NationStates Jolt Archive

"You've as big a bounty on your head as I do. Every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for you. You're as cornered as me."
"Every bounty hunter in the galaxy's been looking for us for a long, long time." Skyler smiled. "They won't find us now. I'm more worried about the Imperials." "And the Korr," interjected Kartosh, "they may be warring with each other, but they're as dangerous as even, especially without the Resistance tying up their forces."
"I recommend you abandon this base and regroup with Korr Forces further into the interior, you do not have the forces to defend this position"
"We have orders from the Supreme War Chief himself to hold this world until either all of us or all of the enemy is dead." rumbled Grunge. "We will not abandon our position under your "recommandations", Commander."
On the floor Vanadict stood, hair falling over her face, picking up the bucket of water and began to silently walk away. Grunge turned his gorilla-like head from Bennett to the Vanadict. "Slave, show Commander Bennett to his quarters." Vanadict turned and bowed quickly once, straightening her body but keeping her head bowed looking at the floor, submissive. She stayed where she was as she waited for the Alversian to follow her.

Especially without the Resistance tying up their forces.

"True, true" Cavourna sighed as the Star Snake manouvered around the wreakage. It seemed never ending to him. The Imperials had won this battle and they seemed to winning the war overall. The advance of the Legions was slowing but they were still coming forward in droves and the advance was grinding slowly into Korr space.
"I hope Krystal and Nigripes can rebuild our forces quickly. We need the troops and quickly"

"We have orders from the Supreme War Chief himself to hold this world until either all of us or all of the enemy is dead."

"My Lord," Bennett sounded pained, "The forces you have on the ground are considerable but your space forces have been decimated by the recent battles. The Imperials have every advantage and there is little to gain by watching your forces being destroyed from a Space Fleet or the Imperial Legions. I am giving you this advice because I do not want to watch your forces being torn apart and leaving a gap in the Korr Lines."

At the sight of the Vanadict, Bennett's eyes widened slightly and a small smile came across his face as his eyes roved all over her figure, including her legs,
"Well, well, well," he gave a small laugh, "This is an impressive dog! May I be so bold as to ask where you aquired her?"

"I hope Krystal and Nigripes can rebuild our forces quickly. We need the troops and quickly"
"I doubt it," said Kartosh as he edged around a particularly large chunk of a Korr Battlecruiser. "The Resistance has been essentially destroyed, the space fleet crushed and a lot of the rebels were found and executed. They can try to gather forces again, but it will be a long, long time before they can fight again."
"I am giving you this advice because I do not want to watch your forces being torn apart and leaving a gap in the Korr Lines."
"If we retreat, we will leave a gap then, as well. While the majority of the Space Fleet under my command has been shattered, the orbital and ground defenses here are sufficient to hold the Imperial Fleet to force them to land ground troops to destroy them. We will continue fighting until the ground and orbital defenses are taken out, upon which the Imperial Fleet will inevitably glass this world..."
"This is an impressive dog! May I be so bold as to ask where you acquired her?"
"Ah," Grunge gave what might have been a grin. "I took her from a Resistance stronghold we found just inside our borders. Apparently they were monitoring communications between us and the Imperials. Naturally we obliterated it, but I managed to take her myself. This slave was too fine a specimen to waste."

"Seems that way" Cavourna shook his head, "But we have another mission here. I was in command of that Centre, I should have been able to save her." He said bitterly, "Now I have to rescue her. With or without your help"

Korr HQ

"My Lord" Bennett took out a small holomap and tapped a button on it so that a map filled the room, a map that showed every Korr and Imperial Ship within the Korr Empire's borders. Bennett walked easily along the hall until he was alongside a small planet and an alarmingly large amount of warships were gathered,

"If you withdraw, you will plug this gap here" He pointed to a series of Korr Warships, "If not and this planet is lost with your forces then there will be a gap in the line and the Imperials will flood through. I know their tactics. If they do land on this planets, there'll be no stopping them."

When looking at the Vanadict, he smiled again hungrily walking up behind her,
slipping his hand up her skirt,
"This is an attractive one, mind showing me to my room now?"

"Now I have to rescue her. With or without your help"
"Oh, you'll have our help," Kartosh said bitterly. "But if the Resistance is ever able to bring the Empire down and make a government, you're going to owe us big time."
Korr HQ...
Grunge looked at the planet that represented the world he was on and defended, then at the armada of Imperial warships gathered close. He looked around the room, at various planets and stars and ships, thinking. "I will take your advise under consideration," he finally sighed reluctantly. "Slave, show the Commander to his quarters."
Vanadict had to restrain herself as she felt the Alversian's rough hands on her bottom. All she wanted to do now was break every bone in his body, but doing so would not only severely endanger her life, it would also compromise her position her. As Grunge's favorite slave, she had the excuse to be present at meetings such as this, where tactics and forces were debated and decided on, strengths capitalized and weakness and flaws exposed. If she ever got out, the information locked inside her head would be a valuable asset to the Resistance.
"This way, Commander," she said demurely with her head bowed, and walked away from him though a door on the far side of the room.

"We owe you big time anyway but it is time we fufil the debt we owe to our Xiscapian brothers and make up for my failure" Cavourna sighed bitterly, "We shall need to a place to run to after the rescue, there's little chance of a welcome in either Korr or Imperial Space.

Korr HQ

"Thank you, My Lord" Bennett bowed before Grunge and looked at Vanadict with a sly and hungry smile,
"Is there no limit with this one or is there a strict handsoff policy?" He gave a coarse laugh, "A little 'entertainment' helps me think under stress."

"We shall need to a place to run to after the rescue, there's little chance of a welcome in either Korr or Imperial Space."
"Bah!" Kartosh said, and Skyler smiled as she interpreted. "Even with all the fleets, troops and size of the Korr and Alversian Empires, they can't wipe out crime. The larger both get, the more the crime rate goes up as dissatisfied conquered citizens and surviving former military personal take up lives of crime to support themselves and their families. Some join the Resistance, but others join small syndicates, or are independent. There are a trillion places to hide in the galaxy, and smugglers, pirates, rouges and mercenaries such as ourselves only make it all the easier."
Korr HQ...
"A little 'entertainment' helps me think under stress."
Vanadict's cheeks flushed slightly and she was glad she was not facing the Alversian as the Korr chuckled. "Don't damage the goods, Commander, and take only for yourself," he warned, "I'd rather she continue to be in good condition once she was returned..."

Cavourna was thinking hard as they cleared the rubble of battle. If his own intel was right then they weren't far from the planet were Vanadict was being held. He hoped she was alright. If something had happened, he would never forgive himself.

Korr HQ

"Thank you, My Lord" Bennett gave a grateful bow and followed Vanadict through the base until they were at his chambers. Bennett waited until Vanadict had entered before doing so himself.
"Well, well, well" He said as he settled in a chair, "What do you think I want from a pretty little thing like you?" He grinned.

Given the distance from the wreckage of destroyed ships from their planet destination, the Imperials had penetrated deeply until they were barely repelled, probably regrouping for another attack. The planet now "below" the Star Snake wasn't large, as planets go, but half the surface was obscured by a massive array of orbital space stations and defensive weapons platforms. There were a few Korr ships, mostly frigate, fighter and cruiser classes, scattered around, and most of them seemed battle-damaged. "Strange," said Kartosh, pointing to the opposite side of the planet out of the window to the dark side of the planet. Nothing could be seen with the eye, but the scanners indicated a number of ships. "Transports. They're making trips down to the surface. Are the evacuating?" He turned to look at Skyler and Cavourna. "If they're pulling out from this position, we need to get the Vanadict, and fast. We're already running out of time."
Bennett's Quarters...
"What do you think I want from a pretty little thing like you?"
"I don't know, Sir," said the Vanadict, looking down placidly. As if. Then, suddenly, she felt the presence of others. Who percisely she could not say, but she sensed other kitsune above the planet. They were Resistance, they had come here...why? To rescue her? No one knew she was here. But there was abruptly hope after months of near despair. She barely managed to conceal this from the Alversian Commander, head still bowed.

"Evacuating?" Cavourna looked at the sight and frowned, "It would make sense I guess. This position is very vulnerable and all these stations would be defeated although it would be bloody for both side." he was frowning, "You are right though. We need to get down to the surface the rescue the Vanadict quickly"

Korr HQ

"You know exactly what I want" He gave a grin, "And it is very very tempting to take it. You would like to resist but you don't. You can't. Not without risking your own life"

Bennett had been leaning forward but now he leant back and took out a large cigar,
"But I'm not going to take it. Unlike the people for whom I work and the Empire they face, I like to think I have a small shred of dignity left. And you," He looked at her seriously, filling the room with smoke,
"You are a couragious if not foolish. It can't have been easy gaining that information and keeping a Korr satisfied in bed, no?" He was looking at her with a small, sly smile now.

"Well..." Kartosh sighed. "You guys ready? Things are going to get hot down there real fast, so we all need to be ready. Cavourna?" He looked questioningly at the Alversian. "You game?"
Korr HQ...
"You are a couragious if not foolish. It can't have been easy gaining that information and keeping a Korr satisfied in bed, no?"
Vanadict refused to look at the man. "I don't know what you're talking about, Commander. I am but a simple servant." If the Alversian got too close, guessed too much, she would be forced to kill him regardless of the risk. Better to be on the run for murder and have some slim chance then have him alert the Korr and be trapped and executed.

"I always thought it would get hot" Cavourna smiled, "I think we have about an hour before the Imperials launch their assualt. I don't want to be here when it happens."

Korr HQ

"Don't worry, my dear Vanadict" Bennett took another puff of smoke and blew it into the air around him. It was starting to get quite foggy in the room with the cigar smoke,
"I actually respect you for it. You degrade yourself night after night and take information from my meetings with the great General Grunge in the hope you can inflict revenge on the Korr Empire for their treatment of you and your people." Another puff,
"I would like to think of you as an honourable opponent and not a Sex Object. May I enquire as to what you know?" He asked politely.

"Aye," said Kartosh as he shot the ship down past the menacing Korr orbital defense platforms and AA batteries. Cloaked they could not see the Star Snake, and their getting away before the Imperials attacked would rely on being able to escape undetected as well, or at least before they could be pinpointed and brought down by the massive array of space weaponry.
Korr HQ...
Vanadict's eyes were watering from the smoke and she gave a slight cough, sitting down in a chair behind her, carefully keeping her legs crossed.
"I would like to think of you as an honourable opponent and not a Sex Object. May I enquire as to what you know?"
"I told you, Sir," she said, summoning her best pathetic servant voice, "I know nothing. All I want is to be able to live out the rest of my days in peace. I am no spy, I am but a simple slave, and what I have here is better than many under either Empire. Please don't ruin it for me." Her voice sounded almost begging.

