Alpha Team: All Your Base are Belong to Us!

[Vex]

(Apologize for any problems. This move has been hell. Hope this will work for you all. Am tired and sleep deprived)

House warbled at Daryn. Blinking, He pulled his feet off the console as he uncurled himself from the relaxed, kick-back position he’d been reclining in. In the spirit of the mission, he’d chosen less expressive clothing. In fact, he’d chosen the only almost all-black clothing that he had. The only spot of brightness on him was the plain white shirt he wore underneath that spacer’s jacket. The jacket was lightly armored, his way of balancing substance with style. It would work well enough against blades and help disperse a glancing blaster bolt, but that was about it. “Five minutes, House? Got it.”

Reaching over to the ship-wide intercom, he waited for it to green-light before speaking. “Attention, everyone, this is your Captain speaking. We are approaching the target coordinates. You have five minutes to prepare before we exit hyperspace. Please store your meal trays and seats in the upright, locked position and please, take all your blasters, explosives, and other weapons of mass destruction. I hope you have enjoyed travelling with Destrell Starlines and will consider us for all of your future planetary domination trips. Italia Firians, please report to the cockpit.”

Settling himself into the seat more seriously, he let his fingers begin to fly over the boards, prepping for departure and syncing all major systems to respond to a single command to drop down to emergency use only levels. Once he was satisfied with that, he settled in to wait, watching the illusionary play of lights outside the cockpit. Once she finally arrived, he put on his big man face and smiled. “Be safe out there…we’ve still got a deal, remember?” He’d give her a full smile, but didn’t press anything else, given the situation. He would respond in kind t whatever she said or did to him.

Then it was time. Seeing the countdown remainder, he turned back to the controls. One hand moved to the throttle controls, resting a thumb on the hyperdrive disengage as the numbers scrolled down. Finally, the last few seconds ticked away and as that zero arrived, he thumbed the disengage and pulled back.

Streaking star lights shortened and finally disappeared altogether, painting themselves back into the discernable pattern of the heavens. There was no sign of Shogun, however, as they’d come in a bit less than perpendicular from the back side of Shogun’s moon. Given the need for stealth, he’d taken that into consideration to help mask their approach. Slamming the throttle forward, he pushed those sublights for all that they had, nearing the proper angle of approach along near the moon. Just as they were about to break around the edge of that dark side, he killed the engine power and keyed in the code to kill all but emergency systems and life support.
The Star went dark inside, but he could still see out the viewport. Tweaking the approach avenue one more time, he let the ship get pulled by the gravity of the lesser celestial body. They were going too fast, however, so all the stunt did was add speed to what they already had and managing to slingshot them around the far side and directly toward the planet. House plotted direction and deviation, throwing them up with the holo-projector so Daryn didn’t have to try and track everything. Warbling another adjustment, House watched as Daryn carefully, skillfully, made the adjustments. It wasn’t more than ten minutes later that they pierced into the uppermost layers of the planet. Daryn restored power to the attitude and vector thrusters, continually minding the controls as friction shook them severely. Nevertheless, he continued to only use the maneuvering thrusters to keep them in line with the planned entrance. With this, they’d just have enough of a signature to be seen as harmless space debris hitting the atmosphere and burning away.

The Star broke into atmosphere and he switched all the major systems back online, especially the jamming and clandestine systems. The sublights burned back to life and allowed them to cruise forward toward their first target. House relayed up-to-date meteorological data from the outside and Daryn adjusting his game plan accordingly. Keying the ship-wide-comms again, he spoke. “Approaching Target Drop-Off Point one. Alpha team, you have ten minutes until greenlight to jump.”

He angled the ship to cross parallel with the cliffs acting as blinds against the Republic guards. The minutes ticked by. The ship path was made with such a way that it would help the Special Ops soldiers use the altitude winds to drift down over their targets. “One minute until drop off.”

“Thirty seconds.” He keyed the ramp controls, opening it to reveal the nightly vistas of this planet while slowing down to the manageable velocity capable of being used safely to drop troops.

“Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one...Green Light, Green LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT.”

He’d wait until House told him that all Alpha personnel had exit the ship before he closed up the ramp and banked, aiming for the next drop point.

[Jace]

"Alpha Team, you have ten minutes until greenlight to jump"

Ten minutes, ten minutes until they jumped out of this ship and towards glory. Bane made sure he kept himself in check, he couldn't deny that he was excited. He had felt the same way when he realized that there was a fight ahead on Coruscant with little chance of survival. He had slaughtered officer after officer, he was unrelenting, and this time he would do the same...to Republic soldiers. It wasn't like he hadn't killed them before, he had done plenty of that on Concord Dawn. This was different though, he couldn't explain why, but he knew it was.

Bane's HUD beeped, informing him that there was five minutes to go until drop off. He quickly began an equipment and weapons check. It was crucial that their equipment was 100% functional or Shogun would embrace them faster than he would like. Everything was in order though, so he ran through a weapons check. His blaster pistol was was ready to go, full charge, extra packs on his hip. There were too many blades on his person to check them all, but he made sure his katanas were strapped tightly to his armor.

Three minutes until drop, he looked through his helmet at the soldiers sitting across from him. He didn't need to see their faces to know how they were feeling. Some would be scared, others would be excited, and some neither. Bane didn't really blame them, they were about to rocket down towards the ground, and use their repulsors almost at the last moment. It was a highly dangerous maneuver but also a necessary one in this case. Bane himself had only done it once before, and it had turned out alright. There wasn't much training for it due to the fact that your more or less likely to get seriously injured every time you attempt it.

“One minute until drop off.”

He stood up, slowly making his way near the exit ramp, nodding to each of his squad as he passed them. It was almost time, Bane could feel the adrenaline slowly starting to build up in him from anticipation.

“Thirty seconds.”

The ramp opened up, and Bane held on to one of the side railings to steady himself. He looked out into the night sky, and even he could appreciate its beauty. He also knew that below this was the home planet to many of his brethren, reminding him once again of the importance of the mission. Bane made sure that all the readings on his equipment were functional and accurate.

“Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one...Green Light, Green LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT.”

Bane didn't hesitate at all, as he took one step and launched himself out of the Ghost Star. He had always made sure that he would lead by example, any true Mandalorian would. Bane was always the first one off the ship, and the last one to get on it. He was falling fast, whipping through the air, yet it was odd. It felt so peaceful and serene, like the calm before the storm.

The serenity was broken by the beeping of his HUD informing him that the had was to fire his repulsors in ten seconds. He was passed the clouds now, and could see Shogun, ready to embrace him. It was almost as if she was calling to Bane and his troops to come and liberate her. Bane's helmet shrieked loudly, indicating that it was time to fire the repulsors. He wasted no time in doing so, and he suddenly jerked as he slowed his free fall. Bane was by no means falling slowly but much slower than he had before. The ground was reaching up to grab him, and Bane prepared himself for the hard landing.

Three....two....one....Bane hit the ground and rolled instantly to minimize the strain on his legs. It wasn't exactly painless but his sturdy armor had kept any bones from breaking. He stood up slowly, and made sure that everything was intact, and happy to find that they were. Bane watched as multiple silhouettes landed as he did moments later. He waited a full minute before keying his comm to his team's channel.

"This is lead, all units report"

They had made it onto Shogun, the easy part was over, now the real mission was about to begin.

[Meira]

Trin stood quietly in the bay of the ship. Like the others, she had spent her time checking and rechecking everything. Her two blasters were secure in their holsters against her thighs. Her pack was full of her electronic gear and securely on her shoulders. Around her waist, a utility belt held a number of odds and ends, from knives to small explosives, all tight and secure in their pouches. Her oxygen tank was tight against its hookup to her helmet. For just over half an hour, she'd been purging the nitrogen from her lungs, a crucial step for a HALO jump.

She felt good in her armor. This was the first time Trin had gotten to wear it on a mission. Compared to some of those around her, who's armor showed the signs of the glory of battle, Trin's gleamed with an unused shine. The orange plates, with their subtle hints of deep red craved the battle to come.

The announcement that they would approach the first drop in ten minutes came over the comm and Trin redoubled her checks. Before she knew it, they were one minute out. Then thirty seconds. Her heart started to beat faster as the ramp was lowered and the bay was filled with the cacophony of rushing wind. Even in the containment of her armor and helmet, Trin could hear it. Then the countdown came and Trin's eyes scanned those around her, finally landing on Itani. She knew his own reasons for being here were conflicted, but she was glad he was.

Bane was out first, and without taking her eyes off Itani, Trin stepped over the edge of the ramp, not so much jumping as falling away from the ship. All of the sudden, the noise was gone, or at least, she wasn't hearing it anymore. The wind held her as she fell. With no landmarks visible yet, her descent felt deceptively low. And though she knew the wind rushing past her must have been five times louder than when the ramp opened on the ship, Trin was floating in an eerie, majestic silence. Then slowly, she sank into the clouds, and for a few moments, she could see nothing.

