Two Cultures, One Banner

[Jace]

[Note: This takes place after the events on Shogun. Essentially a thread with Bane brokering a treaty with the Togorians]

A small fleet of ships neared the green planet known simply as Togoria. The ships seemed to exhume confidence and pride. Many may have called it arrogance but there was an undeniable sense of competency. This could only be a fleet of the strongest, proudest, deadliest warriors in the galaxy....Mandalorians. A small carrier flanked by two escort vessels. This was no invasion force nor a small raiding party. On the contrary, it was for a purpose quite different. Their purpose was simple, make a pact with the Togorians.

They had been allies of the Mandalorians once before but their relations had been severed due to Republic 'intervention'. Now that they crusaded once again, the Togorians would make a fierce addition to their already deadly arsenal. In truth, this was more a formality than anything. The terms had been agreed upon weeks before, it was now a matter of sealing the deal. Hopefully it would be a short affair, he was already wasting valuable time coming out here.

Politics...

Bane despised politics. It wasn't that he didn't respect the Togorians, quite the opposite. He just rather be in a battle or preparing for one, a sentiment he knew his future allies shared. While he was loathe to admit it, politics and administration were part of being Mandalore. No wonder Mandalore had wanted to take part in Shogun. It must have taken a great deal of restraint to have removed himself from the action as long as he did.

Indeed, it was something that Bane couldn't do, atleast not yet. He was a soldier, a combat leader, it was all he had ever known. He would continue to lead the crusade until they succeed or he died. Bane would do so at the front lines, he refused to sit back and let others do the fighting. While he accepted that commanders were needed in battle, he would leave those positions in more capable and willing hands.

That was not to say that he would be sitting idle until there was a battle. No, the direction the Mandalorians took was now in his hands. A thought which disconcerted more than just a little. While he had risen through the ranks, there had always been someone higher, an order from above. A sense of purpose which kept him focused, on track. Things were different now, it was a bit disorientating.

"ETA 5 minutes, sir" came a voice over the intercom.

The pilot's voice jarred Bane from his silly insecurities. He had a job to do here on Togoria. While it wasn't a battle, it was no less important. The relatively large ship remained quite stable through the entry and landing process. Bane swiftly got up from his seat and proceeded towards the exit ramp. A squad of Mandalorians stood ready and waiting and saluted smartly at his presence. They exited the ship and were soon met by a group of fierce looking Togorians. A significantly scarred Togorian approached Bane and extended a claw. Bane clasped the Togorian's claw firmly and shook it.

"Welcome sir, the name is Turguir, please follow me" He said in a gruff voice

Both soldiers studied each other for a few moments. Bane could tell this man was no normal soldier and it wasn't just the stars on his uniform that showed that. His composure, the scars, but more than anything, the way the other soldiers looked at him. There was a mixture of pure respect and awe with a slight hint of fear. This was a person that Bane would be honored to fight alongside, hopefully there would be an opportunity in the future.

"You two ride with me. The rest of you follow in the convoy" Bane quickly ordered.

They soon arrived to what seemed to be a decent sized military convoy. It seemed that the Togorian's took their security quite seriously.While other leaders would have just stepped into their vehicle without a thought, Bane was different. He studied the soldiers, their demeanors, their formations. The Mandalorian couldn't help but be impressed. Bane stepped into his vehicle with a sense of admiration and hope, the Togorians would indeed be good allies.

[Dutch]

Within Bane's ship sat a foreign machine- foreign even to the mighty Mandalorians. Perched on the left shoulder of the machine sat an even more foreign person, his vivid orange eyes stood out among the muddy dark brown shell. With a click the person stepped off his machine, the Gar Naal landed gracefully before he stepped towards the chest of the machine and laid a hand on it. This alien man was Z'oon Stafsha- Harnas pilot and recent Mandalorian. Though still 'new' to the culture, almost all of Z's twenty-six years was spent as a proud warrior of his people.

He was asked by his old friend, and recent Mandalore Bane Haseful, to accompany him on a diplomatic mission. Z clacked and snorted, Mandalorians playing politics, that was funny to the Al'Harnas. With a series of whirs and clicks, Vuist- Z'oon's Harnas, opened to reveal the dim blue glow of the cockpit. He hard the ETA announcement and hopped up into Vuist, the cockpit closed and Z'oon closed his eyes as the joining started. His antennae found the proper outlets and plugged themselves in before the jack to Vuist's AI core spun forward into the back of Z's skull. He sighed at the familiar pain- now dulled from years of practice.

With a low vibrating noise and a low boom, Vuist powered up, it's receptors glowed dull red and heat billowed from the very back of it. The mech got to it's feet and shrugged it's shoulders as if to loosen up. Really it was the pilot who shrugged to loosen up, but whatever Z did, Vuist did. They were one and the same now. As Bane got up and walked towards them Vuist followed suit and saluted their Mandalore. He turned with his brethren and strode forward out of Bane's ship, each footfall would thud dully into the ground, and each movement was accompanied by a light whir.

Vuist's HUD linked and locked on the strange people that stood ahead of them- one could never be too careful. Luckily for his people, these Togorians wouldn't noticed that Z had locked onto them with his weaponry. Z'oon watched as Bane shook the hand of one of the gruffest looking sentients he had ever seen. But this welcoming was quick, and Z felt a small shot of pride go through him as Bane pointed at Vuist for him to follow. Apparently Bane appreciated the usefulness of a Harnas on his side.

He followed the group until they got to a military convoy, from Vuist came a slow deep chuckle, Z'oon entertained at the thought of Vuist fitting into one of the smaller vehicles. Vuist's head turned to Bane and Z'oon focused on him to activate a private channel to his comm.

"Mandalore, Vuist obviously won't fit in those, I'll follow behind and watch our backs."

Said the Gar, Vuist nodded at Mandalore before it turned and walked away from the main group to position next to one of the rearmost vehicles. By the organization and physical prowess of these Togorians, Z'oon had no doubt that they would make mighty and worthy allies. He could only wonder for now how glorious they were in combat. Once more the channel to Bane was opened and Z said

"Ready to go, sir."

[Shotgun Yell]

It was extremely silent as Leto stood near the entry ramp, his armour mostly fitted, save for the helmet, and his C6k hanging loose on the strap across his chest. Had it been any other mission he’d have already secured his helmet, and would’ve been pumping himself up, rifle in hand, for the storm down the exit ramp, Tiberius following suit. But this was no ordinary mission, this was simple VIP guard duty, although the Mando couldn’t be more satisfied with the person he was guarding.

Even Henry had been surprised when Leto broke the news to his droids regarding his role as a guard of the mighty Mandalore, save for Tiberius who said nothing and seemed a little down at not being able to accompany him. The droid loved the Togorians, their culture and prowess fascinated him immensely, but Leto just told him they’d get another chance in the future to come back, to which Tiberius just shrugged. He held no emotions, but his master knew of his subsequent disappointment.

They remained in his quarters as he left, geared up and prepped for combat, his helmet snug beneath his armpit, and rendezvoused with the rest of the guards near the exit ramp. Over the intercom the ETA order had been announced, so the proud Anzat slipped his helmet on and locked it in place, initiated the HUD and started through its diagnostics. When the suit was finished and he had stretched out just a little bit, Mandalore appeared ahead walking at a brisk pace, and Leto brought his hand up hard in a salute, straightening his body completely and pressing his chest out against the Beskar battle armour.

The return brought a smile to the Anzat’s face, concealed by the T-Visor of his helmet, and as Mandalore began down the lowering exit ramp, Leto was quick to follow. With a hand on the grip of his rifle, and his second resting easy on the front grip, he eyed the Togorians carefully, noting the aura surrounding the one who’s hand Mandalore shook, and felt a tinge of hunger at the slight sensitivity he felt radiating. Of course it was suppressed, and as the Mandos moved towards the convoy, Leto found himself a seat in the second vehicle of the convoy, directly behind Mandalore’s where he knew he could keep a watchful eye out in case of any problems.