"Have you been here before?" Cavourna asked, looking through the window at the planet, "I've never seen this planet and don't know it's defences at all. We may be not get out if we don't know what to do."

Korr HQ
"As you wish" He smiled, "Play dumb. I would do the same. However, I would suggest that you take off your dress and lay in the bed, it would be better that way in case General Grunge comes past and wonders why you're not on your back." he finished with his cigar and took another out, lighting it up instantly.

"Been here before, yeah. Smuggling runs, back when the Kitsune Empire was still in power. Hasn't changed much." He shrugged, concentrating on piloting the ship. Skyler looked at Cavourna. "You know what a risk you're taking, doing this with us? If they catch you, the Korr will execute you on the spot."
Korr HQ...
Vanadict looked at the Alversian out of the corner of her eye. He hadn't fucked her, but that didn't mean much. Plenty of Imperials wouldn't rape a kitsune "animal." There was no way she could trust him, not when he had helped the Korr fight the Imperials. The possibility he was a plant was slim at best, seeing the Resistance was virtually non-existant, but perhaps this was a long-term assignment? There was no use in double guessing, the truth would be revealed soon enough, whatever it was.
Vanadict quietly slipped out of the shift, lying on her back on the bed with her hands clasped over her bare stomach. She said nothing, staring at the ceiling. Silence was the game now. Let him talk. She would figure him out.

Cavourna shrugged, "So will the Imperials., I haven't much either way so why not. I owe Vanadict an apology anyway." He looked around and began to collect his weapons.

Korr HQ

"You're trying to figure me out, aren't you Vanadict?" he used her name for the first time, "You wanna know facts about me, don't you? Well would you like a little backstory?"

The Star Snake landed in a nearby forest, settling into a patch of tall grass as the engines thrummed to a halt. Skyler, with Kartosh and Cavourna in tow, walked down the ramp and they were chest-deep in the planets, well, Kartosh and Skyler were, anyway. The ship cloaked, turning into a giant boulder squatting on the landscape, not recognizable as a starship except to Kartosh and Skyler. "C'mon," muttered Kartosh, "the main base is though these trees."
Korr HQ...
"The question is, Commander," said Vanadict, feeling the cold draft over her nude body, raising her hair and giving her goosebumps, "are you going to use lies as a facade to truth, or will you use truth to conceal lies?"

Cavourna hoisted his auto-shotgun to his shoulder and nodded, he was looking aroiund cautiously, expecting to see the Korr at any moment. They weren't very far ahead of the Imperials and this would need to be a quick breakway.

Korr HQ

"Well," Bennett took another drag of his cigar, "In the same way you're not gonna tell me about your life, I'm not gonna tell you about mine. Needless to say, the universe is full of evil empires and so I just picked the most convenient. And lucrative"

Over a few small hills though the dense forest brought them within sight of the military complex. The gray buildings sprawled over the landscape, high sensing towers, squat bunkers, domed barracks and glittering command centers made of steel and glass. Beyond all the structures a small starport could be seen, with four fighters and two gunboats hovering overhead. Korr infantry patrolled the outer sections of the area while plasma turrets swiveled back and forth on their shielded mounts. A fortress, to be sure.
"She's sure to be in there somewhere. We don't have time for subtleties, so this is how things will work. Skyler and I will cause a diversion, and you have to slip inside, grab the Vanadict, and haul ass. We can keep them busy for a while, but they'll be watching their backs, too, so don't expect it to go easy. When you start hearing the sounds of battle, we'll try to create a gap in the defenses for you to slip though. Got it?"
Kartosh knelt looking seriously at Cavourna while Skyler scanned the base with a pair of binoculars.
Korr HQ...
"So you led me along with hints of a story but you leave your listener with nothing? Bard you are not, Commander." murmured Vanadict, still staring at the ceiling.

Cavourna nodded and looked at the fortress. He sighed and shook his head,
"The Imperials will be here very soon. They'll take this with little difficulty, if they come with the numbers I think they will. I hope this works. We only have one chance at it"

Korr HQ

"I've always been bad at story-telling man" Bennett replied taunting, "Put it like this, between the Xenophobic but lazy Korr Empire or the xenophobic and expansionist Alversian Empire, I'll take the Korr. Lesser of two Evils" he shrugged.

"Aye, then we'd better get moving. See you on the other side." Kartosh winked. "Of the walls, hopefully, rather than the other side of life." He vanished into the trees, shortly followed by Skyler. An instant later, there was a sharp crack, and a guard in a tower fell to his death, head removed by the force of a sniper bullet. There was a distant whoosh and a rocket bulled though the fence lining the perimeter of the compound and struck the wall, exploding and sending fragments everywhere. Return fire spat into the trees from soldiers and turrets, and foliage and underbrush burst into flames from the plasma. A second rocket impacted a APC parked near the wall ahead of Cavourna and detonated, destroying a portion of the wall and sending several soldiers flying.
Korr HQ...
"Lazy only because, until recently, the Alversians were doing all the work for them. First you speak of wealth and convenience, but then you preach of evil? What flimsy rationalization is this?" answered Vanadict, but at that moment several explosions could clearly be heard outside. Vanadict froze, daring to hope, moving only her head to gaze at Bennett.

Cavourna took his chance and moved towards the gates. He was shuffling along the wall, making sure that none of the Korr soldiers could see that he was moving carefully towards the gap in the wall. He had his weapon unslung and was inching slowly forward.

Korr HQ

"True," Bennett laughed, "Call them shifting ideals, they change from time to time." He too, heard the explosions and laughed,
"I guess your Resuers have arrived. I suggest you wait for a few more minutes then move" He got up and threw his cigar on the ground. Good luck" he said then she was gone.

More fire erupted from the trees, and several more Korr dropped. A tank rolled to a halt by a watchtower, it's cannon swiveling to point at the forest. The next instant it exploded in flames as a rocket buired itself into the thick armor and detonated. Alarms mingled with the shouts and cries of the infantry and the noise of weapons firing. The Korr were being pinned down at the gate opposite Cavourna, so a APC rolled by him though the hole in the wall, turret blasting away. It was his chance to enter the base: All attention was on the unseen attackers in the woods.
Korr HQ...
Like hell she would wait. Vanadict sprang up from the bed, tearing the door open. She didn't stop for anything, the shift was useless and she had nothing of value or importance here. Klaxons sounded loud in her ears as she stepped out into the hall, then slipped into the doorway across from hers as a squad of armored Korr soldiers raced past. Carefully now she strode down the hall, alert for anyone who might be coming.
Korr HQ Command Center...
Grunge growled as he watched the battle, eyeing the point where the fire was coming from the concealed attackers. "Where is the Commander?" he roared. "Find him, and get him here, now!"

Cavourna slipped into the hole in the fence and moved through towards the complex. The Alversian General peered from side to side before sprinting across the open courtyard. He was soon through the wall and headed down the corridors looking for the Vanadict. He was moving slowly from room to room, his auto-shotgun in his hands, peering for a Korr trooper to appear.

Korr HQ

Bennett appeared with his pistol in his hand,
"You were looking for me sir?" He asked politely, looking at Grunge, "I was 'busy'"

The same squad of eight soldiers Vanadict had seen trotted down the hall towards Cavourna now. The leader saw him and pointed a massive claw forward. "There! Blast him!" The soldiers behind him fanned out and began to fire their plasma rifles and assault weapons down the hall, along with a couple of lobbed grenades. There was a large selection of doors Cavourna could duck into now, for if he stayed out in the open the Alversian would surely be torn apart by the fire...
Elsewhere...
The Vanadict crouched and listened as she heard gunfire start up, now much closer. Were they inside? She began to head towards the source of the noise when she heard a footfall behind her. Turning, she saw a Korr soldier was behind her, a surprise look on his ugly visage. The ape-like being began to level his rifle, but Vanadict twisted under the weapon and knocked if from his hands, using her other hand to make a vicious jab at his neck. The Korr gurgled but swiped at her, and she jumped back, planting her feet on the wall and launching her whole body at him. He reacted too slowly and a hundred thirty eight pounds of angry female kitsune collided with his head. Moments later Vanadict rose from the dead soldier, having ripped out his throat with her teeth. She spat onto the floor, picked up the rifle, and continued, now covered in blood.
Command Center...
"This!" snarled Grunge, pointing at the viewscreen in rage as the firefight played out. "How did they even land on-planet? Our forces have been pinned down by their fire. I am diverting troops to go around," a seperate screen showed a platoon of Korr in black armor running along the east side wall of the base, followed by two APCs and a tank, "but it will be some time, and we cannot afford to be held up. Who are they? The Imperials are not so subtle to send ahead small attacking forces." Even as he spoke a fighter streaked in to strafe the area and ran into a missile, exploding spectacularly and sending flaming debris into the base and forest.

Cavourna barrelled rolled out of the way of the fire, returning fire with his own gun at the same time. He managed to kick one of the grenades back at the Korr before ducking into the doorway. He was fired around the corner with his own powerful, Alversian auto-shotgun. Then he was forced to duck again to avoid the return fire.

Korr HQ

Bennett peered at the screen and frowned, his mind racing,
"You're right," He said, "The Alversians don't use attack squads like this. Well, they do but not in this manner, they should already be inside the fortress by now" He was still peering at the screen, he watched as another series of blasts hit one of the Korr troops. Then his mind clicked,
"That's a Xiscapian weapon!" he announced triumphantly, "This is a rebellion attack" He stated, watching the screen intently, trying to see if he was right.

One Korr went down as the shotgun blast penetrated his armor and ripped though flesh and muscle. Three of the now seven soldiers peeled off down a different hall as the others took cover and laid down suppressive fire on Cavourna's position. Moments later, the three soldiers appeared at the other end of the hall, spraying plasma at the Alversian.
Korr HQ...
"Rebellion?" rumbled Grunge, looking at the screen. "The Resistance was crushed by the Imperials some months ago. Have they returned to haunt us?" Even as he spoke the diverted troops and vehicles wheeled around to the forest and shells and streaks of plasma lauched themselves into the trees. The fire from the position died abruptly, and the Korr soldiers began to flood the forest, looking for bodies.
Elsewhere...
Vanadict moved steadly down the hall when she saw the shapes of four Korr engaged in shooting at someone further away. Vanadict flipped the switch on the rifle to "Full Auto", pointed it at them, and held down the trigger. Plasma hit the Korr in a deadly blue stream, and Vanadict wasted every one.

