|
(4.15) Night of Fire and Death (Part One)
Night of Fire and Death (Part One)
Opening Battles of the Jedi Civil War
Embattled City of Forshering
Sumoo III, Boarder of the Mid and Outer Rims
Long before the Jedi Civil War turned in to a hot war, there were already battle lines which were being drawn. As many worlds were choosing their sides in secret, there were worlds that were caught between loyalty to the Republic and loyalty to the preserved Will of the Force. Debates rage among Jedi and world leaders as the war drew closer. Some worlds simply withdrew from Republic and announced their independence. Most of these worlds littered the Out Rim while a few ran deep in to the Mid Rim. Other worlds became hot beds of political struggle and later these worlds become some of the most fierce of battles. Some worlds felt that by supporting one Jedi faction or the other would cause them to fracture their loyalties to the Republic or further weaken their influence within the Republic Senate. These worlds attempted to remain neutral during the war with little success. However, there were a few worlds where the political and moral struggles that stemmed from the war became a focus of redefinition of how they saw themselves as a whole. No other world faced as much struggles and revision as Dorin.
Dorin was a prefect example of being caught between a rock and a hard place. Their close relations with the Republic and the Coruscant Order demanded that they supported the Jedi Order during the war. However, on a personal level, many Kel Dor Jedi felt that the Rebel Jedi held the moral high ground. Hidden from sight, and written only within secret texts that had been locked away in the Baran Do Temple on Dorin, plots drove the actions of many Kel Dor without their knowledge. The leaders of the Baran Do Sages saw this as a opportunity to drive a powerful blow against the Jedi and end their influences on Dorin. They used their connections and influences' to cause Dorin to make a political decision that hundreds of worlds would follow and intensive the flames of the war. What would come from Dorin was nothing short of a means for a world to remain free from the war without jeopardizing their loyalties to the Republic.
As the events over Coruscant were still fresh in the media, the planetary leaders of Dorin voted to reaffirm their loyalty to the Republic. They offered to render humanitarian aid to any world that asks for it. But what caused the most damning debates of the Senate was the statement that Dorin would not force Kel Dor to join either side of the conflict nor punish Kel Dor that joined either side. Further more, Dorin would not be used to directly support the Jedi Civil War by any means. The resolution soon became known as the Dorin Pack and was the brain child of Dorin Senator Num Korr. He used his political pull and connections within the Senate to draw in hundreds of worlds to sign the Pack. Even as the ink was drying, loyal Republic Forces were forced from their normal bases and ports or not be used to support the war. This had a profound affect on supporting Republic units in the field and caused many Republic units to become cut off as the battle lines shifted during the war. It also forced many Jedi Temples throughout the Expansion Region to either close their doors and relocate or not support the war. The Jedi Enclave on Dorin was forced to close its doors as the leaders of Dorin requested them to leave the Dorin till the war was over. Which was what Senator Korr or his fellow Sages had desired from the beginning. The Enclave has yet to reopen its doors as the Sages moved to replace them within Kel Dor society.
The Mid Rim world of Sumoo III was all but won even before the disastrous events over Coruscant occurred. During the Brush Fire Wars, the Republic hit it hard and secured it within a matter of months. In contrast to how events over and on Coruscant shaped other battles and turned them in to decisive victories, Sumoo III turned from complete victory in to a resounding defeat for the Republic and their Azgardian allies. Due to its location and large ports, Sumoo III was a key strategic location for supporting dozens of Brush Fire conflict areas. Billions of metric tons of supplies ran from the world of Ploo through Sumoo III and on to units battling Rebel Forces deeper in the Outer Rim. Another of its important duties was to help train both Republic and Azgardian warriors before moving on to their units in the field. As a training site, Sumoo III offered a valuable resource for the Republic and a number of its allies.
No one knew that a storm loomed over the horizon for Sumoo III. The Mid Rim world of Um-Ronar picked the worse time to sign the Dorin Pack and cut off the critical world of Sumoo III. By signing the pack, Um-Ronar affectively caused the flow of supplies to come to a abrupt end. During that critical time as the Republic Navy was attempting to secure other routes, the Rebel Forces launched a surprise attack on Sumoo III. The results of this single battle would have many lasting affects across the Republic. One of the most notable was the rift between many loyal Republic worlds and Dorin. It was due to the affects of the Dorin Pack that caused the disastrous defeat on Sumoo III. It was also the only time since generations, that the Azgard hoards were forced in to retreat. Later, the name of Sumoo III would become a battle cry for millions of Azgards. However, after the short lived battle, it would become a reason of shame. After the war, historians will write about this battle as one of the finest hours during the Rebel Offensive. They will also record some of the most bravest of actions along both sides of the battle.