A slight nod was passed to the driving Togorian, who nodded back like the warrior he was, as the Anzat slipped into the front passenger seat. Other Mandos slid into the back seats, and Leto kept his eyes on a constant scan, remaining vigilant as the vehicle waited to begin its quest.

“Convoy 2, ready sir,” His voice was level and calm as he gave out the status of his vehicle.

[{ Lasky }]

Tor Otani checked over his weapons and armor, running his HUD's systems diagnostic for the third time, twice more than necessary. It was an action born of both ingrained practicality and the young Mando'ad's nerves. Tor had been a mercenary all of his life, but this day was different. This day he rode with his Mand'alor, serving as part of the newly appointed leader's security detail, an honor the Otani had never known. Tor had exchanged a few words with the man -Bane Haseful- back on Concord Dawn after the coronation ceremony, and after a seeming threat had been sorted out. He had expressed his desire to serve, and so had been integrated into the ranks of the Spec Ops squads, the current excursion to Togoria doubtless serving as an evaluation of sorts. Tor eyed his fellow Mandalorians from the privacy of his buy'ce as they filed off the ship, scanning them with his inborn empathic abilities. He sensed eagerness. They were all of them predators in a way, ready and willing to trash anyone who dared threaten their leader and comrade.

Tor followed his vode out into the Togorian jungle, filling in a position at the rear of the group. Readjusting the shoulder strap of his blaster carbine, Tor followed orders, taking a spot on the second vehicle behind the one Mand'alor would be taking.

[Mara]

[... from New Leader, Familiar Ideas]


Lieutenant Ambria Arcane was still getting used to the fact that Bane Haseful was no longer her general, but her Mandalore. It wasn't that her feelings of respect had changed--if anything, they had grown stronger--it was the title change, the promotion, that had her still getting used to it, still this long after the ceremony she had attended back on Concord Dawn that elevated him officially to his new role. No matter who he was, or what his rank was, though, Ambria knew she would serve him till her glorious death for the rising prosperity of her people, the Mandalorians.

And so, still a little fresh from the disaster of Shogun (and still trying not to think of the circumstances that led to Bane's rise in rank), Ambria found it wasn't at all uneasy to be here on Togoria along with a small group of other loyal Mandalorians with no other than Mandalore herself. She knew part of her comfort with this small mission was the fact that she had served previously with the former general. While others with her might be a little stunned or in awe, Ambria was completely relaxed. And in fact, looking forward to something a bit easier than planet conquest.

Not that this change of scene would get her to act any less her military self. She was clad in her amber armor, polished but not repaired, showing every ding and dent she had accumulated over the years. Over her shoulder hung her favorite sniper rifle. The holsters at her hips held each a blaster pistol, one small and elegant, the other large and heavy; both were deadly in her hands, but not as deadly as the rifle. Always wanting to be prepared but also knowing they were not arriving her to immediately go to battle, she had declined to bring her full medical bag, opting instead to just pad her utility belt with a few supplies, along with extra power packs for her weapons. With any luck, they would be back on Concord Dawn within a week, this being more of an entertaining leave on Togoria and not really a formal mission.

These thoughts had fluttered through her mind as the shuttle made landing, and their group departed, almost immediately being greeted by the Togorians. She had stood quietly, listening to the brief words, her eyes beneath her HUD-embedded helmet flickering around the others around her, especially the Togorians. She had never personally met one of their species, but had heard of their cunning, warrior ways. Ambria would be glad to have them as allies at her side as the Mandalorians continued their spread throughout the Galaxy. She had the utmost faith in Mandalore, in Bane, to close the deal.

After the brief pleasantries, she had entered one of the convoy vehicles, having deciding to ride in the one following directly behind the one Mandalore entered. Though she was feeling at ease with everything at the moment, it didn't hurt to be cautious. As she rode there in the back seat, she kept a light hand on her rifle strap, a casual eye on the Togorian driving the vehicle, ready for anything. Hoping for everything.

[Cirith An'Gol]

[From New Leader, Familiar Ideals on Concord Dawn....]

Cirith sat in his seat along with a half dozen other Mandalorians, most of which he didn't know, his helmet resting comfortably on his lap. Only the sight of his friend Tor eased his nervousness. Like his friend Tor, he'd only been accepted into Mandalore's army in the Special Operations division a short while ago. He still wore his dark armor with what looked like gorey hand prints painted on his chest plate, thighs and calves.

Cirith checked his weapons for what must have been the third time in the last twenty minutes and then did a diagnostic on his HUD and the other systems in his armor. This was his first mission as part of his vode's military force and he didn't want to look like a or'dinii because of a jammed chamber in one of his 4 guns that he carried. First to be checked was the weapons his buir had given him upon completing the Verd'goten Trials more than 12 years ago, the two Westar-28 Blaster Pistols adorning either hip. Second was the weapon that was used by a thug to kill his buir a little over two years ago. The large SD-15 rifle with a sniper scope, it was barely smaller than a Light Repeating Blaster in size. Next to be checked and cleaned was the Heavy Repeating Blaster that he'd bought from Tor back on Taris.

He set the weapons in his lap and began checking for any residue or dust that would interfere with it's functionality. After he was done he set the SD-15 Rifle down between his legs and the Heavy Repeating Blaster in his lap, so that the weapons wouldn't go anywhere during the decent into Togoria's atmosphere. He absently fingered the Westars for a moment rolling each weapon in his hand, as his mind wandered back to the last few months. Cirith's eyes took on a faraway look as his mind traveled backwards in time.

The time he'd gone to Taris to look for work, then meeting up with Arwyn, his sister, and then fighting with Arwyn on Taris. Then going after Rakghouls in the lower levels of what remained of the city, for no more reason than to let himself and Arwyn vent their frustrations out on something that the citizens of Taris wanted killed, and of course to collect the reward for each kill. Then the Funeral for the previous Manda'lore and the installment of Bane Haseful, the new Manda'lore on Concord Dawn. Discussing his membership to the military after a seeming threat sorted itself out and then boarding a ship traveling to Togoria to see if their past allies would still support them. These things being the fore front on his mind.

Before those adventures, he'd been on Tatooine, working for a filthy Hutt that wanted a bounty of his tracked and brought back. I've certainly have had some interesting times since buir died haven't I? If only Buir could see me now. I wonder what he'd think of me joining the military to hopefully become a Commando Cirith thought smiling. Cirith looked up suddenly, the jarring of the ship shaking him from his nostalgia.

"ETA 5 minutes...."

Cirith breathed a sigh of relief as the pilot announced their arrival. It was almost time to start his first mission. In truth, Cirith hated space travel. Unless you were being attacked by pirates, or any number of other suicidal idiot factions, there was really nothing to do other than try and stay busy. Sometimes trying to stay busy was hard for him. He had preferred to keep active so, that the guilt he felt over his buir's death wouldn't over take him. That guilt was lessened somewhat with having come to an understanding with Arwyn but, it was still there. It probably always would be. Cirith shook the thoughts from his head. Now was not the time to focus on past errors and wrongs. He adjusted and re-holstered his weapons and prepared to leave the ship when they landed.

For all the traveling Cirith had done in his life, he'd never been to Togoria, the home of their past allies. He'd heard as a child that the giant cat-like aliens were huge in height and could rip the arms off others like the famed Wookiees of Kashyyyk. He couldn't help the excited smile that placed itself on his face. Togorians. I've heard all about them but, have never met any. I can't wait to see if some of the rumors I heard as a child are true or not Cirith thought standing up to stretch out a bit. He felt the ship tilt a little as it descended through the atmosphere of Togoria. The wind making an eerily haunting noise as the ship soared through the air. what seemed like only a moment later, the loading ramp lowered, letting in bright sunlight that hurt his eyes.

