| abstract
| - Kashyyyk: Savannah Fields of native grass spread in all directions over a gently undulating landscape. On the subtle ridgelines of the terrain, the grasses grow one to two meters high, and faint pathways may be found traversing the high-ground, leading from nowhere to nowhere, it would seem. In the wide troughs of the savannah, the grasses grow up to five meters in height, and pose a more challenging environment in which to hunt, or merely survive. Dozens of kilometers to the north, a low range of grey mountains can be seen, looking small indeed behind a distant stand of mountain-sized trees. The whole area slopes gradually down away from the mountains to the southwest, where the wide and languid Wikki river comes from points still further west, winding gradually towards the great Kachiro-Wroshyr. To travel in any directions will involve careful pathfinding, tracking skills, and the risk of further danger. The tracks of many giant herds of animals can be found in the water-holes occasionally found in the lower terrain. In addition to the many species of grasses in this region, a number of species of lesser flora flourish...thorn-thickets, a weed-tree that has wide-spreading arms just thirty feet tall, and much more. In the Savannah, forces gather. Wookiee and human alike stand together, shifting a bit restlessly in the minutes before battle, some in armor, others in-- well. Fur. All armed to the teeth. Just beyond the guarded area, in the forest proper, a herd of rhinos grazes peacefully, encouraged there by constant wookiee supervision over the last several days. A hulking walker loads troops aboard while a tank does likewise. Their hulls are battered and scratched from their time in the wilderness, but they still stand firm, heavily armored mobile fortresses. Captain Briseis Karakas is aboard Zeta Five, her nerves wound tight as she watches preparations and then lifts her comsys. "Status, Lyssa? Master Kenobi?" Off in the distance, to one that would look, flies a squadron of Z95s. The 6 ships in tight formation, staying well behind the forces arrayed on the ground. From CS Tank Alpha 'Lyssa', Graham readies himself inside one of the tanks. He checks and re-checks making sure he has everything he needs. He takes a seat seeing himself ready for whatever comes. COMSYS: Briseis says, "Ghost, what's your status?" COMSYS: A calm, deep male voice says, "Ground control, this is Ghost. All set and waiting for your orders." Kenobi sits on one of the feet of the walkers. He raises his comlink and says, "This is Kenobi, ready to move out on foot. Special package is equipped." He wears a jetpack overtop his flak jacket. Briseis looks forward from her position in the walker and nods, breathing slowly out. Her gaze moves forward to the forest, and she lifts her comsys again. COMSYS: Briseis says, "Remember, folks. This is strictly harrass and recon. Distraction. The /moment/ it looks dire, fall back. Take it slow, see if we can draw them back to our position here, where we can barrage them. Don't risk anything you don't have to. For this mission, retreat is the order of the day, and it's sound tactics. We will /not/ have another Thrax. Clear?" COMSYS: A calm, deep male voice says, "Ghost copies." COMSYS: A calm, soft male voice says, "Copy." COMSYS: A male voice says, "I copy" COMSYS: Briseis says, "Okay. Ghost, go ahead and move. Be careful - their ion cannon might be able to catch you, even over the trees. Try to hang back far enough to keep out of their range, but get those rhinos good and worked up. Lasers if you can, but we can spare a missile or two to get them going." COMSYS: A calm, deep male voice says, "Ghost copies and on the way. Yeee haaaa!" Adok is in the Lyssa, doing some last minute prep and loading. He's already gotten a full unit of fresh Wookiees aboard, ready for the fight ahead. It's going to be ... interesting. To say the least. The flight of fighters swoop down engines screaming while speed brakes are deployed. The all 6 ships fire off a burst of lasers behind the Rhinos...then another... COMSYS: Briseis says, "Zeta Five will take Kenobi and our forces in to the south, following the rhino herds. Lyssa, hold back until you hear my command to move forward, and then take the north." The rhinos are unfazed at first. They're used to air traffic these days, and although a few look up and swish their tails, they don't move more than a few steps. The first round of lasers earns a bit more attention, however, and there's a deep rumble of rhino irritation that raises through the forest as they move to dig deeper into the forest, taking cover under the trees. The flight already has split into two groups, leaving the rhinos only one path to go. The one that was planned. Again they fire off lasers as the few stragglers hold behind. Kenobi hops off the walker's foot and moves toward the turrets. He speaks into his comsystem. COMSYS: A calm, soft male voice says, "Kenobi to ground: when you've moved out I will turn this turret back online and catch up." Tails swish. The rhinos take off at a leisurely trot, a jaunty evening run to exercise their legs. A few hold back, safely sheltered by the trees as fighters rush overhead. COMSYS: Briseis says, "Ground acknowledges, Kenobi. We'll move out slow." COMSYS: Briseis says, "Ghost, pick up the pace. We need them scared and running. See if exploding a tree or two will whip them up a bit." From CS Tank Alpha 'Lyssa', COMSYS: (all channels) Adokkinok says, "Fuzzbutt to all: "May the Force be with us all."" The fighters are careful not to fly over top the Rhinos and split back and form up once again. Then they scream in again, more laser blasts the ground behind them, this time closer to the heard. Chunks of ground fly up in the air as the bolts strike. A few of the rhinos stir faster, looking truly agitated now. The jog becomes a run as they work their way further through the forest and