When she broke through the clouds, Shogun presented itself in sudden glory, and Trin couldn't help but marvel as it spread out before her. A beep and a flash on her HUD signaled that it was time to activate her repulsers, or become one with the earth. Hooking her feet into the platform, Trin stood herself up perpendicular to the ground and activated the rockets. With knees bent, Trin braced for impact, jumping from the platform at the last second and landing on the ground to the side of it, falling to her knees, but unscathed. Trin ripped the temporary oxygen tank from her helmet, allowing normal air to enter her lungs and let out a gasp of exhilaration. She heard Bane's voice over her comm calling for the team to check in. Resisting the urge to yell "Lets do that again!", Trin activated her own comm.

Velos, safe and sound. Ready to kick some ass!

[Grawn]

What he had felt two days ago as he prepared for this day was NOTHING compared to the knot he felt now. Kaarmine sat in full battle gear, his Mandalorian armor shining and his weapons attached to his back and belt. A blade holster attachment had been added to both of his boots along with a knife secured in a holster on his left shoulder, ensuring anyone who deemed it needed to get close wouldnt be getting far. To his back strapped tightly was his long range rifle and a carbine was strapped beneath that. To any other soldier, this load was a burden but Kaarmine and all Mandalorians trained and sometimes slept in such conditions so it was completely natural.

The countdown had begun, in thirty seconds he would be plummeting toward Shogun like meteroites from hell and it was that thought that was giving Kaarmine his rush. He had done this plenty of times in simulations and in real tests, he had no doubt he could activate his repulsors before he hit the ground. It was a little part of his mind that whispered doubt that brought the negatives.

Kaarmine quickly reminded himself of the oath he had taken in his youth to avenge his father and the atrocties the Republic had commited to the Mandalorian people. Those who they had tried to beat and batter were back to raise hell, to bring fear back to their little perfect worlds. He wouldnt fail now that he was so close.

“Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one...Green Light, Green LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT.”

Holy nuts, thirty seconds went by fast!

Kaarmine saw Bane first leave the shuttle, then next Trin and it was then that he decided he was up. Stepping towards the exit ramp, the Private left what doubt he had in him as he jumped out. The HUD of his helmet did a steady countdown of when to fire his repulsors but the wind that rushed past him along with the clouds and scenery gave for a breathtaking moment. It had always been that way but this wasnt Mandalore. It wasnt training camp. It was do or die now.

So caught up in the sights that he had nearly missed the alarm going off to fire the repulsors or die a embarrasing death. He immediatley fired them and slowed his fall as the ground of Shogun beckoned him into its embrace. The impact was startling but he rolled as he had been trained to and did a quick check of his HUD as the roll ended with him on a knee. All systems normal, armor functional with no side effects of the drop. The only minor inconveince was the dull ache in his legs but he would quickly remove that issue in a little bit. Orbit plummets had always been a fun experience.

"This is lead, all units report"

Bane's voice broke the momentary silence over his comm and the Private activated his own comm link to the channel. His mind raced on what to say to make himself sound the opposite of what he was right now. He needed to sound confident and reliable, not some lost rookie in way over his head as he felt now.

"Private Kaarmine reporting in sir!"

Thats the best he could come up with as he awaited further orders.

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

“Attention, everyone, this is your Captain speaking. We are approaching the target coordinates. You have five minutes to prepare before we exit hyperspace." That was what she had been waiting to hear the entire journey. Well, not quite, but the realization that they were very close was enough for her to finally snap out of the trance she had been in since more-or-less stepping onto the ship. Thinking required energy, and she'd need all the energy she could muster for this mission. Now that they were in groups of who was supposed to be in which squad she could tell who she was dropping off with. Not that it helped, what with the helmets and all. The helmets made her remember the O2 tank attached to her helmet as she took another breath, grateful that she'd had the foresight to design the helmet to be airtight when needed.

The next message eventually came through with 10 minutes to drop. She was ready by now, though sort of regretting that she hadn't underwent more Force training in her time. Maybe she could have learnt to push the Nitrogen out of her bloodstream that way, and not have to spend about an hour before the mission doing so, or even reduce the need for the repulsor platform she'd be using by knowing how to slow herself with the Force. In full battle armour though, she'd find that hard anyway. The armour was looking good so far. She'd cleaned it that morning, and even been given clean clothing for underneath by one of the men at the base in exchange for a favour. He'd enjoyed their sparring match, and she didn't even touch the Force for it.

The minutes were passing far too slowly for her, and she did an equipment check to pass a few seconds. Two swords, sharp, check. Assault rifle fully checked with a clip already inside, and several other clips stored on her belt. A pair of pistols , each with charged cells inside, and again more cells on her belt. She didn't make a habit of carrying explosives, preferring to have more room for ammunition and accessories. True, she was Mandalorian, and wasn't a Jedi, but that didn't stop her using the Force to her advantage. She didn't flaunt it, preferring to rely on herself, but even when in a fight she could call on it to enhance her more. It would be irresponsible for her not to, with the mission and her comrades put in jeapordy if she wasn't fighting at full strength. She wondered idly how many were aware she was a Force sensitive, and what the overall reaction would be like if she was asked to pull down a wall at any time.

Thirty seconds now, and the HUD display on her helmet had registered this, preparing to let her know of what altitude she was to engage the repulsors. She stood up, holding onto the bar for support, though she trusted the pilot's skill by now that he wouldn't end up causing the ship to shake enough for her to fall. The other members of her team lined up either side as the countdown commenced. The final countdown. She grinned as the music for that song had came through in her mind. A one hit bander from a Wookiee band. Lots of hair on that lot in particular. She didn't have time to wonder what they were doing nowadays though, as the green light illuminated, and they were good to jump. In the last second she checked she had her repulsor lift with her, as she leapt into the darkness with the rest of Alpha squad.

Freefalling was a wonderful thing. The air around her moving past her at speeds she'd love to travel at forever. She could feel the force of the air pushing against her as she moved around, loving it. She spun a little, loosening up while she could as they passed through the layer of clouds, finally opening up the planet beneath her. No wonder the Mandalorians wanted to take Shogun back. She reminded herself to keep a note to come back here when they weren't invading it, the Final Countdown still going through her mind. She attempted the push the music out as she focused more on the mission ahead. A small blip on the HUD told her to prepare for the engaging of the repulsor. She was ready, and when the HUD informed her she was on it, reducing her fall speed considerably. Still falling though, obviously, or this would be a very difficult mission, but the ground was coming up to meet her much more gently, and as she touched down she used to Force to absorb most of the shock from her body.

Standing up straight and shaking off the tightness in her arms and legs, she removed the oxygen tank and engaged the breathing apparatus in the helmet. A quick check revealed she had maintained all weaponry, and the song was gone from her head, thankfully. She needed to be at 100% for this mission to succeed in the best possible manner.
"This is lead, all units report" Velos answered first, and Kaarmine was right after. Not wanting to be last, Danee quipped in immediately after Kaarmine.
"Xoxin here, awaiting your orders, sir."

[Darth Tammy]

It was silent. No one was speaking as the tension and excitement of what they were about to do filled the very air of the cabin. Not that Talia really cared at the moment. She was far from nervous or frightened, but it was still integral for her to get mentally in check for the operation. She would not allow herself to be the fool who ended up getting others killed for not being fully prepared. Her long daggers were crossed at her back and her blasters rested on her hips waiting for the battle to come.

She supposed that right now many of the others were thinking about the HALO jump that they would be performing and the likelihood of success for this mission. Neither of those things truly concerned her. Victory was her primary goal of course, but if she thought too much about it now it was likely she would get ahead of herself. Thinking too far ahead and creating scenarios in her mind that might not even pan out the way she thought them up would be bad for the operation and those she was working with. Talia may not have been the kindest or most social person but she still wanted everyone to return home alive. Of course, sometimes everyone returning was not possible but she would prevent as many deaths as possible and achieve the goal of liberating Shogun. Anything less would be a disgrace to her people.

Eyes shut and breathing deep, she continued to mentally check over all of the basic information one last time before throwing herself into enemy territory. Free the prisoners...Red Base...Team Alpha...Velos, Kaarmine, Arcane, Firians, Xoxin...Haseful. She wasn't thrilled about working with a team but it would be a different experience that she was hoping would prove to be a good one. Having never worked with so many worthy special ops members at one time, she wondered if it wouldn't be like any other team mission she had personally been on before. Everyone around her seemed to have achieved a most impressive level of professionalism which was exactly what they needed for this mission.

“One minute until drop off.”

Hearing the words of the captain come over the intercom, her eyes snapped open and she stared out at the cabin through the slit in her helmet. Everyone was now shifting in their seats and preparing for the jump. She did the same, giving one last physical check over of her equipment before the Green Light was given and the others began to jump out of the ship. The commander went first followed by Velos, Kaarmine and Xoxin. Standing at the edge of the ramp, she jumped forward without a second thought into the atmosphere of Shogun.