The Rebel plan was created by one of their most brilliant strategists, Kel Dor General and Jedi Master Huw Raal. Taking Sumoo III was critical in securing the supply lines between their CSA allies and the front lines. Sumoo III could be used by the Republic to launch strikes deep in to CSA territories and hamper supply lines. The world had to be taken in the opening hours of the war if the Rebels wanted any hope of winning the Civil War. His plan hinged on two important factors. The first part of his plan was to hit the fresh soldiers of the Republic's Grand 15th Army so hard in the open hours of the battle that the unit would be forced to become divided and disbanded. He assigned half of his over whelming forces to take on the 15th. He knew they had to be taken out quickly so that he could shift his forces to deal with the much more dangerous force. It was this force that he focused the best of his remaining forces on. He knew that taking on the Marines of the 121st would be a very difficult task. They held the defensive ground within the capital city of Forshering. He hoped that without the support from the 15th, the 121st Marine Division would crumble. To ensure that they would fall under his attack, he planned a daring direct landing of his troops lead by entire battalion of Rebel Jedi right in to the center of Forshering. He also called on local loyal guerrillas to strike the night of the battle. They were to turn the city in to chaos as his forces landed. The plan had its flaws but history would be much more kinder.
As the Rebel forces made their landing within the confusion caused by the guerrillas and under heavy fire support from their naval units, the 121st Marine Division soon found themselves over whelmed, over ran across the city and cut completely off from the 15th. Still, the 121st refused to give up the city without a bitter fight. Within hours of the first bomb going off, the city turned in to a burning hellish nightmare for defenders and invaders alike. However, high above the world, all did not seem lost at first. General Raal knew that the 29th Support Fleet was a dangerous factor of the battle that had to be confronted directly and that there would be no clever way of facing it. It was going to be a stand up drag down fight between fleets. The Support Fleet was made up of a dozen frigates and cruisers, two frigate class carriers centered on a massive Proelium Battleship class carrier. However that was not what concerned General Raal the most, it was the well over two thousand fighters and support craft carried by the fleet plus those other fighters and support craft stationed on the planet its self. These assets of the defenders placed the most risk to his plan.
It was because of the 29th Support Fleet that General Raal enlisted the support of nearly six dozen warships and even more support ships. Even though General Raal took in to account the 29th Support Fleet, their fighters and their support craft, he could not have accounted for their luck or his bad luck. The commanders of the 29th had no idea that doom was rushing towards them, however their ingrained belief in readiness training that helped save the fleet. A timely readiness drill put the entire fleet at battle stations and ready for the coming battle that no one knew was right at hand. A solar flare which had knocked out the communication systems of a forward scout prevented the warning to be sent to the Rebel fleet which was rushing towards the planet. When the Rebel fleet exited hyperspace expecting to have complete surprise, they found themselves face to face with a Republic Marine Fleet ready for battle. At the same time, on the bridge of the Republic Flagship the Azgardian Admiral knew his luck had panned out. They had somehow managed to surprise the sneak attackers. What would have been a long painful twenty wait for his forces reach their full battle stations as they took a beating from the surprise attack, ended up being completely different for everyone. He turned to his communications staff and give the following command “ All Units! Break and engage!”
Luck had saved the 29th Support Fleet, but it did nothing for them from that point on. The battle turned heavily against them as surprise faded and numbers came in to factor. The 29th was completely unable to stop the landings of Rebel gunships and transports. They best they could hope for was attempting to fight back the attackers. General Kaal's ability to change his plan on the fly played heavily in to turning the space battle. Despite the loss of surprise, General Kaal was able to focus his ships and reorganize them and pin the 29th with its back to the planet. Though they were completely out numbered and out flanked, the ships of the 29th Republic Marine Support fleet fought bravely and hard to keep the space around Sumoo III open to relief forces that were promised. However, thanks to the Dorin Pack, that relief would never make it in time. With Um-Ronar cut off from them, this added almost two more days of travel time for relief forces to reach Sumoo III. It was a lossing situation for Sumoo III and none of the defending Commanders had any clue yet that they were completely alone in this battle.