Cavourna remained where he was until he saw the three coming around. He fired at them in the calm manner taught by the Alversian Imperial Army. When he saw that an escape route had been opened, he turned and ran down the hall, firing over his shoulder as he ran. At the end he ran into the Vanadict, he looked up and down her figure and gave a small, teasing nod,
"I should get trapped more often" he said with a sly smile.

Korr HQ

Bennett shrugged,
"Either it was the rebellion or a rogue group of Xiscapians. You have more than one here as slaves do you not?" he raised his eyebrows, "And with the Imperial Army approaching it is small wonder they attack now, try and get the slaves out in the middle of the battle."

"Cavourna!" Vanadict gasped, then winced as fire flew past them from the hall. She noticed his eyes roving her figure and sighed good-naturedly, pointing a slender finger at her pale visage. "Face is up here, Commander, but perhaps now is not the time. Quick, follow me. I know an escape route we can take out."
The three soldiers, emboldened by the lack of return fire, began to charge up the hall, one screaming into his radio to HQ that they had them...
Korr HQ...
"A rouge group of kitsune? How inconvenient." The General shrugged. "Let them have their slaves. The Imperials will no doubt crush them when they arrive." He watched the screen for a while as his troops picked though the woods. "You have to admire Alversian efficiency, really. Centuries of fighting the Xiscapians, and the Imperials fell their Kitsune Empire in mere years. You were a Officer, weren't-"
On the screen a large explosion enveloped some twenty soldiers and threw an APC into the air, setting fire to the trees and forcing the remaining soldiers to scatter. Grunge gave a shout of rage as the camera zoomed to show the backs of two kitsune vanish into the trees again without a trace, leaving only the dazed soldiers to figure out what had happened.

"Sorry," Cavourna went slightly red as he twisted and fired a few more shots down the hallway, the rounds breaking up to form dozens of small pellets designed to pierce armour,
"Let's go then"

Korr HQ
"Evidently" Bennett rose an eyebrow at the tank explosion, "I would advise a carpet bombing of the near area to drive them out"

The pellets, so effective as close range, did nothing but bounce off the armor, but served to give the soldiers pause. They cautiously approached the corner, and leaped around, guns leveled to shoot anyone on the other side-
But the hall was empty.
Elsewhere...
Vanadict sprang up on top of a crate, smashing the covering off what proved to be a ventilation shaft. "It's possible to get out by traversing these air ducts," she said, nodding down the yawning blackness before them, "but we'd better hope they didn't lock the place down fully, or the way to outside will be shuttered off. Judging by the air currents I don't think they have, but we need to move fast. Hold this." she tossed him the rifle and vanished down the metal tunnel, crawling on her hands and knees down the cramped space.
Korr HQ...
Grunge turned to stare at Bennett. "You would be amazed, Commander, at how hard it is to dislodge a kitsune from a area where he fervently wants to be. Little Kit..." he paused, and shook his great head. "Another story, superstition of course. The point is, we could level this forest, destroy up to twenty feet of ground under it, and consistently spray acid over the entire area, and they would still be there. Watch." As the Korr General spoke his troops and vehicles withdrew from the forest, and moments later two fighters swooped over the forest, two shining spheres dropping from the bomb bays. For a second nothing happened, then the forest was an inferno, obscured quickly in smoke. "You've bought us time, Commander. Where ever they are, they'll be bunkered down, and we need to continue our evacuation."
OOC: TG.

OOC: No TG recieved

Cavourna took the weapon and followed the Vanadict up into the vent,
"I hope you're right" Was all he said.

Korr HQ

Bennett watched thoughtfully as the forest was decimated,
"I don't know about Kitsune but I do know about warfare and if that doesn't flush them out, nothing will."

Space

One moment, there was empty space, the next, there were hundreds of Imperial vessels, all making for the one small planet. The out warships, the latest dreadnoughts and the most powerful ships in the fleet were already engaging the orbital defences, they would soon be reduced, by scheer numbers if nothing else to a pile of molton slag.

Vents...
After several minutes of crawling they came to an open vent. Vanadict smelled the smoke well before she saw it, stinging her eyes, and emerged into open air staring at the flaming forest just beyond the fence. The smoke made it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of her, but the flickering orange of fire showed though. A moment later a shape appeared, and Vanadict instantly regreted giving her gun to Cavourna, but a second later it revealed itself to be Skyler, coughing and cursing. The Xiscapian mercenary had a bandana tied around her mouth and nose and goggles over her eyes, but there was no mistaking her. Without so much as a hello she grabbed Vanadict's hand, gestured to Cavourna, and trotted off into the rolling smoke with the two in tow.
Korr HQ...
"That's the point," said Grunge gloomily. "The buggers are so stubborn-"
A second later over a dozen alarms and klaxons went off, adding to the din from the attacking on the base. To the shock and horror of the soldiers manning the ground stations, hundreds of Dreadnoughts, Battlecruisers, Carriers, Transports and other Imperial vessels materalized in real space terrifyingly close. The first of the Korr transports vanished into hyperspace as the orbital platforms opened fire, huge laser batteries, gigantic missile lauchers and massive railguns spitting destruction at the oncoming Alversian ships. Grunge looked at Bennett even as the alarms screamed and soldiers ran about. "Get yourself out, Commander. The Korr Supremecy needs you. Board the next transport out, and we will die for the glory of the Korr state." The huge gorrila-like being was strangly calm, determined and rational from years of fighting the Kitsune Empire, then the Resistance, and now the Imperials.
Star Snake...
Kartosh began to curse wildly as his sensors lit up with approaching ships, swearing against everything from Korr to Imperials to Alversians to Resistance outposts to Alumina to the galaxy in general. His hands flew over the controls, lifting off with the ramp extended. He swooped over the burning forest, making smoke roll as he hovered next to the approaching Cavourna, Vanadict and Skyler. "Get on!" He screamed, and Skyler lept onto the ramp, running to make room for the others.

Cavourna took the hint and, pulling a tissue over his mouth, he ran through the smoke, abandoning Vanadict's borrowed weapon as pointless. Looking up at the Star Snake, Cavourna indicated to the two Xiscapians to jump aboard while he made sure they weren't being followed before leaping on board himself.

Korr HQ

Bennett gave a rare salute and headed for the exit, he knew the transports chances of getting away were slim at this point with such a massive fleet in orbit but then maybe one or two might just make it. He didn't especially care one way or the other. He had known all along this conflict would be the death of him. Just depended on who fired the fatal shot.

Orbit

A few of the nearest Dreadnoughts erupted into flames, scattering debris across space while the area between the Korr defences and the Imperial fleet filled with laser and torpedo fire. The Alversians were returning fire as easily as the Korr, with Super-Dreadnoughts firing their own railguns, a new addition to the fleet, with smaller fighters snaking between the fire to deliver deep penetration bombs to Korr batteries that were giving partiular trouble.

OOC: TG

All on board, the Star Snake closed it's ramp and arched sharply upward, though the smoke into the clear skies above the base. From orbit, if the Imperials had any cameras focused, it must have seemed that the base had already been attacked. Kartosh licked his lips as he pulled his own bandanna away from his face to around his throat as he stared at the scanners. For as far as they could reach, space was filled with either Korr orbital defense platforms or Imperial ships, creating a maelstrom of fire in the middle so thick the kitsune doubted even a ant could get though.
Skyler was already in the co-pilot's seat, arming the weapons. The cloaking field was useless now, they had as much of a chance of being hit by a stray shot as they had when targeted. Vanadict was lying on the deck coughing the smoke out of her lungs, whole body shaking before they finally abetted. She sighed in relief and pushed her crimson hair out of her eyes, looking at Cavourna.
"I knew you survived the attack."
Korr HQ...
Bennett was escorted by two Skewered Soldiers, Korr crack shock troops named such because of their determination. It was said that one of these soldiers could be impaled on a Xiscapian katana or a Alversian rapier and continue his advance as though nothing had happened. Their beetle-like armor covered them entirely, two lightening bolts with a third placed across the two on the side of their helmets marking them as elite. In the dome-shaped spaceport a squat, boxy Korr transport was loading on more base personnel, and Bennett was directed to there. Inside were some eighty soldiers crammed together with barely enough room to sit, and the Alversian was jostled by the larger Korr, all of which were about a foot taller and bulging with muscles. The hold was quiet except for the sound of metal clanging together as weapons or armor met the bulkheads of the ship and the hum of the engines as the transport prepared to lift off.
Orbit...
The first stations began to break apart under the Imperial assault, AA firing hopelessly at the fighters even as they burned. Korr fighters, gunboats and frigates were dispatched from the platforms and surface to combat the Alversian ones, bombers fighting their way over, around or under the fire to drop their payloads on the Dreadnoughts.

Cavourna shrugged,
"Only just, I found that my Lieutenant was a traitor and he had tried to kill me all along. The only reason the Imperials kept me alive was to see me shot on Alversia itself."

Korr Orbit

Bennett watched the fireworks from his shuttle as blasts from dreadnoughts, stations and fighters raged all around him. He was not concerned, he was actually quite enjoying watching the battle.

"Only just, I found that my Lieutenant was a traitor and he had tried to kill me all along. The only reason the Imperials kept me alive was to see me shot on Alversia itself."
"Quite obviously they failed. It's too bad, though, even with the charisma and experience of Admiral Krystal and the intelligence and brilliance of Nigripes, not to mention the thousands of Imperials they turned to the side of the Resistance, that it failed."
Still, Vanadict knew, even as the Empire expanded, so did the number of dissatisfied people under it's rule. It unknowingly employed millions working against it from the inside, each person whittling away as they could at the pillars that held up the vast nation. Between the evenly-matched Korr Supremacy on the outside, the never-dying Resistance internally and the massive amounts of military spending, poor budgeting, trade deficit and general reliance on the might of it's armies and fleets to keep it going, the Alversian Empire was collapsing, as in a nearly identical way was the Korr Supremacy. Slowly, and fighting the entire time, but the Empires were crumbling.
Presently, she reflected as a laser bolt bigger than the Star Snake itself whizzed by, they had to make sure they didn't crumble. Kartosh jerked the controls and the Star Snake did a barrel roll along the huge side of a Imperial Dreadnought, rail guns targeting and missing the smuggling ship. Over a platform, gliding though the weapons emplacements and dogfighting small craft, the Star Snake breached the back of the Imperial attack force, shooting out into open space, and jumped.
Transport...
The Korr ship shuddered, and out of the portholes one could see a squadron of Imperial fighters converging on the transport. AA fire tore into them, spinning away flaming bits of metal and turning fighters into balls of superheated gas, but it wasn't enough. The laser cannons on the lead ship flared, and as Bennett watched the red bolts connected with the engines.
The screams of the soldiers around him deafened the Alversian as a flash of light consumed him, and then there was nothing but fire...