Halo jumps were difficult, there was no question about that fact. If you weren't ready for such a thing, you would hurt yourself. Everyone was required in basic training to do it at least once though, so hopefully they would all be safe. Due to the stealth required in multiple missions she had been on in the past, she had used this technique of entry two other times in a real situation so she was not too concerned that she would mess it up this time. It was all about knowing the right way to proceed. As the landscape of the planet spread out before her, she couldn't be bothered to watch the scenery. She didn't enjoy loud beeping so she relied entirely on a light chirping in her ear and a blip on her HUD to tell her it was time to fire the repulsors. Doing so without a second thought, the ground continued to come for her as the plummet continued at a slightly slowed pace.

As she uncomfortably hit the ground, Talia immediately tucked and rolled before jumping to her feet. Letting out a small sigh of relief that she had made it safely, she removed the oxygen system and took in a deep breath of the air of Shogun. Looking to see that all of the others that had jumped before her landed successfully, she was slightly relieved. Not that she would ever doubt the prowess of her brothers and sisters when it came to any task as they were quite skilled as a race. Hearing the General's voice over the headset, she switched to the team communication line and responded.

"1st Lieutenant Rivas reporting, Sir."

[10Tickler]

All around the Mission's last-minute addition, it seemed that the people were tense, worried, or just plain silent. She might not have been speaking, But Celke Tarria wasn't stressed either. Running a file across the edges of her nails, the Mandalorian prepared for the mission. She had listened to the briefings, in silence, and was more then ready to slice some Republic Veins open, to shower in the blood of her foes. Underneath her Grey and red helm, a quick, psychopathic grin crossed her face. Maybe she did have too much fun doing what she did.

Testing her Nails quickly, she sighed, they were as good as they were ever going to get, and as the Pilot's voice called the One-Minute marker, she slid on the Beskar-plated, fingerless, gloves that she wore into battle. Standing with the others, Celke was an odd sight. Where most of the Mandalorian Warriors were carrying Rifles or Carbines of some sort, a pair of Blaster pistols were the only Firearms visible on her body, hung at her waist as she Followed the crowd to the Drop-door and readied herself, sealing her suit as fully as possible, checking the readings on her equipment.

Nodding to herself, satisfied, Celke waited, listening to the countdown in her head... "five…four…three…two…one...Green Light, Green LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT.” she heard, watching as Bane and Velos lept first, followed swiftly by the other members of the Group. One of the last in line, she waited for another moment before pushing herself off, Running halfway down the ramp before launching herself bodily into the air, feeling the sensation of Flight for a few moments, the Exhilaration at the feeling pumping adrenaline into her system.

Just like that, however, she started to fall, and having a smaller body made the Woman far more streamlined then most of them. Pinning her arms to her sides, She angled her form down, following Bane's path in the sky, Plummeting at a breakneck pace, the Altimeter in her H.U.D. racing towards 0, the ground itself. Speaking of the ground, she could see it, Massive crystalline structures that jutted from the earth, clustered in large groupings, but still separated enough to allow the Mandalorian Warriors to land, and offering Fantastic cover.

Impact imminent her Helmet chirped, Celke's body twisting in the sky, Repulsors firing off, slowing her descent, and when she finally landed, she rolled against the ground, her body sprawling out, legs splayed, hand touching the ground as she righted herself in one smooth motion. "This is lead, all units report" she heard over the comm systems, and popping her neck, Celke replied.

CWO Tarria, Grounded and intact command, Awaiting orders she said, the comm carrying her voice to the Other squad members as she stood fully, looking out over the horizon, flexing her hands. For once this year, she was fully outfitted, not having to wear any costumes or disguises to complete her mission, and the armor that she wore concealed enough Melee weapons to decimate anyone that stood in her way. Between Flachette launchers, Garrote wires, Durasteel knuckles and her fingernails, she was ready for almost anything in the close-range side of things...not to mention the Blasters she carried and the small rockets in her Forearms.

General, Request permission to move in Skirmish formation she said, narrowing her eyes behind the helmet's mask.

{{OOC: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skirmish Info on Skirmishing}}

[Latus]

Breath in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. To the onlooker, the man in the dark red armor must have looked like a statue. Since an hour out Itani had occupied that spot, not moving an inch. His master had taught him focus, concentration, controlled breathing; they were all getting their usage now. A sense of joy seeped into his tense muscles, he had finally quelled the nervousness, harnessed the fear and excitement, and turned them into a passion for the hunt. His prey, the Republic soldiers.

“Attention, everyone, this is your Captain speaking. We are approaching the target coordinates. You have five minutes to prepare before we exit hyperspace."

Few of them spoke while they were traveling, giving Itani time to think and run over the plans for the facility mentally. The two days preparation time was plenty for memorization, he knew the base inside and out. Retention was another matter. Itani's trance snapped at Daryn's words, it was time. Slowly he allowed his breathing to resume normality, shifting in the position he had chosen; the farthest one away from the hatch door. The others had begun to move about as well, checking equipment, shifting position, giving each other a nod, and so on. The young assassin's eyes finally fell upon Trin, her orange and red armor matching her fiery personality. There was no way he could tell if she was looking at him or not so he just stared at her for a moment, letting his eyes drink in her presence.

“Approaching Target Drop-Off Point one. Alpha team, you have ten minutes until greenlight to jump.”

His focus snapped again, he had been staring at Trin for several minutes now. Even in that armor she was still a tall drink of water. This time it was Itani's turn to check his gear. Since he had the armor on he had stealthily hidden a larger assortment of weapons and other tricks that would help keep them alive. He had the armor smith mount pair of dart launchers under his wrists in the gauntlets, the openings were almost imperceptible to the naked eye. A pair of flash grenades stowed in small recesses directly below the arm-pits allowed for easy access and lightning fast deployment. He still had his neuro-toxin laced throwing daggers, he rarely left home without them. This time, however, he had several times the number available, hidden in secret catches along most of the red armored surface, just begging to be released. As a last precaution and bowing to the pestering of Lia, Itani had grabbed a small blaster from his cache on Concord, "just to be safe." “Thirty seconds.” All of his weapons secure, the armored arsenal finished with his O2 container, secure, and the repulsor, secure. Following the others, he stood as the back end of the Star slowly opened outwards.

“Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five… four…three…two…one...Green Light, Green LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT.”

One by one they stepped off, Bane, Trin, and the four other soldiers, until only he stood teetering on the edge of oblivion holding a piece of metal that might bring him safely to the ground. Tilting himself foreword he allowed gravity to kick in, carrying him into open air. Vertigo kicked in almost instantly, bringing a giddy smile to the young man's helmeted face. Itani marveled at how well they had sound-insulated his helmet, he heard nothing of the wind rushing around him. His marvel was cut short as he broke the clouds, changing his visual to zero. Shaking himself free from his bewilderment Itani brought his arms and legs in, allowing him to fall as fast as he was able. The small altimeter reading dropped frighteningly fast as the red comet broke the cloud and hurtled towards the ground. He had never jumped before so he concentrated on the task at hand, not pausing to marvel at the sprawling scenery.

It seemed like an age to the red comet before the indicator light flashed inside his helmet. Maneuvering himself above the repulsor with some difficulty he only had to wait a moment before a pip and a buzz from his HUD told him that, once again, it was time. Jabbing his gauntlet into the repulsor he braced as his descent slowed rapidly, much more of the expansive scenery rushing up to greet him. Accompanied by a sharp buzz, another indicator went off in his helmet, he was coming in too fast. Looking down at the repulsor he felt the effect waning, the ground not a hundred feet away. Fifty. Twenty-five, he reached up and loosened the O2 tank. At his estimate of ten feet Itani launched himself from the repulsor, tucked his arms and legs tight, and hit the ground hard, the tank falling away. With enough momentum, Itani rolled once. On reflex he slammed a hand in front and behind himself and he slid to a halt. Breathing heavily he stood, brushing himself off and feeling his extremities for injury, nothing; the armor had passed its first test. Moments later the com burst to life, Bane. A report?

Sorry, Itani died in the fall. He will be sorely missed by friends and family, all. Di'kutla piece of junk.

Itani hated the military.

[Mara]

[...from Mandalorian Spec Ops HQ Training Areas]


((Apologies for any mistakes in Mandalorian and/or HALO/jump lingo/terminology))


Two days later and Ambria still hadn't gotten completely used to the new rank insignia now donning her armor. But she had fastened it to the gleaming amber beskargam without a second thought. Not that her armor was new; no, it was pockmarked with many signs of battle, more than a decade of fighting with the Mandalorian army and before. First back on Mandalore when she was a teen fighting off pirate raids and participating in other skirmishes to when she left the planet at 16 to join the army and the array of battles she had participated in, including the liberation of Concord Dawn. No, the armor was well-worn, but it was clean and shined up as well as Ambria could get it, and it felt good to be able to wear it again and add more to its collection of dents.