Cirith shifted his weapons, placed his buy'ce on his head and stepped in line with the others and filed out, taking up position beside his fellow vode, as Bane went though the 'pleasantries' with what Cirith assumed was the Chieftain of the Togorians, if that's what the leaders were called. Then the order was given to mount up. Cirith barely noticed as he stared in amazement at the muscle bound Togorians in front of him. A hard shove in the back reminded him of his place and Cirith found himself getting in the back seat of a vehicle heading into the jungle ahead, his SD-15 rifle resting at an angle on the open window. The sight of the jungle reminded him of his home-world of Dxun.

He commed Tor as he watched the Togorians get into their vehicles or onto great lizards, which he came to know were called Mosgoths. "They're an amazing race aren't they? Think they'll let us take some Mosgoths to Dxun?"

[Meira]

Trin had missed much following Shogun. She'd suffered a number of internal injuries when their extraction ship crashed and she'd been caught unawares. That tumble down the ship's corridor had really done a number on the woman. She'd lost consciousness at some point during their trek to find new transport, and didn't truly wake up for some time after.

Sol's funeral, Bane's rise to Mandalore... Trin had been in a kolto tank for all of it. She was let out soon after, however, just in time for the next mission. This time, at least, there wasn't much action to be had. Bane had called for Spec Ops to escort him to Togoria where some old ties could be strengthened. Unlike most of her battle hungry vode, Trin was actually looking forward to a simple mission like this.

While in recovery, Trin's armor had been cleaned and her helmet repaired. Once that had been collected, she was able to secure new gear. It felt good to be well stocked with her electronics and gizmos again. There was no down time for the woman though. She'd spent enough of that in the kolto tank. She was happy when the orders were given to prepare for the mission.

Aboard the ship, Trin kept herself busy organizing her pack and cleaning her blasters. Unlike many of the Mandos around her, Trin carried only the two pistols, forever strapped to her thighs. But her gauntlets had a few surprises of their own. Not much for straight up combat, Trin had no real need to carry anything more. It would only get in the way of her main skills of slicing and breaching. The big stuff was what her comrades were for.

She'd hardly recognized anyone on the mission with her now. Most faces were new to her. But this didn't much bother Trin. There were enough familiar faces to keep the woman calm. Bane, of course, her oldest ally. She'd worked with him since her first mission with Spec Ops. And now, for him to be her Mandalore, well... she was proud of the man. Ambria was another Trin had a good history with. She admired the woman's poise even in the roughest of situations. And then there was Itani. Trin hadn't had much time with him in a while. Shogun was an organized chaos... and then her recovery. Perhaps this mission, smooth as it was bound to be would allow more time for them to...

"ETA 5 minutes, sir"

Trin dawned her helmet, shaking thoughts from her mind as she secured her pack on her shoulder and moved through the ship toward where the ramp would open. Bane soon appeared, salutes were given, the ship was on the ground, ramp lowering. The Mandos moved out in formation, one collective being made up of their many parts. Trin's eyes stayed straight ahead, her body rigid as their leader shook hands with a Togorian. Trin had learned a bit about this species, their culture in the short amount of prep time she had for the mission. She knew they were large, proud creatures. But in person, they were much larger than she'd imagined. They were quite amazing to look at.

"You two ride with me. The rest of you follow in the convoy"

Trin's eyes had managed to connect with Bane as he gave his orders. His gesture indicated herself and another to her right to join him. Trin moved her eyes to see who it would be. Itani stood at her side. Behind the mask of her visor, Trin's eyes widened. When did he get there?

With no time to ask questions, Trin moved toward Bane's transport. She entered the vehicle so that she sat to Bane's left. From her pack, she withdrew a small scanning device. It's range was very limited, only a few meters in radius, but within that range it detected all devices present... like a bomb for instance. Their vehicle was clear, as expected, and Trin allowed herself to relax slightly within her armor shell.

Good to go, sir. Yep, easy and smooth.

[Latus]

The group all stood at attention at the back hatch of the carrier as it touched down. Every man stood in armor. Bulky suits of it that made them all look more like massive combat droids than humanoid beings. All save for one was dressed for battle, one in a form fitting sneaking suit that almost seemed to suck the light in around it, blending the black and red into the background. Or at least thats how he thought of himself. The lanky man really just stuck out like a sore thumb in the well lit egress bay. He tried his best to hold attention, tried to keep from moving around, shifting, being the assassin he was meant to be.

He could hardly help himself. It was his nature.

Itani had been cooped up in the transport ships for several days and he knew almost every one of the troops who were in attendance and none of them liked his antics. In fact, he was more likely to get shot than a laugh out of any of them and that wouldn't do. Trin was there but he couldn't, wouldn't do his more hairbrained antics on her; he had a good reason. And now here they were, ready to disembark from onto the planet Togoria to engage in *shudder* politics, and Itani's reptile brain was going into hysterics. He wanted to laugh, needed to liven the mood!

As the ramp began to slowly lower with a metallic buzzing Bane appeared. Itani could see him out of the corner of his eye, regal as ever; Mandalore. As he passed the squad snapped to salute while Itani, still tense from being cooped up, flashed the "V for victory." As the ramp lowered the group marched out, the small assassin forced to keep up a stepped march rather than be forced to dive out of the way... damned stuffy soldiers.

That was when he saw their hosts and he almost lost it. They were bipedal, bulky and very VERY fluffy. Itani's step locked and the soldier behind him ran into him, knocking him back into step. His mouth was tight as a vise but he felt like doubling over.

Easy... easy... Cmon stupid, get it together!

Who you calling stupid?

You... me. Get your mind in the game, butter-brain, and stop looking at the Togorians like that! You'll mess up the mission.

Right... right... I just...

Itani caught the eye of a fuzzy alien standing several meters away. They both blinked and the alien looked away looking, perhaps, slightly intimidated. The Togorian couldn't see the goofy smile across the assassin's lips, the thin mask-like helm saw to that. Every fiber of his being was concentrated into not laughing, not making himself and the rest of the mandalorians he was accompanying look the fool because of one assassin's twisted sense of humor. His resolve was rapidly fading. Taking a deep breath he straightened himself up and averted his gaze looking in turn to Ambria Arcane, Tor Otani, Z... Z'oo... something with a Z, two others he didn't recognize to finally settle on Trin. Well, not Trin per sae but Trin's armor.

Gotta think of something... less...

And he certainly found it. His eyes worked their way over Trin from her com uplink to her weathered boots and he finally started to gain control. She was something to think about, something that made all this Special Ops military osik more bearable. Quickly he pinched himself through his armor.

Nope, not dreaming.

"You two ride with me. The rest of you follow in the convoy"

Itani's thoughts returned to their situation. Togoria... Togorians... osik. Glancing toward Bane the assassin saw his chance. Hustling after Trin he followed to a small transport vehicle, one that there were, probably, taking to the treaty meeting. Reaching it he quickly ducked around Bane and wedged himself into the transport with the two armored forms. As the doors closed and they started off a hand reached up to his helmet and turned on the sound cancellation function. He had used it when stalking a contract but now... now it would be used for something much different.

Itani laughed.

[Jace]

It came as a comfort to Bane that Trin was one of the two who entered his transport, Itani not so much. Trin had been with him since the very start of his Special Operation days. Most of the vode that had joined Bane today were new to SpecOps. There were a few exceptions of course such as Trin and Ambria but otherwise when all was said and done, he had not fought by their side yet. The reason was relatively simple, there wasn't supposed to be any trouble here. He was all for proving oneself through experience, but just tossing people into battle and seeing if they live wasn't always the best way. Secondly, he needed his senior officers back on Concord Dawn while he was away.

Of course not all of them were new to combat, but many were new to the military. It was important that they understood how it functioned and how to take orders. Assignments such as this helped nurture the necessary qualities. Bane almost hoped something would happen though, such things bored him immensely. He respected the Togorians but all this political osik wore on him. The Mandalorian was sure his future allies felt the same way about the situation. There wasn't anything that could be done though, it was a necessity. Bane could only let out a mental sigh as he sat in the transport.