The night time skies over Forshering glowed with a soft orange amber glow. The battle erupted nearly seven days ago during the early morning hours. The city had been taking a beating throughout the day from the Rebel forces who were supported by guerrilla fighters. The 121st at first had been caught by surprise but soon reorganized a powerful defense against the over whelming Rebel forces. Almost two hours ago, word had leaked out that the major forces of the 15th had surrendered to the Rebels. There were reports that some pockets of army soldiers were still putting up a struggle but they couldn't hold out long. All that remained between the world being captured completely were the 29th Support Fleet, the 121st Marine Division, a few hundred local Garrison Troops and the proud Warriors of Bravo Company from the Foxtrot Academy Task Force. These two hundred brave Azgardian cadets had been on world for just over two months learning valuable real world skills and were set to return back to Azgard next week. However the invasion changed those travel plans as they found themselves locked in a life and death struggle against Rebel invaders.
The static over the radio told the story of the heavy jamming going on as Cadet 1st Lieutenant Ariq Heartman listened to his communicator. “Foxtrot 21, the Rebels ships are sealing up the gap on the 29th. The order has been given, we have to start evacuations now or we wont be able to protect the civilians. The problem is that the Rebels have started to move along Monument Row. Government Forces are holding them back but not for long. We have to stop their advance and protect the LZ's before and during the evacs. I don't have to tell you how many people are counting on you and your unit, Cadet. You are ordered to move on the Prime Minster's House and secure it. From that advantage point you will be able to take on the Rebel's armor units with your heavy weapons. Once your unit secures Monument Row, we can start the evacs. Do you copy Foxtrot 21?”
Ariq listened carefully as his second in command, Cadet 2nd Lieutenant Senni Heartman held up a map and nodded as she plotted out their route. They were young teens in love and had made sure to watch each other's back during their training back at the Academy. They knew that their love was forbidden but they would not be denied. He smiled as the orders came in, it was something that every Azgardian lived for. To fight in a glorious battle against overwhelming odds. He was going to share this battle with the woman he loved. It couldn't get any more prefect for him. They had heard the rumors of hoards of Jedi but it was something that they had dismissed. All they had seen were the same low grade droids that had become common on many Brush Fire battlefields and their biological support soldiers. They would surely have stories to tell when the relief forces arrived and they got back to the Academy. Ariq smiled as he nodded to her and spoke in to the communicator, “Yes Sir! We understand. Move to the Prime Ministers house and use it to protect the Evac LZ's. We will make contact once we set up and start pinching those Rebs.”
The communicator came back to life, “Expect more orders to follow. Keep your heads down, we have reports of those Rebs landing more troops in your sector.”
“Understood Sir! We will make you proud.” Ariq said then killed the link. He walked around the counter in the kitchen as Senni followed. He had to brief his unit on their next mission. During the opening hours of the invasion, they were forced to wait at the base, while other Azgardians from the Marine Division were able to go out to fight and earn honor. As losses mounted up new noon, they were allowed to take part in the battle. Their first mission was to support a Marine Company while they attacked a Rebel landing zone. They had performed so well that they were allowed to operate on their own. Their next mission near dusk, they were were tasked with supporting a large unit shift. During the shift, they had to provide heavy fire support while a Marine Company was able to pull back and move to another battle field while Ariq and his cadets covered their movements. During the mission they occupied a restaurant. By the end of the mission, Ariq gave his unit a much needed rest as they waited for new orders. That was only an hour ago and now it was time to move out again. “Okay you dogs gather around.” he ordered as his weary cadets slowly got up and moved to the center of the dinning area.
Ariq looked around as he activated his comlink, “Wenton, get your people online. I want everyone to hear this.” Wenton was one of his platoon leaders. They had started out with two hundred Cadets from over seven different Academies. However, Ariq's own Academy had won the honor of hosting the training mission. Now, they were cut down by half their original numbers. He had given command of half of the survivors to Wenton while Senni took command of the other half. He remained in direct command of the entire unit and a small support team. Both Wenton and Senni were strong able warriors with great skills. They led their cadets with pride and honor, Ariq was proud to be around such warriors. Ariq looked around at the dirt covered and blooded cadets around him, 'I couldn't have ever hoped to serve with such honorable warriors' he thought as his eyes fell upon Senni. He didn't allow his gaze to remain on her long enough for others to notice. He still knew what could happen if their love was found out.