So she had pushed the thoughts of being labeled as a full lieutenant away and her new rank gracing her armor because she had had more important things to think about: first and foremost on her mind was the mission to Shogun, to take out the Republic communications base and rescue fellow Mandalorians afterwards. It could potentially be a dangerous mission, depending on how many enemy soldiers were patrolling the base. However, Ambria also knew that if she had sufficient distance between her and the Republic soldiers, she would be able to pick them off one by one, hopefully not alerting them until a good share of them were dead, dropped by her sniper rifle, not knowing where the bolts were coming from.

To make sure she was ready, she employed lots of practice in the second thing on her mind, which was making sure she was 110% ready for taking the shots that would make or break the mission. Even though two days prior she had spent some time on the range with Bane, it was more of a casual practice and not the more strenuous practice sessions she pushed on herself. In the two days after the briefing and before departing, she had logged many hours on the outdoor rifle range, going through powerpack after powerpack on the targets, from all distances... well, as far as the range could be set up for. She used all three of her rifles, putting them through tests out there to determine which would be the best to take on the mission. Ambria had decided on her oldest one, but most beloved sniper rifle, the one given to her on her 11th birthday by her father.

Now the sniper rifle hung strapped to the back of her armor, its dark shape contrasting with the dark yellow hue of her armor, even in the dimly lit hold of the Ghost Star where she was standing with the others. Besides the rifle, she also had two bandoliers filled with powerbacks crisscrossing her chest, wrapped around her shoulders. In her double holster sat her two blasters, one the smaller pistol, the other the heavy blaster. She had a small utility belt at her waist, most of the comparments filled with medically related items: hypo needles, kolto patches, bandages. Things she could use quickly in the heat of battle before getting back to the Star and her the rest of her supplies. A couple of the other spaces in the belt were filled with rations and extra powerpacks for her two blasters.

Ambria was just going over her personal inventory again when she heard the call for the drop-off point coming up in ten minutes. She double-checked the security of her massed weapons and tightened straps, cuing up the HUD in her helmet to the comm in the Star plus to the others in her team. She also brought up the timer to deploy her repulsors after she jumped; she would need to activate it once she jumped so that she could land safely and in time. Her armor was hard and protective, but it wouldn't safe her from a jump this high. It would just make it easier to carry her body back in its amber-armored pieces.

One minute left and she made her way to the open ramp to stand with the others. She took a few deep breaths, calming her nerves. Ambria had never had to make a jump like this before, yet she was confident that she would be able to perform it with ease. In the last two days, she had gone over the schematics and procedures for the equipment needed for the jump. Ambria had done everything she could to prepare for this moment, except actually exiting an airborne ship.

30 seconds. Her emerald eyes gleamed; she was ready to bring the hurt down on the Republic, men falling from her aimed sniper rifle. She moved closed in position, not recognizing those who stood around her. Not because she couldn't see them, but because she was so focused on herself, her HUD and the task ahead.

15 seconds. Ambria stepped in line after the Iktochi Mandalorian, again, checking her weapons and her armor, ready to flick on her timer for her repulsors.

Then it was go time. Bane, Trin, two others went. Then it was Ambria's turn. She didn't delay and jumped out with enthusiasm, immediately clicking on her timer. During the freefall, Ambria briefly wished she wasn't in her armor, so she could actually feel the wind buffeting her body and not just receive readouts from her HUD about its velocity. A small part of her mourned the loss of her hair when she was young, when she had cut if off to win a spar with... with Turin. She quickly shoved those thoughts away; shorter hair was better in battle now anyway. There was no time to bemoan the loss.

The timer in her HUD beeped, and she engaged her repulsors, feeling a small jolt as they powered up. For a moment, she couldn't feel a difference, though her display told her that her descent was indeed slowing. Ambria spend out her limbs, getting them loose for the landing that would still be hard despite the added buoyancy. She forced herself to look down finally, taking her gaze from the last wisps of clouds as she departed them and focusing on the ground rapidly approaching. A few dark shapes spotted the ground; the members of team Alpha who had jumped before her.

The numbers were ticking back through her display in her helmet, and she counted along with it, concentrating on the right moment to curl up to manage as soft a landing as possible. She hit the ground rolling, ending up a few meters from the rest of the team. But she was unhurt and picked herself up quickly, making sure none of her equipment had gotten damaged.

After she was satisfied with her assessment, she picked her way over to the rest, her comm sizzling with Bane's voice a moment later, asking for confirmation. "First Lieutenant Ambria Arcane, ready and willing, Sir." For the first moment since the promotion, she had spoken her new rank out loud. And it felt surprisingly good. Within the confines of her amber helmet, she smiled.

[Squee]

((Late addition reporting. xD))

For the better part of two days she had been cramming preparation for this mission. She had been to the range and perfected her aim with both pistol and rifle. Still targets had been too simple, and she rather guessed it was as close as anything in the past. It wasn’t so much as her aim had taken a discourse in the last four years. She had been able to shoot sometimes. And the lowlifes had proven to be a problem that had soon been silenced with a single discharge from Valry’s pistol. Though slightly off and less than accurate than she would have liked, it was still in the center. It had been something her father had placed in her: she could always be better.

So, she had moved on to practicing with moving targets. Fast, then faster, as fast as she could make the targets move. She increased their movement with her running around them, testing her movement, her reflexes. Though her work for credits had taken her away from most of this kind of training, it was, after all, the dirty underworld. Her senses were still highly acute, reflexes still sharp. There was an extra habit, however, of presented her entire front to the target. Out of instinct she was placing her body before her son’s. And he wasn’t there. It was but a mere ghost. He would sit on the side of the range, watching his mother shoot and perform her movements around the targets.

She hadn’t seen Orak smile often. But she had on the range, when she had lifted her cheek from the rifle to look up at him; he had been smiling and pointing down where she had shot at. He babbled a bit, especially when she showed him the targets. He was changing on Concord Dawn. He was still very shy around people, very afraid. Valry was still the only one he trusted undoubtedly. Everyone else did not exist in his world for but the time he saw them. But with just her around, he was becoming more of what she guessed was a normal four year old boy. When walking back from an exercise, dancing around the moving targets as she did so, he would… greet her with a smile. Simply… normal. But that was an assumption only on Valry’s part.

Just as she could only assume he was doing all right now. That he was cooping in the new surroundings she had quickly moved him into. Without her. It was almost a prayer. And she had sat by her lonesome the entire trip to Shogun. As Valry waited for the time to act, she stared into the space of an object. Sometimes it was the wall, sometimes her hands, or even the floor. She stared and wondered. She didn’t have time to feel nervous or frightened.

“Attention, everyone, this is your Captain speaking. We are approaching the target coordinates. You have five minutes to prepare before we exit hyperspace. Please store your meal trays and seats in the upright, locked position and please, take all your blasters, explosives, and other weapons of mass destruction. I hope you have enjoyed travelling with Destrell Starlines and will consider us for all of your future planetary domination trips. Italia Firians, please report to the cockpit.”

A small uplift of Valry’s mouth lifted. Her hands lightly clapped together and she rubbed them while sitting up, taking the pressure off of her knees. Some humor was okay at the moment. The message had given her a dull shot of adrenaline. It told just how close she was from hopping out of this metal bird and landing on the ground. Leaning back in her seat, the corner of her mouth relaxed as she picked up the edges of her helmet, staring down into the faceplate. These last couple of days she had been tweaking her armor and weapons to current standards, making them better with her son hanging over her shoulder. He asked questions and she’d teach him what exactly was what. She had to explain a lot of things. Even where she was going as she had left him behind with a strange woman she herself had barely time to understand.

“Approaching Target Drop-Off Point one. Alpha team, you have ten minutes until greenlight to jump.”

Final weapons check. Pistols were good, strapped to her thighs comfortably, just low enough so her palms could press to them. Her powerpacks were in place, around her belt and in hidden parts of her armor. Her armor bulged some in places, as if hiding more dangerous weapons when really she had most of them filled with packs. Only half her belt was dedicated to her ammo. Her datapad took up a slot, and there were several other items. Her rifle was in check. She didn’t know how much she would be using that over her pistols. Whichever she ended up using, they just had another story behind them.

Stories she planned on telling. Dying wasn’t in Valry’s plans. Orak was back on Concord Dawn. She was, so far, his only family. He was expecting her return as much as she was expecting on seeing his face again. Looking at her faceplate, Orak’s smiling face stared back at her. With another quirk of her lips, she slid the helmet over her pinned up hair, completing the black armor. Now she was a shadow as she stood as thirty seconds was called out over the intercom.