Minutes later the report came through that the convoy was set to move. There wasn't much idle talk during their ride much to Bane's pleasure. Across from him sat the grizzled Togorian general, and if anything he could tell that the he felt the same way as Bane. They both had other things on their mind, strategies and battles to plan out. Neither of them wanted to be here, they both wanted to be on the battlefield. They were about midway through their journey when they both had their wishes granted albeit in a rather sudden manner.

There was a sudden barrage of beeps and alarms followed by the undeniable sound of the vehicle in front of them exploding. The transport came to a rapid halt in attempt to avoid the burning wreckage of the other vehicle. There was another explosion which was followed by the report of the last vehicle in the convoy being destroyed. The Togorian general was about to yell something when their transport was hit and was launched to the side. It rolled twice before coming to a stop.

Bane opened his eyes to find his vision blurred but slowly returning to normal. As far as he could tell he had not sustained any serious injuries, though the same couldn't be said for some of the others. There was the unmistakable sound of battle outside, and Bane hurried to unstrap himself from the harness. One of the top doors opened and Bane found himself looking at a Togorian. He reached out and the Mandalorian took him up on his offer. Bane was the first to step out of the transport followed by the Togorian general. He nodded to his Mandalorian counterpart and then turned to the Togorian who had helped them.

"Whats our status?" He asked in a calm voice

"Sir, aside from yours, vehicles 1 and 5 are down. We are being attacked by a mix of our brethren and humans. They wear the emblem of the Garz faction."

A look that could only be described as hate crossed the Togorian's face and he remained silent for a few moments. The sound of blaster bolts hitting the broken vehicle took the place of speech.

"The damn cowards have brought the Republic with them. Alright our only option is to hold here until reinforcements arrive. If they want our heads they will be forced to come to us"

The other Togorian nodded and went off to relay the message. Bane knew that the general didn't think too highly of their current situation. The convoy had stopped in the essentially the center of a plain with almost no cover except their vehicles and a few boulders. There was a forest far off to the east but if they made a break for it they would get cut down for sure. They could only hope that their enemies would try to get in close and finish the job quickly. Their enemies didn't seem to have any heavy vehicles which meant they had used hand held devices to take out part of the convoy.

Luckily for them, one of the vehicles that held a heavy repeating blaster at the top had not been destroyed and was pinning down the enemies at the rear. Essentially their opponents were attempting to close in from the front and rear, slowly wearing down on the Mandalorians and their allies. There wasn't much left to do except make their stand. Bane opened the comm to his guard and began to relay orders.

"Wake up ladies and gentlemen, it looks like our trip just got a little more exciting"

Bane's helmet hid his expression but anyone who knew him would know that he was grinning widely now. He had expected some boring treaty talks but things just got interesting. The Mandalorian had once again found himself in a life and death situation, and this time he hadn't even been trying. Clearly fate had destined him to be partnered with battle, and unlike many, it was not a fate he cursed.

[Mara]

The ride was quiet inside with the other Mandalorians in her transport along with the Togorian driver maintaining professional silence. Ambria enjoyed the time to herself, glad that she had enough to think about with the coming minutes, this meeting, that her thoughts didn't drift any deeper than the pressing events. Some beings would be uncomfortable riding in silence, jostling around and looking very much at wit's end. But Ambria was military and used to it, hardly moving as she sat there in the back of the transport, idly watching through the dusty viewport.

One thought that mixed in with her observations about the Togorians and coming ally talks was something else she had noticed, not about the beings whose planet they were on, but with her fellows. She hadn't exactly studied all of the other Mandalorians--there wasn't time for that--but rank insignias had caught her eye. And Ambria noticed that besides Mandalore, she was one of the highest ranking soldiers, if one of the few officers, along on this mission. This made her start to wonder why Bane had taken mostly enlisted with him. True, this was simply a diplomatic mission, and the man could take care of himself, but still, the dark-skinned woman in the amber armor couldn't help but take notice of it.

Ambria had no more time to think about that, however, when all the quiet suddenly turned into mayhem. There had been some kind of explosion in front, and she craned her next to see if it had been the Mandalore's transport, and then sighed in relief when she noticed the other vehicle still there, skidding to avoid crashing into the wreckage of the other transport that had been previously in the lead. Relief not that her fellows had died, but that Bane was still with them, at least for the moment.

Quickly she shifted full-force into battle mode, something easily done because she had already been keeping herself aware of any trouble since coming to the planet. While their Togorian driver tried to keep their transport from ramming into the swerving transport in front of them, she braced herself as her mind went into overdrive, thinking of reactions. Ambria chided herself for not reading up on the current news of Togoria. Then at least she would have had a good idea of who was attacking them. Then again, it could be anyone who had followed them there to take out their leader.

She saw Bane's transport flip over on its side, and thankfully her own kept on its repulsors, staying right side up. Without bothering to look at the others with her, she quickly took charge of the other soldiers, Mando and Togorian, within her vehicle. No matter who the enemy was, they were the enemy, and they would fight back. Knowing they would be sitting gundarks if they remained inside, she waved everyone out of the transport. Ambria determined from which direction the fire was coming from and had them all regroup on the other side, using the vehicle as cover until she could come up with a more solid plan. The Mandalorian soldier hoped that now that they were aware, the enemy would refrain from blowing up the rest of their vehicles.

Ushering the others to arms, she herself had her rifle off her shoulder and was crawling as near the corner of the transport she could to get off a shot but still be in cover. Ambria was just sighting her scope when her comm crackled, and she heard Bane's voice through her helmet. Exciting wasn't the word she would have chosen personally, but she was smiling. Despite all her earlier wishing that this would be a calm and boring little trip, a part of her had hoped for a little, well, excitement, to put it as bluntly as her Mandalore.

Laying on her belly between two of the transport vehicles, hers and the one that had been traveling behind, she turned her complete attention to the task at hand, not allowing herself regret at having not packed more medical supplies. What happened, happened, and she couldn't do anything to change it. What she could do was make their odds a little bit better and perhaps lower the change of serious casualties on their side. Eye to scope, hand to trigger, she retaliated, hearing shots all around her, enemy and friendly, as the soldiers she had been riding with also opened up. A bolt flew from her rifle and slammed into one of the humans shooting at them, 100 meters away, throwing him up into the air before landing behind where he was crouching.

One down... too many to go. Ambria shifted her rifle and looked for her next target.

[Cirith An'Gol]

If Tor responded, he'd been cut off by the sound of an explosion somewhere ahead. The Togorian vehicles swerved to avoid a collision with their allies, Cirith grabbed onto the door as his own vehicle swerved in time to miss a round that exploded in front of them. This was supposed to be an easy mission but, it looked like they were going to get a little action in anyway, and that was just fine by him. Cirith spotted the Republic's emblem on the side of a ship as it set down to deploy both their soldiers and other Togorians. Cirith opened the door and hunkered down, realising the death trap that the vehicle was, and crawled over to the rear of the vehicle for a good firing position.

The Force alerted him to danger, Cirith jumped back just in time to avoid the vehicle that had been behind them, the words "Osi'kyr!" coming reflexively out of his mouth. The vehicle slammed into their bumper, forced ahead by an rocket's explosion that just barely missed its rear. Now provided additional cover Cirith slung his SD-15 Rifle from over his shoulder and looked through the scope, picked a target and fired. The human he'd targeted was lifted off his feet and thrown into one of his fellows that had been running up to join the fray. The memory of his father being thrown the very same way on Nar Shaddaa came to his mind, making him cringe and freeze for a moment but, Cirith shook his head and forced the memory into the back of his mind.

The air stung with the aroma of blasters being fired, freshly burning soil, and bodies but, Cirith kept himself focused, picking target after target. He was no greenhorn when it came to combat, only the playing field had been changed. Another target was sighted in his scope, this time a Togorian firing at one of his Mandalorian vode, struggling to get out beneath an over-turned vehicle, Cirith aimed high on the Togorians chest and fired. The energy projectile flew through the air hitting the Togorian exactly where he'd aimed, forcing the Togorian to slam into the ground. The big bipedal cat was dead before he hit the ground. Cirith sighted another target and fired. This time a human was blown away, reduced to a smoking heap of flesh. "Welcome to Togoria, Republic shebsce palon" Cirith said more to himself than anyone near him, unleashing another volley from his SD-15 Rifle.