No one knew that just the night before, the two teen lovers shared a very intimate moment together in a Assault Shuttle. They had learned about the strange ritual while talking with a few local Government troopers back at the base. It was something completely alien to them, yet natural and remarkable at the same time. Now he couldn't look at her in the same way since that moment. He couldn't explain it, but there was something different between them. Something stronger, deeper, different. She had always been more then just a warrior to him. But now, there were other feelings that had been awoken within his heart. Since that strange ritual, he felt his own emotions towards her have evolved in to something he didn't fully understand. He knew that she looked at him differently as well. He could see it in her eyes as she looked at him. They didn't have a chance to talk much after the ritual as their first mission came shortly after they had finished the strange ritual. They were almost caught by the crew of the shuttle as they sneaked away. He heard Wenton call over the comlink, “We are online Sir”
Ariq nodded, “Okay everyone listen up. Thor has blessed us once more with another mission. However, this one is most important. They are going to start evacuations of the civilians. However, the Rebs have moved up and is threatening the LZ's. We have to cross the bluffs and get to the Prime Minster's house. Wenton, your unit has the most heavy support weapons. Once we hit and secure the house, get your unit as high as possible and start hammering at those Reb armor units. Senni's unit will provide support and cover. There are civilians counting on us, you dogs. Failure is not an option. We have to stop the Rebs advance up monument row.” Ariq explained as he looked around. He was proud of his unit and they would still push harder, “Wenton, Senni is going to send over our movement route. We move out in ten. I want ammo and weapon checks before we move out. Any questions?”
With no other questions, the Cadet unit moved out in to the night. The shadows cast by the large number of fires throughout the city made movement rather easy for them. Getting to the destination was the easy part of their mission. Ariq was bread to be a leader. The DNA within his genes ensure that he was smarter then his other Rebel counter part. There were a number of chances that they could become engaged in combat with Rebel units, but their mission was too critical. They instead moved around the units without being detected. It was nothing short of brilliant as they moved. They knew they were in for a fight when they saw how heavily defended the Prime Minster's house was. Droids were all over the large massive building complex. However they were Azgard and they had a mission. No droid was going to keep them from their mission. Breeching the house was hard enough, but nothing they weren't trained for. Superior tactics and training easily made up for lower numbers.
Ariq turned his rifle down the corner and cut down a two Rebel soldiers as Senni took out the other two. “ Foxtrot 21 to base, Be advises, we are at the Prime Minister's house and are moving to location. We will be able to start support in five mikes. Also, we have flesh Rebels at the house.”
“Foxtrot 21 copy that. Hurry up, the LZ guard units are taking a beating. We are going to start moving the civilians to the LZ's in five mikes. Make sure those armor units are taken care of.” Ariq heard over the comlink.
He motioned for his team to move up and secure the entry way. “Wenton, Get you team to the roof and starting laying fire. Senni, take your unit up to the second floor and lock it down. Also, get some troops up to the roof and keep that area clear. As for that SAM unit we saw out behind the house. I will take my team and make sure it doesn't cause problems to the evac units.” watching to make sure everyone understood he finished with, “lets move out!”
Senni moved closer to Ariq as her unit started to move out. She took a quick look around and smiled as she lifted up her armored face plate. Ariq did the same as she moved in and kissed him, “the rivers shall flow with the blood of our enemies, my love. Hail Gods of War!” She whispered softly to him as they shared a second kiss. It was dangerous for such a show of affection between True Borns but he didn't care anymore. His love for her had grown during this mission and he had passed the point of no return a matter of hours ago.
He nodded to her as she replaced her face plate and joined her unit. He returned his own face plate and motioned for his team to follow. He took one last look behind him as he watched her lead her team up the stairs. The sounds of weapon's fire already started to fill the area as Wenton and his cadets were moving on to their objectives. Ariq and his ten cadet team continued to move towards the back of the complex. Clearing the rooms had been intense as they covered each other just as they were trained. Even before they were born, warriors like Ariq were genetically altered to be prefect warriors. It was one thing that set the Azgardian Warrior apart from any other soldier. It gave them an edge over any other warrior or soldier. After birth, those genes played a key role in their intense training. As warriors aged from infant in to toddlers, their training started.