She braced a palm against a bar, letting others position themselves before her. She had once heard that the last was the most cowardly. From Valry’s experience, it was the last that had the most bravery to overcome cowardice. Her heart was pulsing loudly in her veins and she felt jittery with adrenaline, heightened as the roaring currents of air rushed around them. She felt the tug over hearing it, insulation providing a muffler for her. She glanced at Bravo team, nodding to Italia and the others as she stood up among them.

Bane jumped out first, followed quickly by… by… their names… names… NAMES… Trin, Kaarmine, Xoxin, Rivas, Tarria, Firians, and then Arcane. Yes, those were them. Then her feet were braced against the ramp while the buffeting wind threatened to sweep her feet from under her. She turned most of the way back around and finally returned Malak’s salute to him, fist against her chest. Her knees bunched and then Valry leaped off the ramp backwards, letting out a delighted cry as the adrenaline shot through her.

Let it be known to everyone that Valry was an adrenaline junkie. She loved the rush and the backward somersault had provoked it more. Her heart raced wildly as she shot down for the ground. She enjoyed it to it fullest. Beneath the mask of her helmet, Valry was grinning from ear to ear, her limbs straight as a stick to hurl her faster for a few moments. Soon enough she leaned forward and opened up her limbs in a star-like position to slow her descent. Through the clouds she went, air swirling around her. This… was fun. There wasn’t much landscape to be seen in the night. All she saw was black. Night black as she came out of the clouds; black she was comfortable with.

The alarm rang in her ears. Time to activate the repulsors and she did so quickly, earning a nice jerk and her descent considerably slowed. Aw… no more spiking the adrenaline.

The ground came up and Valry prepared herself but kept her body loose. If she braced at the right time, the shock would be absorbed. The ground would feel more pain than she. Her feet impacted and the shock traveled up into her knees. She slid a couple of feet, boots kicking up a swirl of dust and she ended up on her side. For a moment, she rested, taking in a deep breath. She was laughing when Bane asked for a report. Clicking the comm., with a slightly breathless and soft chuckling lining her voice, she said, “Justic, still alive, sir. Can we do that again?”

[Jace]

Velos,Kaarmine,Xoxin,Rivas,Tarria,Itani,Arcane, and finally Justic. Alpha squad seemed to have made it down to the ground safe and sound. Bane counted himself lucky for HALO jumps were extremely dangerous and known to have a high death rate. Everyone seemed excited whether from the jump or the prospect of what was to come, well almost everyone. Bane could see the silhouettes of his troops, which meant they weren't far off.

"Negative on skirmishing, Tarria. Stow it Itani. After this mission you can HALO jump all you want Justic. Kaarmine round up the rest of the equipment and meant us a way point alpha. The rest of you move to waypoint Alpha"

Way point alpha was merely a position near the edge of the cliff where they would be repelling down from. He would rendezvous with the squad there before they made their way down the cliff face. The equipment had come down separately cause the added weight would have increased the danger to each person. The equipment had a small homing beacon, marking it only a hundred meters away. Kaarmine would be able to use the beacon to find the equipment easily.

Bane checked his current position on the datapad and proceeded to the first way point. Two minutes later and Bane found himself near the edge of the cliff. He walked over and looked down, the lights illuminating the base below. He was relieved to see that nothing seemed to have changed at all. The rear of the base still remained neglected. He let out a sigh of relief, the Republic were as stupid as he thought they were. Bane wasn't one to underestimate though, getting in the base would be the easy part. Making it through to the comm center without getting killed was the hard part. He would worry about getting out of the base after that when the time came. By this time the rest of the squad had arrived and Bane stepped back from the edge.

"Take a knee" He stated to his squad, as he did so himself."Alright listen up, we are going down in squads of three. We can't take the chance of everyone possibly being spotted at once. I am going first along with Tarria and Xoxin. Itani, Velos, and Kaarmine will follow. Finally Arcane, Rivas, and Justic. Arcane, you are long range cover for the first two teams, so keep your eyes open. Alright Xoxin. Tarria. Lets move"

A final nod to his squad, Bane then grabbed his repelling equipment and move to the edge of the cliff. Rooting the anchor in place on the edge of the cliff, Bane continued by tying the rope around it. Bane tugged the rope three times before he was satisfied that the rope was secure. He then continued by securing tying the rope to the washer on his hip, making sure the knot would allow the rope to move smoothly yet remain safe. Checking everything twice over and then one final time, Bane was ready to go. It would be a great shame to die because of carelessness.

Bane moved to the edge of the cliff, nodded to the other two, and then gently pushed off. He made his way down slowly, pushing off the cliff every couple of feet. He continued the process until approximately ten minutes later when his feet touched the ground. He quickly unfastened himself from the rope, and brought his blaster up to bear, scanning the surrounding. Seeing no sight of immediate danger, Bane lowered the gun, calling to the second team.

"Itani, Velos, Kaarmine, your up!"

More time passed and Bane watched as the next three made their way down the cliff face. When they touched down, Bane called out to the last three.

"Rivas, Justic, Arcane, move!"

Once they touched down, Bane moved his index finger in a circular motion, signaling for everyone to form up. It was time for them to make their way into the base. There was only way in, a single door, it was the only option they had. Bane was banking on the fact that the guard would be light and more or less sloppy. It was going to be very touch in go, but it beat walking in through the front door. If Bane had a choice, he would have tried to go in through the roof, but it would have been extremely hard. The rear of the base was akin to a giant wall with one small entry and no windows or other access points. Technically speaking, it was strategically sound, but breaking through others strategy is what his team did best.

"Alright see that door people?That is our only way in, and it has to be quiet so no explosions. Xoxin, I don't care what you do, but find a way to lure the guard(s) outside. Tarria and myself will neutralize said guards. Arcane, once again, you will be providing long range support. The rest of you remain out of sight, but ready to move on the all clear. Alright people, lets get in to position"

Bane hustled off towards the rear entrance along with Xoxin and Tarria. His choices were simple as to regards to everyone's current role. Xoxin's personnel record stated she was a Force sensitive, though not fully trained. Bane hoped that she at least could manage to exert some influence on the guards. Tarria and himself were also close quarter combat experts, Bane wasn't taking any chances. They couldn't afford to be noticed now, otherwise they would have to fight their way through hundreds of republic troops. While the idea held great appeal to Bane, the mission came first. Bane knew that once the comm station was down, there would be more enough killing to go around.

[Grawn]

Kaarmine was just getting his bearings when his first duty was given.

"Kaarmine round up the rest of the equipment and meant us a way point alpha. The rest of you move to waypoint Alpha"

"Yes sir!" Kaarmine chipped back and access the tracker in his helmet HUD. He remembered Bane mentioning the equipment had to be dropped seperately to be picked up at a later date but would come equipped with a homing beacon to find it easily. A small map came up of the area before his view and a tiny blip about 100 meters from the current rally point Bane had given.

The Private took the blast pistol from his side holster, a extra weapon incase his battery pack of one of his other weapons ran out with no way to reload, and made a dash over the terrain towards the blip. His senses were alive as he could imagine a possible Republic sniper had him in his view or a trap was being laid out. These thoughts shot adrenaline through him, increasing his speed as he closed in on the equipment after a few minutes. Barely breaking a sweat he picked up the large container of extra ammo and such. The container was probably half his size and made of metal, making its weight something a normal being a difficult thing to carry over long distances but Kaarmine had trained his body his entire life.

Lifting it with his left arm, the cords bulging underneath as he did, Kaarmine slung the container of his shoulder and started back towards the group. He made it back just in time to heard Bane give the orders.

"Alright listen up, we are going down in squads of three. We can't take the chance of everyone possibly being spotted at once. I am going first along with Tarria and Xoxin. Itani, Velos, and Kaarmine will follow. Finally Arcane, Rivas, and Justic. Arcane, you are long range cover for the first two teams, so keep your eyes open. Alright Xoxin. Tarria. Lets move"

Kaarmine just nodded as he put the container down for a moment to give his arm some rest. He was strong but not invinicible. He watched as Bane disappeared down the rope, ten minutes later giving the first group clear to go. When it came his turn, he hoisted the container once again, finding it a little heavier this time then before as there was no adrenaline to suppliment his strength. Realizing going down a rope one handed was suicide, he slung the strap around himself, the container now adding onto the weaponry already weighing him down and attached the rope to the washer on his belt as he had seen Bane do.

The way down was...interesting. Half the time Kaarmine had to fight the urge to think about what he would look like sprayed on the ground below over his comrades if he fell. Perhaps the washer would give out? The Private didnt want to think about it and so he didnt. Kind of. Keeping his grip on the rope, he made it down without incident and layed the equipment down as he grabbed the carbine from his back and took watch as the rest came down.

"Not to point out the obvious but coast is clear" he said into the comm.