"True" Cavourna sighed sadly, "Though it was Nigripes brilliance that saved those two Legions on Mortavia."

He was thinking of the battles and the two Commanders trying to rebuild the shattered rebellion, it wouldn't take long. There were thousands of people who wanted to fight the empire but lacked the courage to do so. The Black Arrows were a mysterious group that had pledged their support. They were a group of Mercenaries, a group who fought for whoever they felt like. Even if they had lose morals, the Rebellion couldn't turn them away.

"We need to join up with the rest of the Rebellion. They're located on a small base at the other end of the Alversian Empire, where security for more lax.

Korr HQ

With the shuttle destroyed, the Imperials turned back to the planetary defences and already, the numbers had ensured that ahole had been punched in the Korr lines. A neverending stream of troopships and fighters were pouring from every ship into the gap and down to the surface.

The battle continued to rage in space.

"We need to join up with the rest of the Rebellion. They're located on a small base at the other end of the Alversian Empire, where security for more lax."
"Who's left?" asked Vanadict, standing. Skyler had procured a red cloak fringed with white from somewhere and Vanadict slid the soft material over her shoulders, tying a cord at the waist to close it. Kartosh knew the place Cavourna was talking about and busily input the coordinates, bent over the navigation computer in concentration. Vanadict knew that Drell, a former governor on Free Xiscapia, had been killed by Imperial agents while on assignment, and Jasonne, former prison warden, had vanished some years ago and never resurfaced. Of the former Xiscapian High Command and the Emperor's Staff, only Vanadict and Krystal had survived.
Korr HQ...
Even as the orbital platforms fought hopelessly on the Korr continued to send fighters and gunboats to destroy as many of the incoming drop ships and shuttles as they could. AA from the planet raked across the gap, indiscriminately blowing apart anything it could it, never-ending streams of green bolts and waves of railgun fire and missiles. Even though the chaos a few ships landed, and those that managed to get to the surface were targeted by tanks and platoons of ground troops dispatched to eliminate the Imperial infantry threat.

Cavourna thought for a few moments,
"Krystal is still mobilising a few Xiscapians, you took a real beating in the final few battles while Sanderson, my deputy, has taken command of the three Legions we have left and Nigripes works in intelligence. Other than that, we have little left" He sounded depressed even saying it, "Although rumours are that the Alumina will soon join us with what's left of their fleet"

Korr Space

The tracer may have torn apart the smaller shuttles and fighters, but the heavily armed Dropships were not so easily taken and, although, many fell, more were landing and soon full Legions were assembling in the fields outside the fortress. Artillery pounded the walls and batteries relentlessly and the massive UAT's fired at anything that dared move.

Vanadict shook her head grimly. "That's it? The entire organized Resistance? It won't be enough. All the Imperials we turned to our side, the XFC, the Danaversians...all gone. It won't matter now what the Alumina bring, if we can't keep working up hope and getting more recruits, we're done for."
Korr HQ...
While cannons and artillery fired on the base the complex fired back with it's own artillery and tanks inside the walls. Korr snipers on the walls and towers continually shot anyone manning a vehicle or one who seemed to be of high rank. The HQ was a fortress, made to withstand such attacks, and force fields shimmered as they absorbed or reflected shots. The General in charge of the attack would note a full five Legions of Korr soldiers fast approaching from the east, intermixed with a brigade of tanks and mecha and supported in the skies by a full two wings of fighters, gunboats and bombers. The smallest, fastest of the mechs and the quickest bombers got there first, and while the mecha crashed in on the ranks of Imperial soldiers, causing chaos, the starcraft began to bomb the UAT's, artillery, soldiers, and generally anything that looked important.

"That's it" Cavourna admitted grimly, "But hopefuly, We can build on those numbers and, if not, then we may need to be creative with what we have"

Korr Planet

Before the Korr Mecha and Fighters could get there, they were immediately intercepted by the Imperials own fighters and Mechs, the same mechs that had caused the Xiscapians so much bother on Xiscapia. In the swirling dogfights, the troops on the ground were hardly touched. There was little that could get though the masses and masses of aircraft the Imperials brought with them.

The Imperial Officers, diguised as regular troops in the line, looked like any other and were using radios to talk to their troops rather than standing and shouting. The 5 Korr Legions were met by 6 Alversian and both advanced towards each other, unmolested by the fighters, mechs or Artillery which were busy dealing with each other.

"Well, we're good at doing a lot with little, as we've proven before. One of the things about Rebellions is that they're drawn-out affairs, even after most of them have been erradicated." said Vanadict dryly. Kartosh turned from his place at the pilot's seat. "We have a good weeks travel to get to the rest of the Resistance, so I suggest we find something to entertain ourselves with."
Korr HQ...
The air battle played out so loudly that one could scream and not be heard above the noise. It got to the point where the raining shrapnel from destroyed aircraft was more dangerious than any bombs or rockets. The Korr mecha were not especially quick, but they were extremely well armed and armored, targeting Imperial mechs from long range before they were forced to clash close in with railguns and even hand-to-hand combat and blades. The snipers continued to take their toll, firing into the back ranks of the assembled Imperial Legions, trusting that the first few ranks of soldiers were considered disposable. In the field the Korr Legions marched to the Imperial ones across the flat, open plain. All the vehicles were busy fighting each other, and the Imperial Legions were well out of range of the artillery and tanks inside the base. As the enemy came into view missiles were fired from shoulder-mounted lauchers and mortars fired with their characteristic thump at the black-armored Alversians. The first two ranks of each Legion toted portable shields, made to withstand small arms fire, grenades, and most kinds of portable rockets. From the green, blue or orange glowing force fields poked out miniguns, chainguns, grenade lauchers and other fast-killing weapons.

"Any suggestions?" Cavourna asked, settling down on the floor of the Star Snake.

Planet's Surface

A few Alversian troops twisted and fell as they were hit by Snipers and several fell as mortar fire exploded in the ranks. Still, the Alversian troops stood and waited. Their own Skirmishers went forward with their sniper rifles and began to target the Korr Legions. Although there were energy shields, a gap big enough to fit a chaingun through was big enough to be shot through and high-intensity beams that could pierce the hardest armour began to pour through the gaps while their own mortar fire began to fall into the Korr Ranks. Still the Alversian troops waited patiently for the advancing Korr, as if there was something they knew that the Korr didn't.

Kartosh and Skyler looked at each other. There was little to do on long voyages such as this aside from reading or hooking one's self up to the VR. The Star Snake had no statis chamber or cyrosleep: Kartosh disliked placing himself in the metaphorical hands of a computer, and there wasn't room for either on board anyway.
"I'm going to get a shower," said Skyler, getting up and exiting to the tiny bathroom at the rear of the ship. Kartosh shrugged and withdrew a rumpled cigarette from his pocket, lightening it and leaning back in his seat, closing his eyes as a light stream of smoke curled up to the ceiling. Vanadict shot Cavourna a look, then gestured to the little alcove sheltering a game table and a booth. "Let's sit down over there," she said, stepping over to the refrigerator, opening it and casting a critical eye on the contents. It consisted of a tomato with mold growing on it, an aged block of cheese and a elderly jar of mayonnaise, as well as a row of beer bottles, a package of lettuce, and, bizarrely, half a loaf of bread with the heels missing. "Want anything?" she chuckled, nodding to the inside of the squat cold box.
Korr HQ...
The space between the Legions whined with sniper bullets as the two sides exchanged shots, soldiers falling on both sides. The holes in the shields had been formed exactingly to the weapon poking out of it, leaving no room for error that a bullet or laser could slip though. Of course, the larger guns like the chainguns and grenade lauchers were bulky and a slight movement would leave an open space, but most of the Legion was disilpined enough to make sure this did not occur. Sure, the snipers could shoot the weapons for all the good it would do, but for every Korr that fell another moved up to take his place. With each mortar blast Korr infantry and bits of infantry and equipment were thrown into the air, but the troops moved to fill the gaps left and continued to rain down their own mortars onto the Alversians. The huge gorilla-like beings stood their ground, staring across the hundred or so yards to the enemy.
Two could play at this game.
They could wait.
OOC: TG

Cavourna looked into the box and made a face,
"I'm not hungry, thank you," He said politely as he looked at the game-board, "If we could find the pieces then we could play a game" He sighed.

Korr Planet

The Korr mortars were inflicting casualties in the Alversian ranks but they too, were discippined enough to close the gaps, ignoring their wounded like they weren't there. The Korr were waiting as well and it was a strategy that suited the Alversians perfectly. Time and numbers were on the Imperial's side. They had more reinforcements enroute and the planet had been cut off from reinforcement by the massive Alversian fleet. If they could not be defeated in battle, they would be starved out.

"Pieces?" Vanadict smiled in humor as she slid into the booth across from him, cloak only coming to mid-thigh. The table was scratched and chipped in places, but still servicible. She tapped a button on the side of the bored and an array of playable games appeared. "Really, Cavourna."
Korr HQ...
As long as the Korr tied up Alversian forces here keeping them down, that was that many more soldiers and ships and tanks that wouldn't be continuing penetration into the rest of the Supremecy. And if they decided to ease up on the amount of troops and vessels, the Korr would crush them here and cut off their forces already inside. With the advent of food replicators and water purifiers, not to mention that the Imperials had invaded all of thirty miles of an entire planet, the Korr were in no danger of running out of supplies or resources.
Alternatively, as long as the Imperials kept their supply routes open, they had a steady stream of supplies and forces into the Supremecy. The Korr would need to construct a fleet to destroy the Alversian presence here and close the gap, trapping those already inside and barring the outside enemies from getting in. As it were the Imperials would face stiff resistance, and the Korr were not like the dozens of other small nations and peoples they had conquered. Here the Alversian Empire fought someone who was evenly matched in numbers, size, weapons, and virtually everything else.
This war would be bloody, with massive casualties on both sides, and in the end it would take decades for either side to exhast their power.

"Well, then" Cavourna smiled, "Your move" He was staring at the board. Vanadict was certainly, attractive but he was not the sort to take advantage of that fact. He was more honest.