Just then Manda'lore's voice came through on his comm "Wake up ladies and gentlemen, it looks like our trip just got a little more exciting".

I'll say Cirith thought as he ducked behind the vehicles, avoiding both Republic and Togorian blaster-fire. He reloaded his rifle quickly and went back to work.

[Meira]

Those beeps and alarms that went off right before the front vehicle exploded? Yeah, those came from Trin's scanner. As the sound of the explosion echoed within her helmet, it was joined by only one thought from the woman's mind. I should have been in that vehicle... Then the vehicle at the back of the group exploded, allowing another thought to enter her mind. How the hell did my scanner not...

Then the whole world turned to havoc as their own vehicle was struck, flipped, and crashed back down into the dirt. At least it landed right side up. Dazed, it took Trin a moment to regain her focus. When the top hatch of the vehicle opened and Bane started to give out orders, Trin shook herself back into action.

She unstrapped her harness and scrambled to gather her gear that had fallen from her pack as the vehicle had flipped. When she had it all back together, she scurried out of the transport and planeted herself in the best area of cover she could find, using the vehicle and her own vode as her cover.

Quickly, she began to take out and arrange her gear on the ground in front of her, taking stock of what she could do to aid their situation, if anything at all.

Osik! she cursed as she turned her scanner over in her hands. It was busted, had fallen about in the vehicle as they flipped. She tossed it aside for the garbage that it now was. Next she held up a comm probe. It looked a bit dinged up but it might still work. Taking the antenna in her hand, she raised her arm up high and with all her might slammed it into the ground, anchoring it before opening the antenna array on the top. She then plugged in the probe to the base and set it to scan frequencies. On her HUD, she quickly patched her interna speakers into the system. Immediately she heard stattic as the probe scanned. Then a shrill of beeps and whirs as it picked up a coded frequency.

Producing a datapad from her pack, Trin hooked it up to the probe. The coding for the frequency started to scroll out on the screen and Trin almost laughed out loud. They were still using codes that had been found on the stolen Republic ship. She shook her head as she hacked into the frequency. She could have done this in her sleep.

Once through, the frequency was alive with voices, both basic and Togorian. It was a soup, she couldn't understand any of it. Again she turned to her datapad to see if she could isolate different lines. Indeed, it seemed there were two lines of communication within the larger frequency. She sepparated them and found the one the Republic was using.

Enemy comms open, sir. She said, as she patched the signal through to Bane. I've got another line here, but I can't understand it. She looked up and around until her eyes landed on a nearby Togorian soldier.

You! Come here. As he came closer Trin hooked up an ear piece to the signal. She wasn't how well it would stay in the Togorian's ear, but it was the best she had. She tried to place it in his ear, but it fell out. The soldier picked it up with his massive clawed hand and held it to his ear, resorting to firing his weapon with just one hand. He listened intently for a few moments before tossing the ear piece back to Trin.

They are translating orders from the Republic soldiers. Listen to them, easier. Trin didn't bother to respond with anything more than a nod. Instead she turned back to Bane.

Sir, they stopped the convoy so that they could get a good shot on your vehicle. They know you're here. We need to get out out of this mess before they realize you're still alive.

[{ Lasky }]

"Urrgh..." Tor said from the vicinitiy of the jungle floor. Curling himself upright so that he could maintain a visual on enemy targets, he pulled at his carbine's shoulder strap, ignoring the pain in his left shoulder and bringing his prized K90 up into the firing position, aiming between his own knees. Tor had seen the explosion of the the foremost transport and felt the edge of the shockwave in his chest as it had ebbed away. Next, his eyes had spotted the beam of a laser-sight crawling across the black-and-green chest plate of the Mando'ad across from him. Tor had grabbed him, and rather than end up in an undignified sprawl in one of his vode's lap, he had went for Option C and threw them both from the vehicle. "Hut'uunla aruetiise!" the Mandalorian spat, firing into the enemy lines. Tor activated his buy'ce's internal comms systems and switched to a private channel with a blink of his eyes. "Cir'ika, you still with me ner vod?" The young Otani could already feel his alter ego's pull - he had to hurry. Pick up, pick up, pick up... he thought, unable to focus his eyes on anything but the incoming blaster-fire.

Thankfully, one of the higher-ranking officers had been in the vehicle with them, and she was now taking charge. Following her command, Tor and the Mando he had pulled with him regrouped with the others, using their transport as cover. The black-and-green clad warrior whacked Tor on the shoulder as a sign of thanks, and the half-Zeltron could just feel his vod's savage grin as he crouched next to him and joined the fight. Tor gave a curt nod in response before sighting in on another Togorian traitor. It took three bursts of fire to take the brute down, a total of nine shots across its torso. That's when he heard Mand'alor's voice in his ear, and Tor couldn't help but sport a toothy grin of his own.

[Cirith An'Gol]

Cirith was just about out of ammo for his SD-15 Rifle, he did the math in head and concluded he had about half a cartridge left. Setting it down for later use, Cirith pulled out his buir's two Westar-28 blaster pistols and began firing again, this time focusing on the Republic troops, rather than both. His Westars were good weapons but, he doubted they'd be any use against a Togorians hide and thick muscle. He could have used his newly aqcuired Heavy Repeating Blaster but, the troops he saw were out of range.

"Ciri'ka, you still with me ner vod?" Tor's voice finally came over the internal comm in his helmet.
"Secuy'gar Tor'ika what do you need ner vod?" Cirith replied letting loose another two red blaster bolts from his Westars, taking yet another Republic troop down. The troops on his side were getting closer now "Hold on Tor, time to break out the heavy equipment. The Republic troops over by my location are getting a little thick" Cirith grunted as he lifted the Heavy Repeater and jumped over his cover using a force assisted jump.

He pulled the trigger and heard the Heavy Repeater wind up from a low whine to a growl as it lay down suppression fire. He waved the HRB from side to side, making Republic troops and Togorian traitors dive for cover behind whatever was close, be it tree or boulder, or be cut down. Cirith let his finger off the trigger and jumped back over the crumpled front and rear of the two vehicles he was using for cover "That should slow them down a bit, hopefully." Cirith leaned the HRB against the vehicle and pulled out his Westars again.

"Alright Tor, what's up? We got any specific orders yet or what?" Cirith said firing at one Togorian that had rushed from his cover and was making his way towards Cirith with great loping strides. He saw his blaster bolts hit but, the burly cat barely flinched.

The big feline predator lept into the air landing on the two vehicles Cirith used for cover and crumpling the hoods with it's weight. It leaned forward and snarled before reaching behind itself and lifting a huge vibro-axe from it's back. Cirith reached back behind himself as well, fingering for his mothers lightsaber at the small of his back.

The Togorian swung at the same time Cirith grabbed his lightsaber and ignited the blade. The two weapons met, Cirith's lightsaber cutting the head of the axe clean off. The Togorian looked in confusion between the glowing blade and armor of the Mandalorian, then the big cat snarled again and thrust the tip of the sawed off axe at Cirith's head. He ducked and whirled, lashing out in a horozontal slash that took the cat's legs, literally out from under him, then Cirith finished with a reverse slash that took the Togorian's head off, putting an end to it's screams of pain.

Cirith deactivated the lightsaber and ducked down again behind cover. Normally Cirith wouldn't have used the weapon in a situation like that but, he hadn't had time to draw his reverse grip vibro-swords from off his back. Now the cat was definetly out of the bag, he could use a Jedi's weapon, it would only be a matter of time before his brothers found out about his Force abilities too. Cirith just hoped that Mandalore wouldn't kick him out of Spec Ops. The roar of the Republic troops rushing from their cover snapped Cirith back to reality.