((OOC(JUST SAW THE OTHER PART OF POST! WILL FIX AS SOON AS I DONT FEEL LIKE CRAP))))))

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

(OOC - Just want to point out I've changed Xoxin's race to Togruta, as I found Iktotchi weren't discovered for at least another 100 years, otherwise everything is the same)

With everyone now on the ground, the first of the orders started coming through from Bane. She looked around, hardly able to see the others against the pitch blackness, though she could see their movements, and her HUD had them all registered. She knew where they all were though, even without HUD or sight, as the montrals gave her the sense of their locations. They had landed a safe distance apart, which was not an easy thing to do in the dark. Standing, she waited for their order to move out, and under Bane's command fell in behind him as they made their way towards waypoint Alpha. She watched Kaarmine go off alone to fetch supplies, slightly concerned he did not have cover, but trusting that the massive man would be able to handle himself. He was Mandalorian, after all.

The few minutes of walking felt longer than it probably was. She was feeling a mixture of excitement and apprehension of the mission. Was their information correct? What if the Republc were aware of their presence, or they happened to have an extra hundred men with them? What if Jedi were there? She shook the doubts from her head, both mentally and physically. No, they could trust their informants, and even if there were a thousand Republic troops, they were still no match. And Jedi... Jedi would be problematic, but she knew how to handle them, and she had no doubt the others had probably had some sort of run in with them at some point. Exhaling as they finally reached the cliff overlooking the base, she watched as Bane approached the edge, before returning to the squad as they all filed in. A heavy shuffling, and she could sense Kaarmine had arrived back safe and sound.

"Take a knee" Bane ordered, kneeling himself, and Danee did in almost unison. "Alright listen up, we are going down in squads of three. We can't take the chance of everyone possibly being spotted at once. I am going first along with Tarria and Xoxin. Itani, Velos, and Kaarmine will follow. Finally Arcane, Rivas, and Justic. Arcane, you are long range cover for the first two teams, so keep your eyes open. Alright Xoxin. Tarria. Lets move"
Danee mouthed a 'Yes sir', though remained silent, deciding to just follow his lead, taking her repelling equipment and moving to the right of Bane. She took the anchor, looking for a patch of earth a few feet from the edge that seemed strong enough, before forcing the anchor into the ground firmly and attaching the cable to it, giving it a few hard tugs to check it was in there firm. She proceeded to loop the other part through her belt's washer, checking the knot was done up properly, before checking both things again. She was content that it was safe at the moment, and moving towards the edge she looked over the massive drop before them.

A nod from Bane, which she returned, and they were going down, kicking off the cliff every so often, trying to maintain a rhythmic movement to get down without putting a sudden strain on the cable. She could hear the small pieces of rock and dirt falling beneath her feet, but these pieces were far too small to alert any detection, unless there was a soldier standing right beneath them, which she was pretty sure there wasn't. She glanced at Bane, noticing she had kept a pretty even rate as he had, before turning back to her own equipment to finish the rest of the descent. Reaching the ground, she didn't even turn around as she brought her assault rifle into her arms. She didn't sense anything, so turned, keeping it loose in her arms, scanning the area. Clear. She didn't feel that she needed to tell Bane, as she saw him readily checking, armed with his weapon.

On Bane's orders the rest of the squad came down in their two groups, and in the first group Kaarmine brought the container with him. She can tell that he had been a bit nervous on the way down, and she couldn't blame him. His washer would have already been under a lot of strain just with his size. With the arrival of the final group they were all all reunited and together at last. Bane motioned for them all to gather round again as he moved on to the next part of their plan.
"Alright see that door people?That is our only way in, and it has to be quiet so no explosions. Xoxin, I don't care what you do, but find a way to lure the guard(s) outside. Tarria and myself will neutralize said guards. Arcane, once again, you will be providing long range support. The rest of you remain out of sight, but ready to move on the all clear. Alright people, lets get in to position"

It would seem someone had read her personal file, or at least been aware of her Force sensitivity, as she had expected. She had sort of been expecting something like this to happen, but merely nodded, following Bane and Tarria to the alternative entrance to the base. Resting against the door, she looked back, not seeing any of the squad they had left behind, probably partly helped by distance and lighting, or lack thereof. She returned her focus to the door, resting her hands on either side, not wanting to touch it in case it was alarmed.

Feeling though the walls, she could sense the room on the other side of this door. The door was not alarmed, not that she could tell, but there were guards. She could sense their presence with the Force, but how many? She tapped on the wall, probably making no noise at all to even the pair outside with her, but sending a small vibration that she followed through the room. Four, two on either side. She withdrew from the wall, suddenly breathing, as she realised she'd held her breath for the full thing, and between the headrush and the readjustment to where she was, relayed the information to the squad.
"Four guards, and a room on the other side." She paused, wondering what would be the best way of provoking four guards out of their room. She focused into the mind of the first one, moving through the folds of his thoughts.
There's a some noise out here... Did you hear a noise?... This room feels stuffy... She played the thoughts one after another into his mind, before bringing them towards the surface of his processes.
"Did you guys hear something?"

[Meira]

Trin watched as each member of her team landed, then checked in. Little dots in the sky that grew and then landed on the ground. They were falling stars, each of them. She was just glad everyone seemed to make it down unscathed. When Itani landed and checked in, she couldn't help but chuckle at his words. Shaking her head, she stepped over to the man and gave him a light kick to the back of his knee. He couldn't see her face through her visor, but she was fairly sure he got the idea. Humor was all good and fun, but this was no solo mission. Staying alert kept him alive, and the person who's back he was watching.

Bane was quick to give his orders once everyone checked in, and soon the group was moving at a light speed towards their check point. Once there, further orders were issued. Trin couldn't help but peer over the edge of the cliff, but she moved away quickly, not wanting to give away their position.

As the first group prepared themselves and then began their slow descent to the Republic base, Trin kept one hand over one of her blasters, and the other held a datapad which was scanning for any communications nearby. The base was fairly quiet. Which was a good sign. Soon, Bane's voice came over the comm in her helmet, calling for the second group. With a quick nod to Itani and Kaarmine, she moved over to the lines and clipped herself in. Slowly, she backed up over the edge, leaning out until she was sitting comfortably in the air and began to lower herself down.

She completed the long descent in little, controlled hops. She might have gone faster if she allowed for larger jumps, but then she might also have made more noise. Caution was the word of the day, and so she reached the bottom after around ten minutes.

As Bane called for the last group, Trin set about linking her datapad scanner to her HUD so that she might have both hands free to use her blasters if necessary. Should there be any major communication from the base to another location, an indicator would flash on her HUD so that she could tell everyone they were all in deep osik. Without specific orders from Bane for the entry, Trin crouched in the shadows, both hands on her blasters. Of course, if they were spotted, she doubted her weapons could be much use in the long range. That was the area where she had to rely on her fellow soldiers. She had too much tech gear to also have to carry around a large rifle. Not to mention she was a terrible shot aside from her blasters.

[Mara]

The silence in Ambria's helmet was once again broken by the comm in her helmet, the general's next orders. She was slightly confused on his first comments to some of the other soldiers, but perhaps she hadn't heard them speaking while doing her jump. Even within her helmet and armor, the wind whistling by could drown out most things. She shook it off, thinking about the battle ahead and putting everything else out of her mind. It was time to crush those Republic dogs.

She followed Bane with the others to the waypoint on the cliff overlooking the communications base. There was no time to sight-see and gather in her surroundings; time for the real orders to begin. Ambria kneeled with the others in front of the general, listening carefully to what the plan would be. She nodded her head slightly, agreeing that they shouldn't go down the cliff all at once. It would be much better to rappel down in groups. Her smile was hidden behind her helmet as she received the order to go in the last group to cover the others.

He had barely had the rest of the words out of his mouth when Ambria was already reaching back to unstrap her rifle. She quickly checked its powerpack and settings before walking closer to the cliff. Ambria positioned herself a few meters from where the first group would be repelling down before squatting near the rock edge. Lifting her scope up, she adjusted the settings as she found the back wall of the communications building down below. Closing her left eye, she focused the right, resting the stock of her rifle on her shoulder. Willing a Republic soldier to dare exit through the back door.

Unfortunately, though, by the time it was her go to drop down the cliff, she hadn't saw a single thing move through the scope, not even an animal or a whisper of wind through the grass. A little disappointed, she lashed her rifle back to its position on her back and joined the others of her rappelling team, who she knew only as Rivas and Justic, at the edge of the cliff.

Quickly, she opened a compartment on her utility belt, stringing out the gear she would need to complete the jump down. Ambria did it with ease, clicking the last ring into place. Now all she needed to do was trust her anchor and jump backwards into the air and off the cliff. Unlike the HALO jump from earlier, she had dong rappelling before in her years of army service. However, this would definitely be a lot easier, as most of her time at the end of ropes had been dropping from moving vehicles, not a steady rock face.