Korr HQ

The Korr might have thought they had the upper hand, in fact, the Korr Supremacy was in full retreat from this sector. The troops here would be cut off and more Alversian reinforcements were pouring in from all sections of their empire. The Korr had not enough troops to surround the full Alversian Army and now it was starting to spread out, taking more territory to it's flanks and rear, in front, the two forces continued to pound each other with mortar fire. More and more Legions were landing by the hour

"Well," Vanadict scrolled idly, reading each game type, "we've got Monopoly, chess, checkers, Risk, Sorry," she squinted, "Scrabble? What ever that is. And...air hocky. Go figure." She looked up. "Well?"
Korr HQ...
*We interrupt your regularly scedualed broadcast...*
OOC: There really isn't much of a point RPing either of these portions anymore, so I'm just going to let it be. Jump forward a few hours?

OOC: Fair enough

All was quiet on the Star Snake. After making a quick stop in a lonely system's asteroid field to land in a Hutt controlled station to pick up more supplies, the smuggling vessel was on it's way again. The lights had been dimmed and both Skyler and Kartosh slept in their bunks, oblivious to anything. Two cots for Vanadict and Cavourna had been pulled out and for the past week they had bedded on them, grateful to have nothing to do but rest after their respective ordeals. Now Kartosh sat up in bed, mumbling to himself and rubbing his eyes, then sliding down the ladder to amble sleepily over to the controls. The blue-white light of hyperspace lit the cockpit as he gazed blearily over the glowing readouts, buttons and joysticks. With a grumble he sank into the pilot's seat, sluggishly manipulating the buttons and joysticks to take them out of hyperspace. By this time Skyler was strapped into the co-pilot's seat and Vanadict had woken and was staring over at the sudden activity. She nudged Cavourna, who was asleep beside her, awake. "We're here," she murmured.

"We're wa?" Cavourna rolled over sleepily and rubbed his eyes. After a few seconds he shook his head to wake up and looked over at the Vanadict,
"Well," He smiled, "That didn't take long" He got up and began rubbing his eyes,
"Well Kartosh," He glanced at the controls, "What can you tell me about the Rebellion? What's here?"

"Not much," growled Kartosh as Vanadict rolled off her cot, standing and stretching with a yawn. "This is only a small starbase. There's about sixty thousand of Resistance soldiers here, a few ships, some equipment, and that's it. If they could find it, the Imperials could wipe this out with a small task force. Admiral Krystal is here, somewhere, so they've taken every percaution. We're situated inside a huge ion cloud spawning off the arm of a nebula in deep space, hundreds of lightyears from anything, even a planet, never mind a civilized one. You see that," he pointed out the cockpit window at what appeared to be a gray wall, "that's her flagship, a captured Imperial Dreadnought that escaped the battle. The Relentless, I think she's called. It's the most powerful vessel here, and one of the only warships they've got left. The Resistance is all but dead."

Cavourna nodded sadly,
"True, but at least we have some good news" He looked happily at the Vanadict, "That should brighten up everyone's day at least for a little while" He glanced on ahead and took a deep sigh,
"You'd better land, I wonder if Captain Nigripes will be here or on assignment," Nigripes had taken over as head of intelligence and often spent long dangerous assignments amongst the Imperials to try and learn all she could about them.

"Indeed," Vanadict smiled back at the man as the airlock on the Star Snake opened to the starbase. Kartosh and Skyler went out first, to get some fresh, or at least fresher, air and some food that hadn't been refrigerated and then warmed over. Vanadict closed the ship behind them and the two headed off to the Command Center of the base.
OOC: You're free to RP the base.

The base was full of of soldiers in various uniforms and of various species. Most were sitting along the corridors, talking quietly or eating food. It was a standard mining base, with long, dark corridors and large, cold halls for storing minerals. The base had been abandoned at least a decade ago and was showing it's age, with long streaks of rust running through the floor and roof, allowing liquid to run down onto some of the sleeping soldiers.

There, standing at the end of the corridor for them, flanked by two Kitsune troops, was the one-eyed Nigripes. She looked over the two of them coldly and beckoned them to follow her without a word. Cavourna glanced at the Vanadict as they moved through more corridors and stairways before finally arriving at the main headquarters of the base, a large, circular, two story room with masses of computer panels and screens and each manned by one of a dozen species.

Nigripes, looking more gaunt and unwell since she had last been seen, strode to the centre of the room and looked up,
"Commander Krystal" She announced, "General Cavourna has returned with the Vanadict"

Commander Krystal turned from her spot on the upper floor, and Vanadict had to restrain herself from gasping aloud at the sight. The kitsune's entire right leg was gone, and in it's place was a bionic limb, a spear of metal ending in a flat, brown dome-shaped "foot". A long scar ran from the right side of her mouth across the bridge of her nose to carve though a single pink eyebrow to disappear into her hair. Krystal's already milk-white skin seemed to have been belched by her stress and the rigors of keeping the Resistance alive, and behind her exhausted yellow eyes glittered the dull beginnings of the acceptance of defeat. She had long abandoned her Admiral's uniform and now wore a ragged gray shirt that had probably once been white, large gray trousers and black combat boots, hair eternally tied in a conservative bun. When she spoke her voice no longer carried the air of authority it once had, but was instead replaced with a sort of sorrow concealed by determination, though this changed to genuine joy when she caught sight of the two.
"Vanadict!" she smiled warmly, descending the staircase to embrace the Xiscapian diplomat, evidently unhindered by her implant. The Vanadict returned the hug before they broke apart, looking each other up and down. "Where was comrade Vanadict found?" asked Krystal.

The Alumina stood to the side and allowed Cavourna to come forward,
"We were only just able to rescue the Vanadict from a small Supremacy planet before the Imperials attacked it. It seems the war is gathering pace" he looked to Nigripes for comfirmation who nodded.

"That is to be expected," said Krystal softly, giving a slow nod. "I heard you utilized our resident mercenaries, Kartosh and Skyler, to gain access to the Korr base and escape. I am only glad none of you were harmed." she said this last with a wan smile to the Vanadict. "Good work, Cavourna. At the moment we are confined to this starbase, but the reports we have been receiving from the Empire are encouraging. Our agents are effectively undermining the Imperial economy and general operations, thanks in no small way to Commander Nigripes. If all goes as planned, we will begin the build of our forces once again."

Nigripes gave a dismissive nod of the compliments of her actions before indicating to the door,
"I am needed in the Intelligence Section" She stated before withdrawing, walking with a limp herself as she left.

Cavourna gave a nod,
"Those were my impressions of the Korr as well. It seems both sides would rather destroy themselves than give up this war" he sounded disbelieving.

Both Krystal and Vanadict grimaced almost simultaneously. "It would appear so," said Krystal. "Both sides are evenly matched. The brilliance of their respective Generals and Admirals, advances in technology, size of their Empires and amount of resources and manpower both the Empire and the Supremacy have to call on have helped them greatly in expanding their respective nations. It's estimated that between the two nearly half the galaxy falls under either Imperial or Supremacy control. The struggle is going to last for decades, maybe even centuries."
Vanadict nodded grimly. "Neither side will stop until either they are destroyed, their enemy is destroyed, or they have exhausted all of their resources."

Cavourna thought for a few seconds,
"Or until one of them collapses from internal conflict. I understand both of them have their fair share of rebellions and I wouldn't doubt for a second that one of them, even both of them will fall apart soon"

"I understand both of them have their fair share of rebellions and I wouldn't doubt for a second that one of them, even both of them will fall apart soon."
"Both frequently have their share of uprisings and revolts from the oppressed conquered people and even their own citizens, sometimes. They have had similar success in crushing their own rebellions, and we have only slight links to our allies resisting in the Korr Supremacy. One of my missions," said Vanadict, "was to the Korr Rebellion, and you would be surprised by how many Korr are dissatisfied with their own nation. Not that it matters, unfortunately. The Supremacy military destroyed their main base, killed their leaders and scattered the remnants of their rebellion far and wide, into little pockets of isolated rebels across space, not unlike our own situation."

"So the chances of a unified rebellion are slim" Cavourna sounded grim, "We lack the numbers ourselves despite sterling work from the Xiscapians and Intelligence Units. It seems for the moment, a good tactic I would recomend would be guerillia attacks on some Imperial installations near the border. They're still short of fuels after our previous war."

"It seems for the moment, a good tactic I would recommend would be guerilla attacks on some Imperial installations near the border. They're still short of fuels after our previous war."
"And this will mean more reprisals against civilians." said Vanadict sadly. Krystal looked at her with sorrow, dark rings shadowing the skin under her eyes. "Nevertheless, if we can kill their mobilization, it will make it that much harder to come after us, and that much more difficult to mount an offensive. When, where and with what kind of force do you propose this operation, Commander?"

"Well," Cavourna was thinking, "I'm not sure where they store their fuel now but if we could hit it with even a small force and take out their tanks, then they would be virtually immobilised. Of course, that opens the gates for the Korr War Machine" Cavourna frowned sadly

"Of course, that opens the gates for the Korr War Machine."
"I think," said Krystal with a humorless smile, "that the Korr have their own problems. As I understand it, fuel tanks are frequently accompanied by supply depots and munitions dumps. Is there any chance we can snag some much-needed weapons or equipment for the Resistance as a secondary objective during this procedure?"

"I can't see why not" Cavourna shrugged, "If we're quick, although I would advise only a small force to destroy the tanks than risk a larger unit"

Krystal grimaced again, an expression both Cavourna and Vanadict were getting used to seeing on her face. "Commander, we don't have a large force to risk even if we were going to. As it is you'll probably only have maybe a couple of drop ships, some interceptors for air support and maybe a small warship for backup and evac. A platoon is the most we can spare."

"A Squad is all I would need to destroy the tanks ma'am" Cavourna replied, unnerved by the grimace on his old friend's face, "The rest could be used for stealing the weapons if you desire"

"The rest could be used for stealing the weapons if you desire"
"You'll have to be quick: Destroy the fuel, grab whatever you and your men can. In and out. How soon can you be ready to begin?"

"As soon as I can find a Squad good enough to carry out what will be a difficult mission. As soon as I've done that, I'm ready to go Ma'am" Cavourna replied, thinking.

"Although there is a problem," He frowned, "The moon has a population of about 200 people. 110 are Imperial Soldiers, 30 are civilians and the other 60 are all Xiscapian females kept for the pleasure of the Troops" he shook his head sadly, "It seems most of them own their own personal slave."