He looked around for anyone that needed assistance and then took out his Westars and began firing again. Then something exploded beside him, then there was a loud crack as something traveling at high speeds hit his armor and the next thing he knew he was face down in the dirt with his chest burning. Cirith rolled himself over and regretted it immediately. Not only did the burning in his chest grow but, he became light headed and dizzy for a second. Cirith urged the light headedness away and shook his head to vlear the dizziness but, that only made it worse. Unknown to him a Republic troop had thrown a concussion grenade and it had landed a foot away from Cirith. The ensuing explosion, debris and the concussive force from the grenade had hit him. Bits of the grenade had dug into his armor and the concussive force of the grenade broke some of his ribs from it's close proximity. Luckily his thick armor had taken most of the damage.

A Republic troop hopped over his cover and sneered at him "Mandalorian scum!" Cirith still light headed and in a good deal of pain couldn't move. For the second time in his life panic welled in his stomach. He expected to be plastered all over the inside of his helmet. His expectations were not going to be met however, as a blaster bolt hit the Republic soldier in the back. The soldier fell forward on top of Cirith, making him scream in pain due to his broken ribs. Cirith stared into the eyes of his would be killer and they stared right back, confusion and horror forever staining those lifeless eyes.

Cirith pushed the dead man off of him with a little help from the Force and slowly sat up. The next thing he knew, a pair of hands were helping him sit up. "Got zinged did ya?" his would be savior said, making Cirith look up. He recognized the armor as the man that had been struggling to get out from under a vehicle. The man's armor was decorated in a grey and blue off-setting Cirith's own coal grey and maroon colored armor.

"Yeah, I did. Thanks." Cirith said slapping the man roughly on his shoulder paulron in appreciation.

[Latus]

(Very eh post imo)

There was a lot to be said for last instant decisions and Itani was no stranger to indecision. He had the good fortune to look up a breath into his hysterics to see another Togorian seated across from them. And with Bane to his right, Trin to his left he discovered something much more... unpleasant. He had gotten into the transport with the Togorian General; he had found the "hum-drum-vee." After a few deep breaths Itani's giggling settled. Quickly he reached up and clicked off the canceler and glanced out of the corners of his visor at Trin. There would be no small talk to be had here. Osik.

Hey, cheer up. Maybe this will give the boss-man Bane the right impression of who you...

Or the wrong one. But it will be mind-bleedingly dull! A peace mission. Why did I have to sign up for a peace mission.

His mind noticed something flash in the distance but his consciousness didn't follow.

Dull? Well now, I wouldn't say that.

Wha-

With a microsecond left to spare alarms blared and warning lights flashed. An orange ball of fire filled the edges of his visor as he witnessed the disintegration of the foremost vehicle. The blast rocked and shuddered his transport and the roar of explosives reached his audio receptors and then faded. An instant later another shudder rocked the vehicle and the lighting on the Togorian before him shifted... Itani didn't have to look. In fact, he didn't get the chance. A a sharp painful ringing hit the back of his his head and blackness filled his visor as the world turned topsy-turvy.

"Wake up ladies and gentlemen, it looks like our trip just got a little more exciting"

What seemed like hours later vision slowly returned to the assassin along with the voice of Bane breaking over his com. There was a ringing in his ears and he could feel more than hear the deep sounds of heavy blasters firing. As he tried to move something he found it was impossible. Blinking twice he quickly glanced around; why did nothing make sense? His muscles weren't reacting right to his commands to lift and there was a pressure on his head. His breath started to come more ragged as he tried to make heads or tails of things. He couldn't see any of the other Mandos or Togorians, ally or enemy, osik... Gazing down he saw that his seat strap was tangled around his midsection in a very uncomfortable manner. With a quick thrust he palmed a dagger and started slicing. After a few slashes he cut himself free but still didn't move. Glancing down again he looked past his feet and saw that a shock of blue was... beneath him?

Oh...

Cringing Itani fell to his side from his roll-induced headstand and looked out. He could see them all off on the horizon, the "enemy" that was raining blaster bolts down on them. With another deep breath Itani had forgotten about his hysterics, his need to laugh and felt the familiar calm of an assassin pour into his veins. Putting a hand on the back of his head Itani pushed his weight through the nearest exit and hit the ground outside the vehicle. For a mere instant he went rigid as the blaster bolts poured in striking all around him; they were surrounded! There was hardly any cover so Itani dropped prone.

See. Analyze. Move.

See. Time seemed to slow as the information sped into his processing center. The battle lines were drawn. They were out on the plains with little to no cover to be had. What looked to be Republic and Togorian troops were all around them, well dug in and armed. He couldn't see the other vehicles but it looked like the Mandalorians were at least returning fire. Hopefully the others were still alive. Analyze. His small "diplomatic" group seemed to be outgunned and out-manned. Something had to give if they wanted to survive. Move. Glancing about he caught a glimpse of Trin's armor and shot to his feet. With only a few steps he had turned the corner of the wrecked transport and moved up beside the young woman who looked more deadly than ever. He heard her voice before he had the chance to speak.

Sir, they stopped the convoy so that they could get a good shot on your vehicle. They know you're here. We need to get out out of this mess before they realize you're still alive.

Kill the Mandalore... wow. Never heard that one before.

Bad time for sarcasm!

Miss me?

He squawked quickly into his com as he took cover beside the wreck near Trin and the togorian manning her tech. Glancing out he saw the dozens of soldiers taking shots from their covered positions. With one thought he took stock; he had no blaster. Sure Itani could be viciously effective at short range, this longer range mess was never his thing. Grunting he tugged a flash disk from the underside of an arm and lobbed it out over the trenches and rocks scattered along the roadway.

Flash out!

Turning away from the flash he looked back at Trin and shrugged sheepishly.

Got a spare blaster on you, lovely?

[Jace]

Fantastic.

That was exactly what their current situation wasn't. Bane was always up for a good fight, but now when his enemies were a bunch of cowards who hid behind rocks and shot from far away. It wasn't just because he was biased towards close quarter combat but eventually they would be whittled away without the slightest effort from their enemy. All they could do was dig in and wait for some measure of reinforcements.

"Sir, they stopped the convoy so that they could get a good shot on your vehicle. They know you're here. We need to get out out of this mess before they realize you're still alive." came Trin's voice

Absolutely fantastic

Well he wasn't surprised that he was a target, but to think it would be here of all places. Honestly Bane didn't think he was so great to warrant such elaborate assassination attempts. He was just a soldier, nothing more. Of course that wasn't entirely true, but it was what he would like to believe. The only difference between him and those fighting around him were rank, and more often than not, ranking systems were flawed. None of that really mattered now, he needed to get his soldiers out of here, they had more important places to fight and die.

A sudden explosion rocked the area from the east and Bane quickly turned to look. The Republic forces were under attack from what Bane could only assume were reinforcements. The only problem was that it looked like an advance force, nothing capable and fully getting them out of this situation. That being said, this was the moment Bane could gain some more favorable ground. Bane turned to see the Togorian General on the comm and then soon after turned to the Mandalorian.

"They are the advance force, the main body is still fifteen minutes out" growled the general

"Right. This is the plan. We break for the east, assist your forces in overpowering the enemies there, and make our stand in the forest until the main body arrives. Pick a handful to hold this position and cover the retreat."

The Togorian nodded, it seemed he had been thinking on the same lines. Bane then repeated the plan over the comm to the rest of the soldiers. He looked around until he spotted who he was looking for, and called out to her.

"Trin, pick a handful of our troops and cover the retreat. Once we have secured our position, we will cover your fall back to the eastward position" commanded Bane.

In truth, Bane would have easily told her to fall back and he would have held this area instead. That was not an option, atleast not anymore. In his talks with Solus'ad he had learned a great many things about being leader, and being Mandalore. He was not just a commander but also a symbol. He had to think about the glory of the motherland not just his own. Bane needed someone to hold this position that he could trust. She was as tough as any SpecOps soldier he had known, her chances were better than most.

Bane turned towards the east where the Republic forces were being harassed by friendly forces. They were distracted, this was the time to strike. The soldiers had all lined up for the sprint towards their position. The Mandalorian's muscles tensed and he drew in a deep breath.