Where some races' children were read fairy tales, Azgardian children were told stories of great battles and heroic deaths. They were taught to respect orders and their faith. Once a child warrior turned five, they was assigned to a Warrior Academy where their combat training officially starts. Here, they were trained in unarmed combat, tactics, military protocols, marksmanship and sword play. Azgardian children like Ariq never had childhoods like other children throughout the Republic. However it was this intensive training programs that made the Azgardian Warrior one of the most feared forces in the Galaxy. And tonight, within the burning ruins of the capital city of Washtering it allowed a group of teens ranging in ages from thirteen to fifteen to survive. The genes that were used to build Ariq and his fellow cadets were of the finest of stock, and his training was superior than any other military could offer.
The droids and their biological handlers fought hard to protect their hold on the Prime Minister's House. However, thanks to superior training, Ariq and his team was able to push them back and defeat them. As they cut through the house, the reports from the other floors showed that they would be ahead of their mission time tables. Wenton's team had already started to set up their heavy weapon positions. Senni's team had set up teams to protect the stairwells and was cornering the pockets of invaders. By the time Ariq's team reached the back yard of the large Government building, they were calling in for the first trucks to the LZ. However taking out the SAM site would prove to be much harder than first suspected. When Ariq and his team reached the rear kitchen that over looked the back yard. There they saw the SAM site and a platoon of mixed droids and biological soldiers guarding it. Taking it down was going to be hard.
As the battles across the Prime Minister's estate raged, it was clear that the Cadets were making strong progress against the invaders. Wenton's platoon had completely secured the third floor and had started laying heavy fire down along the wide open ranges that made up Monument Row. Their fire support forced the invaders to halt their advances towards the evacuations site and focus on the Prime Minister's Estate. Senni and her platoon had finished clearing the rest of the house and taken up station on the second floor. From that point they were able to keep the bulk of the enemy away from the house and those that got in from reaching the second floor. Multiple times, the invaders hammered the house with heavy fire with little effect on the harden building. In the rear of the Estate, Ariq and his team had been driven back in to the house due to heavy volumes of fire. However, before they retreated, they were able to destroy the SAM site. With the air space above the Evacuations Sites safe, the shuttles started their dangerous task of evacuating civilians and family members from the Capital.
Everything was going smoothly as the Marines and Cadets held the invaders at bay. However, the toll was being taken and there were no reinforcements coming. The Rebels made a move that would turn the tide of battle once more, General Kaal moved his command unit to a bluff that over looked the city. From this point he could command the battle and make changes based on what he saw with his own eyes. Seeing the way the Marines were fighting back, he realized that there was a chance that his invasion could stall unless he acted quickly to turn the tide. The battle for Forshering was far from over or won. The Rebels had to secure the city and the planet before they could continue their plans for moving deeper in to the Mid Rim. The moral of the Marines were starting to fade under the overwhelming battle situation. General Kaal kept the pressure up on them during the days of the invasion and he was about to shift the battle on them once more.
“Foxtrot 21, Base. Be advised that we have reports from pilots that the invaders have landed fresh troops within one click of your location. Son, your location is about to be over run. We do not have the troops available to support your unit. You need to pull out now.”
Ariq rushed to the second floor window that over looked the LZ. He turned to Senni as he shook his head, “There are still too many civilians left. We can't abandon them.”
She nodded back to him as she checked the ammo on her rifle. “The Gods are with us tonight. Let the battle begin!” Senni had a long streak of religious faith that pulsated through her veins. She was the religious heart of the unit. Many believed that she was a direct child of Thor himself because of her thrust for the blood of battle.
Ariq smiled and nodded, “Wenton, we can't leave the LZ unprotected.”
“I thought you were going to say that. We didn't pack up.” He said almost jokingly, “In a few hours, it will be our time. Time for the Raising Sun!” He added making a reference to his own Academy. The Warrior Academy of the Raising Sun was as old as the Broken Sword and their rivalry ran just as long and deep.
Ariq knew the rivalry and at first had a strong disliking of Wenton. However during the training mission, he learned to respect this young promising warrior. When the training mission turned to a real world combat mission, Wenton was a logical choice to lead part of the unit. He was smart, brave and very clever. “Base, Foxtrot 21. Negative Sir, we can not pull out. We will hold our ground. You guys just keep evacing those civilians. We will cover you.”
Over the comlink Ariq heard something that made him choke up, “Son, Thor will hold open the doors of Valhalla personally for you cadets. May your swords be wet like a young girl in her prime.”
|