toward the river. A few try to peel off toward the east, slanting away to form their own smaller group. COMSYS: Briseis says, "Light a fire under 'em, ghost. Use some real ammo, see if we can get them panicked." The fighters were ready and a two ship flight heads off to stear the stragglers back on path. The lasers striking trees and ground in a wush and explosions. COMSYS: A calm, deep male voice says, "Ghost copes....here come the missiles." The rhinos lift their heads and bellow, a deep, angry sound as they swerve back to rejoin the group. Right on cue the speedy missiles flash and leave a trail of smoke behind them as they cover the short distance and impact the ground with a terrible explosion. The rhinos react in pure panic now. Eyes roll back, showing the wild whites as they snort and stamp and pound the ground beneath their heavy hooves. They do not pause at the river, instead rushing forward and into the water as they plow forward toward safety. COMSYS: Briseis says, "Stay on 'em, Ghost. Keep them running til they're home, don't let the river slow them. Watch for the ion cannon--" Another flight of missiles follows the first. The 6 strike the ground as one, producing a wall of flame, earth, smoke behind the wild beast. This is quickly followed up with laser blast that seem to get lost in the rising earth from the missile strikes. But they are closer to the heard some even striking the water behind the beasts sending up gushes of water and mud. COMSYS: A calm, deep male voice says, "Ghost to ground, missiles expended." Finally, the rhinos sweep out toward the spaceport, a frothing mass of heaving, heavy, angry, frightened animal. Kashyyyk: Wikki River - South Bank You stand on the south banks of a large and winding river. Upstream the bank heads for unknown distances, further and further west and up into the great Kashyyk highlands. To the east, the southern bank offers safe passage, for on the other side of the river, the tortured grades and deadly waters of the Kachiro Plunge forbid travel. The Plunge is a four-hundred foot high and devastatingly deadly feature cut into the roots of one of the giant Kachiro-Wroshyr. At the eastern extent of these banks, the river may be forded, above the Plunge. Under the kilometers-high towers of the Wroshyr, a wide rope bridge climbs perilously up over the watery Plunge to reach the foliated edge of the escarpment, high above. Rhinos appear in the distance, driving forward at an incrediable speed in panicked reaction to a squadron of six low-flying fighters that fly at their back, lasers flaring and missiles striking ground and trees. Eyes roll back, showing the wild whites as they snort and stamp and pound the ground beneath their heavy hooves. They do not pause at the river, instead rushing forward and into the water as they plow forward toward safety. A flight of missiles follows the first. The 6 strike the ground as one, producing a wall of flame, earth, smoke behind the wild beast. This is quickly followed up with laser blast that seem to get lost in the rising earth from the missile strikes. But they are closer to the heard some even striking the water behind the beasts sending up gushes of water and mud. Finally, the rhinos sweep out of the river and toward the spaceport, a frothing mass of heaving, heavy, angry, frightened animal. COMSYS: En P'See says, "Frag us! It's a stampede!" As Kashyyyk falls to dusk, the poor suckers of the Black Imperium designated to watch the river bank suddenly find themselves in quite a predicament. With a handful of clones, the officers on duty, including one Commander En P'See, decorated windbag, demoted to field work, scramble to get their blasters. "Frag, hurry up! Get outta the way! They're coming right at us!" A young Lieutenant assigned to the commander aids him, drawing out his pistol. "Everyone mobolize! Do you want to get trampled!?!" He searches frantically for an edge on the creatures. Perhaps higher ground. COMSYS: En P'See says, "Oh, sweet Fortune! So many of them!" The rhinos move without purpose or meaning - and without mercy. They dig their heads low, tunneling right into anyone and anything that gets in their path. Hooves kick out where they must, and the heavy heaves of thick-necked rhinos toss things and people to and fro on the point of thick horns whenever they must. They do not stop, but instead rush full-speed and panicked toward the spaceport. COMSYS: En P'See says, "They're coming right at us! Orders, sir?!" "You heard him, don't drop your weapons! Engage 'em!" P'See shouts over the chaos of the stampede. "Clones! Clones! Stop eating the fraggin' leaves! Attack the rhinos!" A few of the insectoid monsters glance up for their.. glazing.. blinking unintelligently at their commander. "The. Big. Things." The man motions with his hands, holding his arms out wide. "Go. Kill. Them." Because, talking slowly always works, when in doubt. "Oh, frag it. Just do what I do!" COMBAT: En P'See fires his BlasTech X92 Advanced Blaster at Wild Rhino Pack One! COMBAT: Wild Rhino Pack One dodges En P'See's blaster bolt. COMSYS: En P'See says, "Sweet Force! Our blaster bolts are just flying right off their hide!" The lieutenant looks unsuredly at his commander, and then back to the stampeding Rhinos. "Y.. Y ou heard the commander!" He calls out, to those who will listen. "Fire at will!" And he shoots his own pistol at the Rhinos. COMBAT: Black Fleet 12 fires his Naval Officer's Pistol at Wild Rhino Pack One! COMBAT: Wild Rhino Pack One dodges Black Fleet 12's blaster bolt. COMSYS: En P'See says, "Tweh L've! Oh, frag! They just gored Liutenant L've!" The rhinos lift their heads to roar their fury as blaster fire skips across thick-hided backs and stirs up their panic further. The pace increases, and the air fills with dust as the rhinos stampede past those taking cover and into the spaceport proper.
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