"Move!"

He launched forward, racing towards death.

[Meira]

Miss me?

Trin turned her head and was met with the sight of Itani's armor. He stood out easily among the other soldiers, but at the same time, she had a feeling that if he'd not announced his presence so, Trin wouldn't have known he was there. It was just what Itani did, the sneaky devil.

Like the plague. She responded, a bit of laughter in her voice. But she had to quickly return to her gear as new signals were being detected on her scanners. She'd barely managed to cover her vision as Itani threw out a flash disk. The Togorian next to her made some sort of noise that she assumed was a curse. Well, pay more attention, bud. She thought to herself.

Got a spare blaster on you, lovely?

Seriously? Trin turned around again to face Itani, still trying to isolate this new signal she'd found. She pulled one of her blasters from its holster on her thigh and tossed it to the man, shaking her head slightly.

I woulda thought a guy like you would be more prepared. She said. And then she had it. The signal was isolated and she was able to tune in and listen. Again, she heard a jumble of sounds that made no sense. She tapped the Togorian next to her on his big shoulder, and he put a comm up to his ear.

Those are our forces. An advance...

An explosion to the east finished the statement for him. This advance force was now assaulting the enemy forces to the east. Trin was about to give Bane the update, but it seemed he and the Togorian leader were already on the same page. Soon enough, Bane was issuing out orders for a retreat to join up with this advance force. They couldn't have come at a better time. She was already packing her gear back up when Bane called her name.

"Trin, pick a handful of our troops and cover the retreat. Once we have secured our position, we will cover your fall back to the eastward position"

Yes sir! Trin looked around at the Mandos beside her, pointing to a few and telling them to hold tight, ensuring that they all had a grenade or two. When her eyes fell on Itani again, she froze, but for only a moment. Please let him listen to me. She begged silently before she finally spoke to him. Itani, stay with Bane. He needs someone close by. We'll be right behind you.

Not wanting to give Itani a chance to argue, she turned away quickly and took up position with the Mandos and Togorians that would be covering the retreat. She readied a grenade in her hand, waiting for Bane's signal. When their Mandalore bellowed the order to move, Trin signaled for her team to let their grenades fly. A moment later, there was a line of explosions that rocked the ground in between the main force of their enemies and her retreating vode. Trin then produced her blaster along with the rest and laid down a barrage of suppressive fire.

When Bane and the rest arrived with the advance force, it was time for Trin and her small team to make their own exit. She had a few explosives in a second pack, so she distributed them among the group, ordering for them to be placed in the nearby vehicles and armed. Carefully holding the detonator, Trin positioned herself between two massive Togorians for better cover. As soon as they saw the suppressive fire from the others, they'd make their run and Trin would detonate the charges for extra smoke cover.

Let's go! She called when she began to see the flashes of blaster fire come from the trees. But as soon as she pushed herself to her feet, she was hit by a massive force and flung back to the ground. A missile of some kind had hit one of the vehicles, setting that charge off. The force of that explosion triggered the other charges, and they all detonated simultaneously. Trin was far enough away to avoid the actual explosion, but not the concussive force it produced.

She didn't know how long she lay there, prone in the dirt. She couldn't see, her vision was struck black. She couldn't breathe, she tasted blood in her mouth. But then she was moving, not by her own force, but was being dragged it seemed. Something grabbed her helmet and it was wrenched away, flooding her eyes with bright light. Images blurred and danced as she tried to focus. She was being raised up, her feet dangling above the ground. Strong, clawed hands gripped her arms. She raised her head to see the furred face of a Togorian, not one of the ones that had been part of the convoy.

The Togorian gripped the collar of her armor, pulling her from the grasp of the others that had been holding her. Her whole body hung from his one handed grip. He growled out words that Trin couldn't understand, then she felt his other hand strike against her face, leaving a trail of blood where the claws scratched against the skin. She spat the blood onto the dirt in response. Roaring, the Togorian brought his arm back for another blow, but Trin was faster. She brought her right hand up in an upper cut motion under the Togorian's chin. When she flexed her wrist just so, a long spike came shooting out of her gauntlet and into the Togorian's head. For a moment, the beast of a creature stood still. But as the blood seeped from his nose and mouth, he slumped, and fell to the ground, dead.

Unfortunately, this meant that Trin also came tumbling down. She landed at an odd angle on her ankle, and cried out in pain, then crashed into the dirt again. Not a moment later, she felt a swift kick to her abdomen. Her cry was soundless as the blow had knocked the breath right out of her. Again, she was seized by the arm and dragged. She managed to glimpse her small team. Every one of them was splayed out on the ground, unmoving. She turned her eyes away, and to the east. She could barely make out the forms as they fought amongst the trees. This was her last image of the battlefield before she was struck in the head and all went black.

[Latus]

I woulda thought a guy like you would be more prepared.

Well warn me next time I sign up for an bloody ambush!

The glint in the assassin's eyes belayed nearly a decade of training as he caught the blaster from Trin; a glint of happiness. Unsurprisingly it was a large and powerful model but in his deft hands it felt unwieldy. The gunfire around them continued to build but Itani noticed some of it was directed away from their lines, out toward the surrounding forest meters and meters away. For a moment he paused as the chaos of battle overwhelmed him.

Watch it stupid!

Osik!

Itani couldn't keep from flinching as several blaster bolts struck the speeder he was taking cover against. Spinning quick he saw the shooters and leveled the blaster. The weapon recoiled in his hands but the bolts flew wide, driving the soldiers back into their limited cover. A shock of static ran through the com unit in his helm as he recognized Bane's voice. It commanded the group to push through the enemy lines to link up with the friendly scout force...

Damn military. Damn machismo.

Bane's final words gave Itani pause. Trin? A perplexed look played over his face as he glanced over to look at his comrade again who had begun to pack her gear away. With a single fluid movement he had taken two rapid steps foreword, ducked, tilted himself foreword and rolled once before coming to his feet right next to Trin.

Itani, stay with Bane. He needs someone close by. We'll be right behind you.

Like hell I...

He was unable to finish, Trin had already taken several of their "vod" and moved to more properly confront their enemy. Again the assassin was forced to pause. Were it anyone else he would have done what he always had; ignored it and gone right along with her. But for once he found it impossible to take that first step along with her. His eyes were torn away again as the same trio of soldiers exposed themselves to fire at him again. Throwing his left hand out he twitched his wrist and a small thermal detonator shot forth on a tiny tension launcher. Cringing as the area exploded with light and sound he curled himself up into a smaller target and half crouched half ran from his position, returning the way he came.

No matter the enemy fire striking all around him his mind couldn't find its way from Trin. A mote of worry coursed through him.

The area around Bane was fairly clear and there was a lack of soldiers to harass them. For a moment he lingered in his presence. The general couldn't see it through Itani's thin mask but worry was etched across his face. If he had been with her his mind would have been at ease but such was not the case. He was a different man, one not of humor and pranks but of seriousness. The assassin had no choice now, she could look after herself. Shifting his focus again he gazed the same direction as Bane, noticing the limit of the Republic forces were being reached.

"Move!"

A few hesitant moments later Itani hurled himself after the others, his lighter armor letting him move quicker. Nimbly he threw himself over a trench that the others were forced to drop into to cross, this brought him even with the others, their rifles and blasters firing away as they cut a swath through the Republic lines. Adding his blaster to the mix Itani fired from the hip, missing most of the shots and barely hitting when he did. His off hand pitched flash discs at farther groups but it did little more than Bane and the others were accomplishing with more concentrated fire.

So close!

That moment a lucky rifle shot clipped Itani's right shoulder and pain coursed through him causing him to stumble, static breaking through his com before going silent. The armor dulled the shot some but he dropped the blaster. Spinning with the shot he crouched and picked the blaster up with his left hand, the right now deadened with the energy. The soldier was under cover so all Itani could do was fire blindly back, the bolts striking all around their target. One of the Togorians saw the soldier and he covered the wounded assassin as he caught back up. Finally the group reached the allied lines. The trees provided the perfect protection and Itani found a thick one behind which to conceal himself. As the fighting raged Itani was forced to take stock. He ran his left up this the blaster mark and fingered the welt that had begun to develop.