She waited for the other two women to go before she jumped last, coming down behind them. Ambria didn't bother with slow and steady, opting instead to forgo the hand- and footholds for just freefalling. Freefalling at the end of a rope. There was nothing to hold onto when rappelling from a ship dozens of meters off of the planet's surface. She had experience with this and knew her own limits. The cliff face was fairly smooth, and she hadn't seen anything that would get in the way of her fall. Ambria didn't completely drop down, though, taking the time to bounce her heels off the rocks to slow her descent slightly.

The exhilaration of the wind whipping past her armor was short-lived, and Ambria touched down on the ground just moments later, as the rest of her trio was still climbing down the cliff face. Quickly, she removed the rope and the rest of the gear, stowing it away back in her utility belt. As Rivas and Justic touched down, she already had her sniper rifle held casually in her arms.

Turning her gaze to the others after she was satisfied the other women had made it down safely, she jogged over to where General Haseful was motioning them. Ambria got a better glance at the door she had just seen through her scope minutes before. And the wall it was situated in. The whole thing looked pretty impenetrable, but the Republic was always too confident in themselves. Their egos would be their downfall tonight.

She snapped off a quick wordless salute after receiving her orders. As the rest of the team gathered in a distance away in the darkness, she also took a few paces back in order to cover Bane and Tarria's movement to the back door along with Danee, the Torgruta she had spoken two a couple days prior in the mess hall. Ambria wasn't sure how the female would lure the guards out, but she had her orders, punctuating the thought with a small clunk as she moved her rifle into position against her armored shoulder. Making sure her laser sight was off -- no need to alert the stupid guards to her presence or to where their death was coming from -- and stepped backwards into the darkness, keeping all three Mandos in her sights as she knelt down in a more comfortable position.

[10Tickler]

Saddened slightly by the Negative Command, Tarria nodded, Moving with swift feet, surprisingly quickly for such a small body. Waypoint Alpha was a small outcropping, in close proximity to the Cliff that they would need to Rappel down to get closer to the base. Approaching the Cliff, She could see Bane at the edge, and she smiled. Today would be A good one, this much she was indeed sure of.

Listening to Bane's First Step in the Battle Plans, Deployment methods, she grinned, Already fingering a Carabiner at her waist, The heavy-duty clip just waiting to be used for the Drop, and when the General Gave the command, she moved to the edge, Anchoring herself and wrapping the cord through the clip.

The drop over the edge was a Good one, at least a hundred meters, if not more, and leaning against the torque of the rope, she looked down, judging her path...it was fairly smooth. Pushing off with two Short, but powerful legs, she flew back, swinging out before her body slung itself back, down by at least twenty feet before her feet hit the Solid Face of the Cliff. Rappelling was one of the Skills taught in the Mandolorian Basic Training Courses, and it was something that she pretty much enjoyed anyway.

Taking one of the Blasters at her waist from it's holster, about halfway down the cliff, Celke started to Scan below her as she continued down, starting to move slower, more cautiously. Her Speed earlier had ensured that she was ahead of the other two, and while it took Bane around 10 minutes to Drop, it only took her seven until her feet hit the solid ground, her free hand disconnecting the rope nimbly before her body rolled, Ending up behind one of the crystalline structures, Blaster at the ready, eyes already scanning ahead towards the next objective while she waited for the Other two groups to come down.

It took about thirty minutes for the entire squad to come down, moving in threes, and when Bane ordered them all to form up around him and listen, Celke did so, Grinning at the commands given as she holstered her blaster, unfired, into it's spot on her belt, instead reaching into her pouch and pulling out a nasty pair of Knuckleguards, each bearing a pair of spikes on the outside, and diodes between them.

They were special Made, designed to not only Puncture the flesh of a Foe, but to Deliver an 18 Watt burst of electrical power, effectively paralyzing the person for a quarter of an hour from the shock. They would be perfect for this mission.

Following Bane to the Rear door, Tarria took up position on the right side of it, Pressed against the wall, inhaling deeply and waiting, forcing her body to relax against the Duracrete and Durasteel wall, just waiting for the Guards to Come out...

[Squee]

With the comm off, Valry didn’t have to worry about the others hearing her laughter. When had she done something she had really and fully enjoyed as she had that HALO jump? She understood the importance of the mission she was on, but, by Mandalore, she was having too much fun doing it. There couldn’t be much wrong with that. Sure, she was jumping out of a moving transport to land and kill people. Republic people. Bah, people were people and she’d kill people before. That may or may not be fun.

Was she killing for the Mandalorians? She was one of them. She was with them. She was probably thought less of than some of these others because she was simply an addition to the team. Nobody knew about her. She hadn’t spoken much to anybody except those she had to. It practically made her a loner. Mandalorians were all about being united brothers and sisters, taking major leaps together and sharing a sense of honor and pride. Was she here for that? As Valry rolled to her feet, she was glancing around at the other silhouettes walking around; tall or short, thin or thick, all strong, all brave, all with a sense of purpose, and probably for their people.

Valry simply clicked her comm to let Bane know she acknowledged the order. Carefully she crossed the land, her head swiveling and her eyes wandering. She didn’t want any surprises. But she made her way to the cliff face, crouching by the edge. Her fingers curled against the corner of the drop and Valry leaned on her palms to see downward. This would not be such a problem. She leaned away from the edge and rested an arm on her knee as the others gathered around.

If Haseful hadn’t suggested they go down so many at a time, she would have spoken up. The general did well, she’d admit, but she’d seen stupid before. Too much stupid. It’s what made her trust in others fragile. She was working her mind that, as long as she didn’t leave a man hanging, they would not leave her hanging. Too long she had stayed away from other Mandalorians. She’d seen too much of the galaxy. This team mission she was on was reprogramming her. It was electrifying the old roots of memory. More of Daddy’s lessons were coming back to Valry than they had in a long while. It was just something about working alongside mando’ade again.

Haseful, Tarria, and Xoxin started down, the others milling about, checking their equipment or keeping watch. Valry finally rose from her crouch and walked along side the hooks buried in the ground. Though the three rappelling had checked their ties and catches, Valry knew the meaning of “things not going accordingly” or, rather, “Uh-oh” moments. Xoxin’s hook she stepped on to bury better, thinking it seemed a little loose to her. Valry stayed there, just to the side of the hooks, and watched the trio lower themselves. The second group went, and Valry felt some worry to the one mando’ad’s line. He was carrying extra weight and he was already a pretty big man. She watched the anchors and ropes almost nervously as that group descended. And soon enough the last group, including her, was given the okay to rappel. Valry secured herself with a practiced sort of knot and checked her anchor, staying its firm grip. Feet balanced on the corner of the cliff she leapt lightly off, winding down several feet before her feet embraced the cliff face again. She leapt off a little harder, the air sucking at her as she fell down further, not as quickly as Arcane, however, who seemed to believe she could sprout wings and fly. Her feet hit bottom soon enough and she slipped away from the rappelling rope and gathered with the others.

Her heart was beating a little bit harder now. The door. Yes, the door. As soon as that door was open, the main game was on. She could hardly wait. Valry breathed in deeply a couple of times. No need to be getting anxious and kriffing screw everything up as soon as that door was breached. She gave a silent signal that she understood the next set of orders and moved away from the door as Bane and the other two moved toward the door.

Valry settled in a deep shadow, her armor aiding her to become nearly invisible. The armor wasn’t totally shiny. It had seen a little action from dusty fields and scraping alongside building walls. The armor bore small dents and long scratches. Six years old. Not quite enough action in the last four years to really scuff it up. It was still a deep, blackened color, perfect for keeping out of site at this time. Valry’s back was facing a wall and her rifle was braced and cradled in her arms. Her head was tilted toward the rifle out of habit and her trigger finger currently laid straight. The trio was close to the door, she could see. No need to be prepared. There was trust coming from Valry toward the three, a strained and forced sort of one.

Really, was she doing this for the Mandalorians? Or was she doing this for what family lay back home? Was it just Orak? Or did Papa still live somewhere, maybe sitting with grandkids and telling old stories? What about Mama? Valry most certainly wondered where her brother currently was. Was she doing this just for her family? If she was, she was still doing it for the Mandalorians. Maybe no matter what she did, it was for the mando’ade. There wasn’t much else she could be raiding a Republic base for. She didn’t hold much else in high value.

“Well, then,” Valry whispered to herself within the confines of her helmet. “For Mandalore.” She watched as Xoxin paced by the door and soon heard what there was beyond the door. Force users. They were funny people. She didn’t mind them much though. The black armored woman readjusted herself a little, leaning just a little more on her forward knee versus her back. She would be quicker to move.

“For Mandalore…” she whispered to herself again, but then added, “For Orak. For family.” And she settled her mind on that was what she was here for.