"It seems most of them own their own personal slave."
"Yes, well, the slave trade is a big business, both in the Supremacy and the Empire," said Krystal somewhat gruffly. "We'll send along a few additional transports, to see if we can get them and the civilians who want to go out. Remember, Commander, this is a hit-and-run operation. Do what you can to save them, but not if it jeopardizes the main objective."

"I understand" Cavourna gave a grim nod then turned to leave, however, he stopped and turned back to face Krystal,
"Do you have any idea what Unit may be advisable to take for this mission? I need the best the Resistance has to offer"

"I need the best the Resistance has to offer"
Krystal licked her lips. "I would suggest a mainly APA force: Alversians seem to be the most effective at fighting Alversians. Along with them should go a fire team of XFC and a squad of Danaversians for heavy support. Now I know you and them don't get along very well," she said, catching sight of his face, "but they are the physically strongest and most intimidating the Resistance has. No doubt there will be a number of support vehicles and armour at the fuel depot: Use them to take them out. The kitsune can focus on rescuing the civilians and slaves. Nevertheless, Commander, I would never think of telling you how to do your job: Select and position as you see fit."

Cavourna nodded and gave another salute,
"I think I may have the perfect people to use for the job even amongst the Danaversians" He growled for a moment then left.

A few hours later

The Alversian troops that been assembled by Cavourna were the elite. Men from the 9th Legion who had defected from the Imperial Army and were personally loyal to Cavourna himself.

The squad had been twelve men strong and an elite force. There were only four of the members left but they were the best in the system.

There was Lieutenant John Bannon, an expert soldier and general trooper who was perfect with almost every weapon. His grey hair was in a crew cut and muscles bulged from his uniform.

Next was his second in command, Sergreant Michael Noss, he was a demolitions expert, a light machine gun was his weapon apart from grenades and a large pack of explosives. His long black hair hung from his shoulders as he lit another cigerette before placing it in his mouth.

The next was an unusual addition to the Imperial Army. Samantha Lewis was a woman, obviously, and also an master marksman. She had tuned her skills while hunting in her native lands and was now the best in the Alversian Army. Her short, tomboyish hair was neatly arranged to ensure that it would never get in her way. Her cold expression, signalled the mentality needed to look in a man's eyes as she pulled the trigger.

The final man who made up the squad was the same as their Commander, he was also an important relation to one of the Alversians himself. Thomas Cavourna was young, somewhat niave and whose stupidity was only outmatched by his fighting skills. He had defected the same time as his brother and looked like a smaller version of him.

That was the Alversian strike team, backed up by a unit of Danaversians ready to give their lives for the cause. Now all they were waiting for were the Xiscapian forces. Once they arrived, they were ready.

Four kitsune trotted out to where the Alversians were assembled, two males and two females, further empathizing on the Xiscapian desire for balance. The first male had a black, shaped helmet under his arm, and if one looked closely one realized it had been an Imperial Officer's, now rather dented and worn with the Imperial Eagle mostly scratched away and whatever Legion it's owner had previously belonged to now faded by marks and Time. He was unusually large and tall for an Xiscapian, actually matching the Alversians, battle-suit bulging with muscles and gigantic arms hefting a large, heavy machine gun. Orange eyes looked blank as they roved the force in front of him, rust-colored fur stringy and matted against his dirty, close-cut black hair. His name was Allen, and he had once been a farmhand, driven away from Xiscapia after the Kitsune Empire fell and the village he lived in torched, the inhabitants slaughtered down to a newborn babe. He had trained rigorously in the Resistance, but was still relatively new, having fought only a few battles but survived all intact. He was a support soldier and demolitions in a pinch if need be.

The next in the fire team was a female with blue hair and gray fur, as slight and small as Allen was huge and tall, looking to be barely an adult. She wore a navy blue bodysuit, and while only her sword, a pistol and a few knives could been seen on her person, one sensed that she had many, many more tucked away somewhere. This Xiscapian's body was lithe and trim, like a athletes, and she was made for stealth and recon, serving as the scout and, if need be, assassin of the team. She was Kal, generally quiet and reserved, yellow eyes downcast as she checked and rechecked her service pistol. Rumor had it she had been a pleasure slave before she killed her Alversian master and somehow escaped.

Third was the next female, an older and blonde kitsune with tawny fur wearing what appeared to be Korr battle armor refitted for her with weapons built-in. Her name was Yoko, and she was the resident medic and spellcaster of the fire team. Because her work, healing and forming magic, required her to frequently be static and using both her hands, she had created for herself what was more like a mobile suit of armor to protect her on the battlefield with automated weapons for covering fire and to engage enemies out of her line of sight. As it was she was definitely the largest being there except perhaps some of the Danaversians, which unfortunately made her a target. She was entirely encased in the armor without any flesh showing, face plate a light green with speakers so she could communicate with those outside. Going into battle, the fate of the suit would be the same as hers: Miniaturized Life support systems and a computer A.I. could see her though even if Yoko was seriously wounded. No one knew where she came from, but Yoko was not generally inclined to talk about her past as it were.

Last was a tall but slim male with the palest skin and blood red hair to contrast the yellow eyes and shock of white fur. He sported a sniper rifle himself, and grinned when he saw Samantha with a rifle of her own. This was Jake, an easy-going, laid back kitsune who served as a sniper and hacker for the team, plus his undeniable proficiency with vehicles. If it flew, drove, hovered or glided, he could fly or drive it. Jake hailed from the deserts and mountains of Slipslah on Xiscapia, where he had learned to shoot and drive with his family, undaunted and relatively unchanged even by Imperial conquest.

And so the fire team came to meet their counterparts and superiors. Allen appeared to be in charge, leading the others, and he approached Cavourna with a stiff salute and slight bow. "Delta fire team reporting for duty, sir." he growled.

"Very good" Cavourna returned the salute as his own teams looked up and down their opposite numbers with interest. As ex-members of the 9th Legion fighting on Xiscapia, they had been given the best equipment, the best training and the best armour. They had slaughtered enough Xiscapians in their lifetime but now they were fighting alongside them and could appreciate their fighting qualities.

"Right lads and lasses," Cavourna paced up and down between the Xiscapians, Danaversians and Alversians, hands clasped behind his back, chest outwards, "We have a simple mission, attack and destroy an Imperial Fuel facility as well as steal as many weapons and slaves as we can. Both forces will go in quietly and scout the area until we get an idea of the garrison's positions and routines. From there, we'll work it out. I must stress that a percentage of the population on this moon are Xiscapian Sex Slaves and all measures must be taken to assure their safety. We leave within the hour. Are there any questions?" He asked

There were none. Their task had been outlined, and now all they had to do was go complete it. Jake was rigorously studying all the females of the Alversian team, while Allen cast a critical eye over the force in general. He had killed plenty of Alversians-they all had-but these were the infamous Ninth Legion. It was not so much their skill in battle (Imperial tactics consisted of throwing troops and war machines at something until it crumbled, after all) that made them impressive as their complete lack of humanity and machine-like efficiency. Still, one never wanted to be on the wrong end of an Alversian bayonet: Those who had usually didn't like long enough to tell about it. He had never worked, with or against, Danaversians, and Allen found the fish-like things intimidating and somewhat repulsive. Still, they would provide vital anti-vehicular support, and as long as they did their job, Allen wasn't one to complain. Kal holstered her service pistol and folded her arms, expressionless, and Yoko stood still, cooley looking at some point past the entire team.

As the Alversian/Xiscapian/Danaversian team moved through the camp towards the camp when they were met by another two, slender females. They were tall, and very attractive, one with long red hair down to her her bared naval while the other had shorter brown hair. Both were carrying the same standard Alversian blaster rifles although they looked as though they held many more weapons hidden in various places. They looked like a pair who commanded great authourity within Alversian Ranks.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Cavourna announced, stopping the group, "These are Commanders Sasha and Jenny, of the Emperor's Own 1st Legion. Alversia's elite"

The 1st were more of a secret organisation than a field formation. Small bands of the 1st Legion would appear all over the Empire and tear into rebel or hidden groups with their superior skill and steath. They were the best of the Alversian Army, recruited from all over the Empire.

They each gave a Xiscapian bow, for both had taken the time and effort to learn all Xiscapian customs. It would have helped them destroy the Kitsune Rebellions.

The kitsune of the group only gave stiff bows in return, and the air went from relatively relaxed to tense. Even Jake didn't try his charms on them, eyeing them warily as he checked his rifle. The 1st Legion were probably the only force in the entire Imperial military that could fight an Xiscapian force evenly, one-on-one, and win without the advantage of superior numbers. In the beginning, when the Kitsune Empire had only just fallen and the Imperial Flag was still new over Rio Casa, the 1st Legion had hunted for many Xiscapian brass that had escaped, particularly Admiral Krystal. In general, they were successful. Even seasoned kitsune regulars were swiftly taken down by them, and their only match was the secret, elite Shadow Operations, who were nearly extinct nowadays. It was very difficult to beat a Xiscapian at being stealthy, but if any human could do it, it was those who were part of the 1st Legion.
Allen stepped up, rifle held pointing at the ceiling on one hand. "Delta fire team, comrades. Glad to know High Command is placing such heavy empathise on this mission."

The two Alversians smiled lightly at the Xiscapians and noticed with concern at how their stance had changed. The Alversians may have been part of the 1st Legion but they were still Alversians with feelings and while they had been merciless killers they were now Rebels, same as the others.
"Yeah, they think this could turn the war for the better," Jenny answered nervously

"Yeah, they think this could turn the war for the better,"
Allen gave a loud laugh, alarming some of those present with the abruptness. He slumped out of attention, shaking his head. "I ain't usually an open speaker, but the war's almost done for us. If we can free the slaves there and destroy the fuel, we might have a chance to stay in one place and build up our forces again. But every grunt knows that it'll take nothin' less than a miracle to salvage the Rebellion and take back Rio Casa." The Xiscapians, despite however much they hated the Alversian who dared call himself their Emperor, kept their eyes on the prize: Xiscapia, and Rio Casa. Once that could be taken, they could hold it, fight back and grow in strength. Once they got home and raised the flag over the Palace, nothing short of galaxy-wide destruction would get them to budge.
OOC: TG

"That's why we're here" Jenny replied, still eying each of them nervously, "We were trained in counter-rebellion, how to stop the peoples of the Empire from creating an estabished rebel movement. To stop a rebellion, you need to know how to create one. We're here to help build the rebellion" She was looking at them all.

Cavourna clapped his hands quickly,
"Anyway!" He announced, "No time to chat! We need to move quickly! Got fuel to blow and Slaves to free!"

His own men gave a nod as did those from the 1st Legion.