Hurts like a bantha...

Panting Itani glanced to Bane who was only a few feet away as he recovered before quickly peeking around the tree back to where the destroyed convoy lay. He watched the blaster fire from both sides, trading shots and grenades one for one. Looking off toward the republic lines he saw a soldier hefting a large cylinder and Itani's eyes went wide. Tapping his com he tried to activate it, try to warn her but it remained dead.

Trin...

He saw the contrail before the missile but when it struck it was as thought the world had ended. The explosion was too big for a shoulder launched rocket and he felt the concussion from where he stood. It was surreal, like something out of a nightmare. He saw men fly like bits of paper, shrapnel and ash coating the battlefield.

Trin!

Mentally forcing his right hand to work properly he grasped the blaster and, pulling a small dagger free with his left, ducked around the tree and sprinted back toward the convoy. He only made it several long strides before several Republic soldiers appeared from a handful of behind high rocks. With fire in his eyes Itani whipped his left foreword embedding the dagger in the cheek of a soldier and taking several poorly aimed shots before taking cover behind a pair of low stumps.

Have to get back there. Should have stayed. Brain?!

Su'cuy?

Su'cuy yourself. I need your help in this one. Truce?

Lemme think on it... truce.

(*Su'cuy! - So you're still alive?)

[Cirith An'Gol]

Cirith was just getting to his feet when the force screamed danger at him. Cirith spun, ignoring the pain just in time to see a missile's smoke trail. "Incoming! Move! Move!" Cirith shouted through his audio speakers, he wasn't sure if he was warning the others or urging himself to get the hell outta there. The truth lay somewhere in the middle. He shoved his gray and blue companion roughly and ran for all he was worth. He didn't know it but, he outdistanced his rescuer by a fair number of feet thanks to his ability in the force but, it still wasn't enough. The rocket hit the convoy with devastating effect. Fire rolled over Cirith a moment before the concussion wave hit him. He didn't know how far he was flung, he just knew he hit the ground hard, bounced and rolled uncontrollably before coming to rest. Cirith had enough strength to roll over and see the remaining members of his brothers, the ones that hadn't gone with Mandalore, fly through the air a considerable fire ball behind them. That was the last thing he saw before blacking out.

A few minutes later.....

Cirith awoke with a splitting headache and a massive amount of pain. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced. Suddenly adrenaline hit his system as he realized that Tor, his childhood friend was in the blast with the others "Oh god! TOR!!! TOORR!!!" he shouted bolting up to an upright position faster than he ever remembered doing, his ribs protesting the sudden movement vehemently but being doused into silence by the adrenaline. Cirith got warily to his feet, his right arm was broken and he a couple bruised ribs for sure but, all that was inconsequential in comparison to the status of his only remaining friend. Slowly Cirith began the gristly duty of searching for his friend amidst the debris and remains of fallen comrades, shouting his friends name in the hope that he would hear him and call back.

[{ Lasky }]

Fire and sound collided, leaving twisted metal and ash in its wake. Tor watched, time seeming to pass in slow motion as the flames stretched towards him, engulfing his form and that of several other Mandalorians in their grasp. Training, instinct, reflex, all were forgotten as Tor watched the man he had saved minutes before be torn apart by the blast. The half-Firrerreo saw his shields flare as they failed, shredded by the ferocious pressure wave that would send him backwards more than ten feet through the air. After that, the Mando's visor polarized against the light of the blaze. Not that he would have been able to see anything anyway, as his eyes clenched shut the moment his feet left the ground.

Tor awoke seconds later, although he would later remember that it had seemed like an eternity had passed. His eyes opened, blinking rapidly against the pain, the pressure wave having caused them to bleed. Tor stared into the face of darkness through the cracks in his visor, his breathing labored and raspy as he tried to breathe through lungs that felt like they were on fire. Orar'ika took over at that point, forcing him to steady his breathing and focus on scrutinizing his surroundings. There was a heavy slab of metal on top of him, possibly the hood of one of the convoy vehicles, his rifle was no where to be seen, and he couldn't feel his legs. To add to his disorientation, his hearing was like the rise and fall of an ocean's tide. Sounds flooded his ears one moment only to ebb away into silence the next. Admittedly, Tor Otani probably would've felt a little overwhelmed by it all. His alter-ego Orar'ika on the other hand was merely annoyed, facing the situation with grim determination. The Mandalorian clawed at the metal slab with his boots, finally finding a measure of purchase as he regained feeling his in lower extremities. Putting his gloved hands out in front of him, Orar'ika bunched his shoulders and heaved, simultaneously kicking out with both feet. The effort drew a snarl from his lips. He could tell he had a broken rib or two.

With the slab off of him, the Mandalorian was re-introduced to the sights and smells of the ongoing battle. His ears had settled for the middle ground and were now working fine except for the incessant ringing in his head. The Mandalorian soon discovered that he had freed himself from one danger only to be thrust back into another. Orar'ika sent himself into a roll, evading blaster fire and recovering his trusty K90 carbine in a show of impressive speed. He wasn't quite fast enough however; no sooner had he regained his weapon, it was kicked from his grasp by a Republic soldier. Orar'ika lashed out with a kick of his own, catching the man squarely in the groin. With a howl, the soldier fell backwards, giving the Mandalorian time to roll up to his hands and knees and draw one of his heavy blaster pistols. Without hesitation, the half-Zeltron smashed the helmet-less Republic whelp in the nose with the butt of his gun and then put a bolt through his cranium to end his struggles for good.

The young Mando's problems were far from over though, as three more enemy targets came into view at close range. Using the downed soldier's body as cover, Orar'ika drew his second T-6 pistol and dispatched the approaching pair of human units with a twin barrage of fire. The Togorian traveling with them however, evaded the Mandalorian's attack and bore down on him with a swiftness that seemed at odds with his muscle-bound physique. The Mando was disarmed with a swipe of the beast's hand, a ripe trio of cuts adorning the near-human's cheek as his helmet was knocked from his face. Orar'ika found himself drawing the curved blade of his bes'kad as he was lifted from the ground. Roaring, the Togorian soon found a short sword sticking through the meaty flesh of his thigh. The great cat tried to slam his opponent back down to the ground in retaliation, but found this to be impossible, because the agile little man had locked his arms around his wrist and wound his legs up and around his shoulder. Flailing, the Togorian finally pulled the near-human free, pinning him to the jungle floor with a hand around his neck. The cat roared again, menacing the Mandalorian with its fangs, even as he felt the blade being pulled free from his leg. Neither sure who was now in control, Tor / Orar'ika roared back, spilling the alien's bowels with his blade with one hand while attempting to rip out its eyes with the other.

Finally, when the beast had stopped struggling, the Otani Mando gathered up his pistols, carbine, and helm, remembering that he had been given orders to assist one of the few higher ranking Mandalorians present, a woman named Trin, in covering Mand'alor's retreat. Or rather his charge into the treeline. Yes, he remembered using two of his grenades now, helping to throw up a smokescreen to obscure his comrades from the enemy's sight. And then the rest of the convoy had blown up prematurely. Cir'ika! Where was Cir'ika when the blast went off? Tor whipped around, keeping enemy soldiers at bay with the occasional barrage from his T-6 Thunderers. Some of the men that had been tasked with covering the retreat still weren't moving. He couldn't see Trin. There was really only one option then. To Tor, loyalty to friends exceeded all else. To hell with orders, I have to know if Cirith is still alive... Mercifully, it was at that exact moment that Tor became aware that someone was calling his name. He wasn't certain it was Cirith. The voice sounded distressed. Afraid even. Two words that Tor had never known to describe his friend. "Cir'ika?" he called. "Cir'ika bic gar ner vod?"