[Darth Tammy]

((Sorry for the wait…I’ve been rather ill and have been having a hard time processing thoughts enough to post >.<))

After everyone had made their descent to the surface of Shogun safely, the General ordered them to step forward to the edge of the cliff. The team moved in unison with great celerity and then took a knee before Bane as he gave them their assignments. Some of the Alpha team seemed overly exhilarated for the dangerous mission, but Talia was reserved as always. It was not that she didn’t feel the same excitement and anxiousness as the others; only that she believed a warrior should remain calm and collected to keep their emotions in check. Those with too many emotions tended to be the ones who made rash decisions and got themselves and others killed in battle.

As their commander took a knee in front of them and began to speak, she listened carefully as to not miss any detail. She wasn’t much one for long winded speeches so the fact that the General was quite to the point was a relief to her. She would be descending to the Republic base in the last group with Arcane and Justic. Looking slightly to the side, she spotted the women she would be jumping with and frowned slightly behind the visage of her helm. It was difficult to trust those she had never worked with and there was rarely anyone around that she had actually worked with in the past.

After their orders had been received, they once again took their feet and moved to where the equipment was dropped for the second phase of the jump down to the enemy base. She could almost feel the pulse of her brethren from within the base where they were being held hostage. Of course, this was all in her head, but the thought of any of her people being held against their will made her blood boil. This was why she had to remain focused. If she lost her composure now, it wasn’t the lives of just her team that would be lost but of her people as well. There was no glory to be had in failing this important mission.

Trying not to get lost in her thoughts, Talia secured her equipment and continued to check it until she felt it was safe enough for when her turn to rappel down the sheer cliff face came. She watched as the first team disappeared over the edge with the commander taking the lead. A few moments later the second team followed and she mechanically began to get into place with her team as they waited for the signal to be given. It wasn’t long before the order arrived.

"Rivas, Justic, Arcane, move!"

At those words, she pushed off the edge of the cliff and with one hand held onto her rope, the free hand resting on one of the blasters at her hip, she continued to fall to the next plateau below them. In the event of a wave of enemies suddenly assaulting them, she was prepared but she hardly liked the fact that they were more vulnerable while on the ropes. In the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of yellow as Lt. Arcane went by herself and their other teammate. Her eyes narrowed in response but she bit her tongue to avoid a snide response to the woman’s actions. If she were to ruin her attempts at ‘teamwork’ already, she could only imagine the lecture she would get once they all returned to Concord Dawn. Nothing could stop her thoughts though as she mentally went over how reckless that move had been. The sniper had been chosen for the last team for a reason – to provide cover. Sure she seemed ready enough still but what would happen if she actually had to fire while falling at that rate? With one last thought about this being the sort of reason why she disliked teams, she went back to fully concentrating on the mission once more.

Once her feet finally touched the ground, being the last to arrive, Talia cut loose from the line and joined the group where General Haseful began to give their next set of orders. She was to remain out of sight then? No problem at all. Finding a good place that still gave her a good view in order to provide back up, she set up in her position with her blasters at the ready. Seeing that the others were doing the same, she could do nothing but wait for the mission to really begin now. The time to invade the base was finally upon them.

[Latus]

From the moment of silence that followed his quip into the mic, Itani allowed himself to retain a semblance of the ever-smiling mask he has worn around his sister. There was something about deviance and rebellion that just made him smile. As Bane chastised him over the channel that same smile vanished. That was all the levity he could afford himself on this little outing. Sure he was used to using those masks to get close to his targets but this wasn't that kind of job. He had to act the part he was used to playing. Whatever bright shining moment of light or hope there was, it would soon be snuffed out.

...The rest of you move to waypoint Alpha"


The order was down, Itani had signed on for this little picnic and he would be damned if he didn't see it through. Putting his arms up he stretched, working out the stiffness from the HALO jump landing a moment ago. A thud on the back of his left knee-plate and his spun around, bringing himself visor to visor with Trin. Capitalizing he gave a sheepish shrug, knowing only too well the reason behind the kick. Moving to a staggered position behind the young woman Itani hurriedly made his way over and around the local flora preceding the designated gathering point. There was some lifting of his spirits as he saw the rest of the small strike group had found their way safely together again. Itani knew it would take all of them to come out safely, maybe he would have to act as a team player for once. He snapped to attention as bane spoke.

"Take a knee" He hesitated but took a knee as well. "Alright listen up, we are going down in squads of three. We can't take the chance of everyone possibly being spotted at once. I am going first along with Tarria and Xoxin. Itani, Velos, and Kaarmine will follow. Finally Arcane, Rivas, and Justic. Arcane, you are long range cover for the first two teams, so keep your eyes open. Alright Xoxin. Tarria. Lets move"

It didn't take much time, Itani knew very little about repelling, but that was several hundred feet of cliff that he had to drop down. Sighing he took his position with Trin and the others as the first group lowered themselves over the edge. Bane's words were no comfort as he secured himself with the sturdy line and lowered himself over into the abyss, not enjoying it any more than jumping from a certain starship.

It got easier as Itani jumped gingerly down the cliff, taking longer and longer hops as his stomach settled itself out. Though he felt foolish for not knowing beforehand how repelling worked, it was hardly the time to dwell on that now. Though slower than Itani would have liked it took little time for him to drop the vertical distance to the base below. Arriving last beside his two companions. Turnign away from the rope he slipped into the nearest available shadow out of instinct. There were still people to drop down and, knowing the base's layout like he did, there were more than enough wandering eyes that they might still be seen.

The moment the last pair of boots touched the ground Bane was speaking. Telling them of his preferred plan of attack. Silencing the nagging rebellious nature in the back of his mind Itani nodded and faced back into the shadows again, not wanting to be caught off guard at this or any other point. As the other moved into position Itani crouched low, his muscles tensing and bunching, ready to move. His right hand wandered down to his holster, drawing his blaster and his left flicked up, delivering a perfectly sized knife into the palm of his hand. A Judas thought crossed his mind, wondering about who he was fighting for and why. Now isn't the time to go soft Itani. Keep your eyes on the prize.

[Jace]

Stalking towards the door, Bane scanned his surroundings once more. In truth he felt slightly uncomfortable at the lack of security present. As a commander, a stupid enemy was a gift;as a soldier, his instincts told him that if something was too good to be true, then it probably was. Scenarios raced through his mind, soldiers positioned just out of sight,a trap waiting for them behind the door. His mind began to push to worse scenarios but he quickly made to dispel them. If he was doubting the mission at this stage, then it had already failed. They had received credible intelligence from their brothers, and Bane trusted it.

The eerie sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath whispered in the night. The special ops commander had drawn two small knives in each hand. He crouched, pressed against the wall, waiting to spring forward and silence his prey. Bane watched as Danee approached the door, he had expected her to knock on it or something but she just seemed to stand there. He began to wonder if he was wrong about her skills, up until the point where the door slid open. The general waited, as he saw the first soldier's leg step outside. According to the captain, there were four guards inside. They came out in pairs, the first two seemingly untroubled and talking amicably. Bane continued to wait until the last two soldiers came into view. He flipped the grip of the blade in his left hand to adjust to the situation.

Bane sprang forward silently, only two steps until he was almost right behind the soldier. His left hand shot forward past the man's face and then came straight back into his throat. The Mandalorian stepped forward, turning to his left as he did, guiding the other blade into the second man's throat. Both dead before they hit the ground with a low thump. He quickly retrieved both blades and noted that Tarria had completed her duty with little to no noise. Normally Bane would have given the order to hide the bodies, but that would just be a waste of time and effort in this case. Blaster once again at the ready, Bane swiftly entered the Republic facility. He gave the all clear moments later followed by the order to regroup on him.

He studied the blueprint of the facility once again, analyzing the current options. While taking out soldiers silently was easy enough, it would be pointless if it was seen on camera. They needed to get control of the security feed first. Noticing a port off to the side of the room, Bane turned to his squad.

"Velos, see if you can't get us in the security system. Id rather we weren't spotted by security this early in the game."

The one thing the Republic seem to have done right was the placement of the communications center. It was located smack in the middle of the base, which made it virtually impossible to approach unnoticed. He had known this since the beginning, but they would never make it there if their cover was blown now. Their best option would be to split into two groups and approach from different directions. For one thing, they wouldn't have a large group of Mandalorian soldiers running around, which would be much easier to spot.

"Alright listen up. We are going to split into two squads and approach the comm station from different directions. Velos,Arcane,Kaarmine, Justic are with me. Rivas,Tarria,Xoxin, and Itani in the other. We will stick to the flanks, avoiding the heart of the base and the thick of the soldiers. My squad will move Northeast from here, and then approach the comm center from the east. Squad two will go Northwest and approach from the west. Avoid unnecessary attention, remember why were are here, we have a mission to accomplish"

There was of course another reason for splitting into two squads. According to Bane's strategy, they would have effectively doubled their chances of succeeding. If one squad were to get caught, they would draw attention and make it easier for the other. This way if one squad failed, then the other could still succeed. There was the off chance that both would get caught, but that would have been the same if they were one squad. Hopefully they would both make it and hit the comm center from two sides.

"Velos you run point, I got our six, move out"