"Alright then," Allen rubbed his hands together, Jake grinned wolfishly, and Kal gave a slight smile of a hunter who has caught sight of her prey. Yoko nodded inside of her suit, unseen, but the whining of servomotors was evident as the entire suit came forward ever so slightly in what could have been a bow. The weapons were checked one last time, and Delta fire team was ready for combat.

They were using a strange vessel to the Xiscapians more like a fighter painted in all black. It looked more sleek and lacked weaponry but looked large enough to hold them all in comfort.
"A stealth fighter" Jenny explained as her comrade slipped inside, "Used to infiltrate hostile planets for suberfuge and spying without detection" She motioned to it, "We managed to bring it with us"

"Very nice," said Jake, running a hand along the cool dark outside of the craft. "Sneaky sneaky. We were on the verge of producing a scout ship of our own, but the blueprints and design specs were lost when we were invaded. I think the Chief Scientist had them..." He looked at Jenny. "He had critical data for manufacturing more Xiscapian ships, so the Resistance moved him somewhere else, but agents of your Legion got him..."
There was a moment of awkward silence in which Allen walked inside the vessel. "Fire team! Form up! You're not paid to stand around and talk, get your asses in here!" Jake, Kal and the silent bememoth that was Yoko moved past Jenny into the back of the stealth fighter.

Cavourna took the awkward silence with his men and soon they were all inside and flying through space.

A few hours later they arrived on the jungle moon that held the fuel storage tanks for the whole Imperial war effort. The two former agents sneaked slightly ahead of the rest of the group and ran into a small town with just a few houses and a bar. Coming out of the bar was an Alversian with a leash.

On the end of the leash was a miserable Xiscapian girl, barely of age, forced to crawl naked on her knees with her hair tied back. Her tail was dirty and limp and her ear were flat as her master pulled on the collar around her slender throat and forced her to speed up.

"Come on my little slave" he muttered in delight to her. She had not been cheap but then she was special. She had come of age just a few weeks ago and now she entertained him morning, noon and night. He had played with her before coming to the bar, he would play with her when he got home then later she would play with herself while he watched.

Samantha moved forward to join Sasha, Jenny and Cavourna. She licked her lips in fury at the sight of submission and raised her sniper rifle to her shoulder, peering through the scope. Sasha shook her head,
"You'll alert the garrision" She warned. Samantha glowered but dropped her weapon. She knew they were right but it was still not a nice thing to see.

"Allen," Cavourna motioned, "Pick two men and follow that pair, once their isolated, free her. We need a guide"

OOC: TG

Allen looked around. Yoko was no good: Her suit was too large, and she clanked when she walked. No, Yoko would stay here until the battle began and she could unleashed her firepower. He needed Jake to cover their backs with his rifle in case things turned sour on the stealth part. So that left him and Kal. The female Xiscapian was as silent as ever, but she radiated a sort of one-track intensity as she watched the slave and her master. With hand motions and mouthing he indicated what he desired, and in no time Jake was covering them while he and Kal crept up to Cavourna's position.
"Permission to take one of my squad mates to track and free the slave once they're alone?" he muttered to their Alversian leader.

Cavourna nodded,
"You two get the Girl and kill the Alversian when you get the chance" He whispered, "Me and the rest of the strike Team will head north and scout the perimeter of the fuel tanks" he gave another small nod,
"Meet back here within the hour, we need to get quiet or they'll just blow us out" He gave them a quick salute and crept off with the rest of the Alversians. All apart from Samantha who stayed with her own rifle to help Jake defend the immediate area.

Allen nodded to Kal, flashed a second nod and a thumbs-up to Jake, and the two vanished into the jungle. They would have to tail them though the trees until they were both alone, upon which they would break from cover and do their thing. Allen was out in front, rifle pointed at the ground, watching in case they were spotted. If that was the case, they would only have an instant between being seen and the weapons being fired at them to disappear into the wilderness. Kal would be the one to take the Alversian down and rescue the slave while Allen covered for her. The knowledge that they had Jake and Samantha watching their backs was comforting too. Keeping low to minimize their shape and silhouette, and sticking to the shadows of the trees, the two Xiscapians followed the slave and her owner.

The Alversian walked on, whistling a happy tune as he headed down through the park. He had his slave with him and he was planning on having some fun with her tonight. When he was finished with his dinner that was, then he could play with her all night, as he always did. She was crawling behind him, on all fours. chains secured her wrists and ankles and prevented her from running too far.

Qonndamnit!
Keela's face burned as she crawled on all fours like an animal. At the last battle of the organized Rebellion, the one where the Calypso was destroyed and most of the Resistance annihilated, she had escaped with the rest of her surviving comrades. However, a short time later while on assignment in Tenfour she had been captured by the Twelfth Legion. They had put her in chains and shipped her out with others slaves, reasoning being that if she escaped she at least wouldn't be on Xiscapia to do any more damage. The default for Imperial slaves was hard labor, and she had worked in the mines of some backwater planet before her "Master" had discovered her and bought her from the Empire. The Alversian was a inspector, and she had caught his eye while he was at the facility. By the next day she had been paid for, the papers handed over, and put onto his ship. Then she was chained, shackled, stripped of her clothes and put on a leash. For a year and a half she had endured this man, all day. She had explored all avenues she could find to kill him while they were in bed, but the slave system was in place to strictly prevent against that, and to her displeasure the Alversian took all measures of safety, every time. Now her purple hair had been tied back behind her head and her once gleaming white skin was now grimy, her hair and fur greasy and matted. A tug on the leash choked her and she was forced to crawl faster or be strangled. Soon they would be home, and fresh horrors surely awaited her there...

The Alversian laughed again at the sight of his shackled slave struggling to keep up with him. He loved her, not as a person but more of an item. He was planning on calling one of his mates and seeing if he would bring his slave over and they entertain each other. The fact that his slave was an ex-Xiscapian Officer was even better, forcing her to obey him every night was his dream.

"C'mon, Slave, your dinner awaits" he smiled at the thought of the rancid food waiting for her at home. They were alone now and he was tempted to stop and play with her here.

The day was nearing dusk now and long shadows played over the ground of the deserted park. Keela was relieved they had stopped for a moment; she hung her head even at the maximum length of the leash. Her keen eyes looked anywhere but that monster that raped her every night, feeding her food she wouldn't give to a dog. She'd been sick many times already, but it didn't stop him. Suddenly, she caught sight of a hint of a shadow, maybe a flash of an eye. Then it was gone, so fast she nearly believed it was a trick of her vision, a image brought up by hopefulness. But no, she was a soldier, she was sure...there were kitsune out there. Not slaves, but free beings. She felt a rush of hope for the first time in months. She knew if she could get him alone and put up a struggle, they would help her. Here was isolated, true, but anyone could turn the corner and see them. Better they wait until they were in the privacy of the house. So she had to go home, but not seem to eager about it...don't let on that it was her salvation.
So she put on her usual show.
Kitsune, especially females, don't take kindly to being mistreated or abused, and Keela had been no exception. She had been extremely bad-tempered at first, but her master's punishments had straightened her out...or so he thought. Perhaps it was time for another episode.
"No," she said quietly, pulling in the opposite direction on the leash. "I won't eat that shit anymore."

"What?" The Alversian laughed, "What was that, my pet?" he yanked so hard on the chain that she was thrown forward onto her chest,
"You'll eat as I command and do as I command, do I make myself clear?!" He yanked hard on her collar again, "And tonight, I may have to 'punish' you again with my tools" He laughed at the thought of the cruel toys he kept at home specifically to discipline his pet.
"Come now!" He commanded with another yank. Then he stopped and gave a sly grin,
"Unless you want to do it here, is that it? You want to play here?" He was advancing on her slowly, Xiscapians may have been faster than Alversians but he was much stronger than Keela and, with her hands and feet in chains, Keela was also mush slower and unable to use her fighting abilities.

Keela was being dragged though the grass and dirt by the forceful jerks of the leash, and by the time he finished speaking she was lying in a heap less than five feet away. "No," she croaked, raising a deceptively weak hand. "Please don't...I don't want the hurt, I don't want the hurt don't hurt me please no toys no hurt-"
In the jungle Allen nodded to Kal.
Get ready...

"You deserve it" He spat at her, "You're nothing but a toy. A toy to be used by those who know what they're doing. There's a reason we're the biggest Empire in the known universe" he laughed and began to undo his trousers,
"and I think you need a remainder of that" He finished lustily as he closed on her.

"What, you're the biggest Empire in the universe because you know how to reproduce? Granted, it's about the only thing you guys do well, but to someone who sees an excess of Imperial troops as cannon fodder, I'm inclined to think about it that way."
Keela reached up and pulled her own leash. The Alversian stumbled forward, then tripped over his pants onto his hands and knees. He grabbed the leashed in a firm grasp and pulled, bringing Keela closer to him, but she lashed out with her left foot even as she was dragged on her tail, solidly connecting with his jaw. He fell back again, cursing, and as he let go of the leash Keela prepared to dive on top of him to deliver some more justice when something hissed by her head and there was the sound of metal hitting flesh. She turned to look at her old master as Kal came scurrying out, noticing the knife.
"You hit him with the handle, you idiot!" she hissed as Kal fished the keys out of the man's pocket and unlocked her from her shackles, cutting away the leash with a single slash of a small knife. "He's not dead, he's only stunned, he'll get back up in a-" Kal shoved Keela to the jungle, who stumbled but got to message and ran for the safety of the trees. A few seconds later Kal followed, somehow carrying the larger Alversian on her back. She had taken her knife and the shackles and leash, leaving no trace behind as she dumped it all on the ground.
Allen nodded. "Good work," he growled, giving the Alversian a quick kick to the ribs as he handed Keela a SMG. "Too bad his clothes wouldn't fit you. Kal, you know what do to."
The petite Xiscapian, who still hadn't said a word, dragged the Alversian away behind a tree. A moment later she came back, cleaning one of her knives with a small blood cloth.
"Do you know the layout of this area?" asked Allen to Keela.
She nodded. "I've spent my free time familiarizing myself with the terrain and locations of structures. I can lead you wherever you need to go."
Allen nodded, then looked back the direction they had come. It had taken some time for them to get her, and they had a deadline to meet.
"We need to get back, our Commander's set a rendezvous point in half an hour. Let's go."

Samantha sighed and gave another long blink trying to bring her eyesight back into focus. Looking through one scope could be tough on the eyes and now she was letting Jack take his turn looking for any signs of friend or foe before joining him again. They had already completed the standard Sniper tactic and set up a small, concealed shelter that was invisible to a casual glance yet permitted maximum field of fire.

