out of the head of the cyborg-rancor as the thermal detonator ripped the beast apart from the inside.

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          • #6
            The forest grew silent after the dying rancor slumped to the ground. I looked at what was left of Kernovs body and decided to burn it, rather than have it picked over by the scavengers. We were down to 2 troopers out of a detachment of 40 and with our supplies running low and a long trek to a evac zone still to come, our hopes of survival were slim.

            Thavious: We've got to get moving again, that explosion will bring the Mandos in a hurry and we need to clear out.

            Trooper Heimrich: On your six, moving out...

            We began running deeper into the forest through giant tree roots and thickets trying to put some ground between us and the burning Rancor corpse. Our conditioning was good from all of the work we had been doing in basic so we were able to maintain a solid pace. We began to move more southeast to change direction some, but still put us farther from the Mandolorians.

            Trooper Heimrich: 170 klicks to the primary evac zone, 220 to the secondary.

            To save power, we turned off the heads up UI and concentrated on counting pace and tracking distance by adjusting the extra cells on our bandoleers like a primitive abacus. We could possibly put in 30-50 klicks a day, but low water and lack of food was going to affect us quickly. We ran for hours and as darkness again descended, we found a small cave to hide in to escape any large night-time predators. We sat in darkness trying to rest, but trying not to sleep knowing we were still in enemy territory.

            Trooper Heimrich: That was the last of the liquipaks, we have some water still but we are done on food...

            Thavious: Damn, I'm already cramping up and we have another 2-3 days of running to get to the next evac zone, even if we can get contact with fleet anymore...

            Suddenly a voice pierced the darkness around us...

            Delran Malve: How unfortunate, it seems like a couple of lost troopers, with no food, and no help, will not be making it home...

            We were both taken unaware and I pressed the button on my helm to reactivate the HUD as I stood up and readied my weapon.

            Delran Malve: Somehow, it appears that you managed to escaped my Rancor. Don't look for any more help, I've had all the rest of the survivors killed... Now you will pay for killing my pet...

            The bright light of a red lightsaber activating filled the cave. The Sith leapt and kicked Heimrich and drove him flying backwards into the cave wall. I could feel an invisible hand reach out and begin to choke me as I was lifted into the air. I was struggling to breathe when the sticky grenade landed and exploded on the back of the Sith and his concentration was broken. I fired at him point blank with my rifle as Heimrich poured in blaster fire from his assault cannon. The Sith deftly blocked all of the blaster fire with his light saber as energy bolts bounced around the cave. We were being driven deeper into the cave where we had no room left to dodge his attacks. The Sith smiled as he was toying with us but a quick idea hit me. I reached around and pulled a grenade off my belt. Noticing my movement, Heimrich followed queue. Simultaneously, me and Heimrich tossed the cryo grenades and froze the Sith in place, and then we both stockstriked him at the same time to incapacitate him.

            A while later, he woke unarmed with his arms behind his back and his wrists in restraining manacles...

            Delran Malve: You'll never escape, this whole planet is toxic to your kind so you have nothing to survive on out here, and you'll eventually be forced to surrender or die! You'll soon either be on a prison planet or a corpse...

            Thavious: You forget... There is one thing here that isn't poisonous that we can use for food...

            There was a bit of plasma charring, but otherwise the Sith made a good meal...

            Several days later We wandered out of the woods and caught a shuttle off planet and back to fleet where we were debriefed...

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            • #7
              Tastes like chicken.



              "This was an action of the utmost gallantry by a commanding officer whose dashing leadership and courage throughout the battle were an inspiration to all about him." - Victoria Cross Statement about Colonel H Jones.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Viozaer View Post
                Tastes like chicken.
                Unfortunately, the Galactic Council On The Ethical Treatment of Sith, didn't see things the same way...

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                • #9
                  haha awesome. was NOT expecting that. you ate a sith....lol

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