As she settled back down behind her weapon, she saw movement in the trees to her left. She twisted, pulling a pistol from her belt as she did. But she relaxed as she saw it was Allen, Kal and the Slave,
"You're early," She nodded as she tucked the weapon back into her belt, "Keep down and be quiet" She moved down beside Jake again, so close that they were almost touching

Jake rubbed his eyes as he looked up from his rifle scope. "Oh, sergeant, glad your back-" His eyes flicked from Allen's face, passed over Kal, and went straight to Keela. Or, rather, Keela's body. "Oh, got quite a-"
"Shut up, Private," snarled Keela as Allen and Kal moved past them. "I am a warrant officer and I do outrank you. Keep your eyes on the field and your hand on the-"
"Both of you shut up," hissed Allen as Jake sniggered and Keela glowered, "you'll give away our position. Get down while we wait for the Commander."

Samantha shook her head at the exchange and peered forward again at the empty space in front of her.

About ten minutes later, there was more rustling before Cavourna and his own little band returned, covered in mud and looking rather dejected,
"Well, we ain't going that way" Jenny sighed as she squashed in behind Samantha, Cavourna nodded in agreement,
"Too much security. We need to find anot..." He saw Keela and looked more than surprised,
"Keela!" He seemed lost for words, "I didn't know that was yo..." He stopped himself awkwardly, then cleared his throat, "What do you know of the fuel compound? Anyway in?"

"Betcha didn't expect to see me again, eh Commander?" Keela grinned wolfishly. "Not so much of me, perhaps."
"Warrant Officer Keela!" said one of the Alversians in surprise. "My brother fought alongside you! He said you were dead!"
Keela winked. "Tell him I bet him five credits I'm not."
"Ah well, to answer your question Cavourna, there's the loading dock. The fuel tanker ships take the fuel to the rest of the Empire from there...it's located over a sheer cliff dropping into a river, so they don't expect to be attacked by troops from that side. If we can get soldiers in though there, they'll have an easy time of it: The dock is only lightly guarded by AA units, and you can be in and out before the Imps have time to figure out where they're being attacked from. The only problem is getting in...quietly. Maybe they could climb it somehow? Air support's no good, they'll get blown outta the sky before they knew what hit 'em." Despite being naked, dirty, abused and tired, Keela still carried herself like an officer, and spoke with the authority of one as well.

Cavourna listened keenly, trying not to look down at Keela's naked body. She was still as beautiful as ever but he knew she would have gone through hell as a Slave to the Imperials and he did not want to think about her like that.

"We can climb the cliffs" Cavourna suggested, thinking, "We could easily take it like that way but we also need to rescue the other Slaves, that means sneaking past their Guards. We need to go undercover" He sighed and glanced at Keela hopefully, if she did not want to do it then they would have to think of something else.

"Me and Keela can rescue the slaves while the rest of the you climb the cliffs to the dock and take it by surprise. This is a stealth mission don't forget so we need to be as quiet as possible. Jake and Samantha can stay here and act as a fallback point, do I make myself clear?" He asked the others.

Allen nodded. "Affirmative, Commander. I'll take the rest of the fire team up with you, and Jake stays behind and covers us for the fallback."
Jake grinned as he looked at Samantha. "Looks like it's just you and me again, babe."
Keela suddenly looked grim. "So you're my new master, Cavourna? You've seen them. You know what you might have to do. I can handle it...but can you? We can't afford any mistakes or slip-ups."

Samantha rolled her eyes while the other Alversians stood up wearily and checked their weapons and equipment.

Cavourna looked uncertain,
"I know what I have to do. But I don't know if I'll have the heart to do it for long though. We'll need to get in and out as quickly as possible. In the meantime" He held up the collar, leash and shackles, "I'm sorry" He sighed, "You didn't have much time to enjoy freedom."

Keela just shook her head. "I'll have all the time in the world to be free of my chains later, Cavourna. If I have to stand the shackles and leash again so others can have that same chance, I'll gladly do it." She took what he held up and began to make herself a slave once more, handing the SMG back to Allen.
The kitsune sergeant looked around at Kal and Yoko. "Squad! Form up!" he hissed. "Private," he said to Jake, "you know what to do."
"Yeah, yeah," the young Xiscapian sighed. "Set 'em and knock 'em down."
Moments later fire team Delta, now short one, moved off with the rest of the force.

Cavourna sighed and took the end of the leash. He glanced at Keela and gave a small cough,
"Well then," he said, "time to go" He pulled gently on the leash, trying to entice her forward.

Other than this, Samantha settled down with her rifle and more fun with Jake, who was more interested in her figure than the enemy.

Jenny and Sasha took command of the other three and led them with Allen towards the cliffs for what would be a long and difficult climb to the tanks.

"Yeah, yeah," Keela crawled forward on all fours, and the pair was gone in the direction of town though the brush.
Fallback point...
Now they were alone. Jake shifted slightly, getting more comfortable, and in a way that could almost be considered unconscious but if one knew anything about Jake knew that it was not, got closer to Samantha. They were so close he could feel her body heat even though their battle suits. "So..." he said casually, staring straight though the scope of his rifle, "got a man back home?"
En route...
As Allen, Kal and Yoko followed Jenny and Sasha, Yoko easily stepped into stride with Sasha.
"Permission to speak, Commander?" she asked, voice heavy and metallic though the speakers of the suit.

Cavourna dragged her through the bushes until they were back on the main path again. Cavourna was disgusted with himself that he was walking with an old friend on a leash and in chains behind him. He wanted to be sick.

Then he saw another Alversian coming the other way, with a Xiscapian barely of age trailing behind him. He was going to try and walk past but he was intercepted by the man who rose a friendly greeting,

"Good evening" he smiled at Cavourna. Cavourna simply grunted. The Alversian was now looking at Keela with interest.

"Fine animal." He complimented, "Mind if she plays with mine for a while?"

Cavourna wanted to punch the man right there and now, forcing the two females to have sex when neither wanted to. However, he knew he had to keep cool.

"Sorry," He replied, barely managing to keep his disgust down, "I want to play with her in private"

"C'mon" The man jested, "If there's one good things about these animals, they can play with each other all day and still have enough of an appetite to play with you all night. C'mon, what do you say?"

Cavourna knew he was trapped, he could think of no other excuse but he didn't want to watch Keela degrade herself for this man's pleasure.

Slowly, very slowly, he gave a nod.

"Excellent!" The man seemed delighted and dragged his own Xiscapian over to a park bench. Cavourna had no choice but to follow. His mind was racing, trying to think of a way to get her out of this.

The man took the shackles from his slave's wrists, keeping the ankle one's in place, Cavourna did the same to Keela,
"Please, please forgive me" he whispered to her as the younger kitsune approached.

Cavourna and the man sat on the bench and watched as the younger Kitsune, without a thought, wrapped one arm around Keela's neck and began to gently kiss her on the lips. At the same time, her other hand went down to below Keela's waist and she began to play with her, using her fingers, expecting Keela to do the same.

Cavourna tried to look as excited as the man but in truth, he wanted to stop it immediately.

Fallback point

"No," Was all Samantha said while scanning the space in front of the hideout, "The 12th Legion does not allow private relationships. They get in the way of combat."

Cliffs

Sasha turned, slightly surprised to see the Xiscapian talking to her but she nodded while looking ahead,
"What is it?" She asked, curtly but patiently

Keela did not even have time to try to escape the horrible situation. The other man's slave was kissing her, violating her, and she had no choice but to do the same back. The young kitsune began to straddle Keela, on top of her, Keela kneeling, leaning back on her elbows, legs spread. With every sign of intense enjoyment the Xiscapian began to thrust, both females now in a tangle of arms and legs, rolling about on the ground. Keela closed her eyes.
Help me! Cavourna, someone! Qonn, do something, make it stop.
Make it stop.
Fallback point...
"Oh yeah?" Jake asked with a roguish grin. "And do you believe that? Do you think relationships endanger the combatant, or," he licked his lips, "make them fight harder? Passion can be a powerful motivator."
Cliffs...
"Where has the rest of the squad gone? Are they scaling the cliffs as well, or is there a secondary objective they must complete?" Yoko asked.
OOC: Careful now. Wouldn't like to get banned.

Cavourna could take no more and was about to get up when both females were finished and the younger one got up impassionately and went to her master. He patted her, put the shackles back on her wrists and the leash back on her.

The Alversian gave a cheery wave to Cavourna then walked off again. Cavourna leapt up to Keela and, kneeling beside her, wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug, tears leaking down his face,
"I'm so sorry" He whispered to her, "I'm so so sorry"

Fallback point

"Yes," Samantha gave a stiff nod, "Personal relationships get in the way of the combatant and shift priorities from the mission to the loved ones. They are a source of wea..." She stopped, and raised a hand to her eye, as if wiping away a tear before focusing back on the target.

"And you?" She asked quickly, "What do you think?"

Cliffs

"A secondary mission is to steal as many weapons as possible for the rebellion. Other than this, the only other objective is to rescue the Xiscapians being kept as slaves on this planet," Sasha explained, "However, our main mission is always to be destroying the fuel tanks."

Jenny looked up at the cliffs and sighed,
"That's gonna be a long climb"

"I'm so so sorry"
Keela just rocked in his arms as his tears dropped onto her shoulders and crept down her bare back. Once the Alversian and his slave was out of sight and earshot, however, she leaned back from Cavourna, looking defiant. The next thing Cavourna knew he was lying splayed out on the ground and his jaw hurt like hell. Keela pulled him to his feet, clapping her shackles back on. "Sorry, Commander, had to get that out of my system. Next time, just say you're late for a meeting or something, will ya?" The kitsune warrant officer only seemed annoyed, rather than truly angry or traumatized. She had been though too much for this sort of thing to faze her anymore.
Fallback point...
"I'm inclined to disagree," Jake said, oblivious to her emotion. "After all, I'm not dead yet, and before the Kitsune Empire fell there was plenty of relationships in the ranks. Most of it was pillowing, of course, but because of it we had less agony from the troops over the death of loved ones...'
Cliffs...
"Understood, Commander." Yoko fell back to her spot in the team. Allen was beside Jenny, though neither had spoken since they left.

Cavourna got up again, rubbing his jaw and testing to see it still worked,
"Damn, meeting, shoulda thought of that" he shook his head in self-disgust as he watched Keela lower herself to her knees and become a slave again,
"Do you want to clean yourself up?" he asked, glancing at the mess on her left by the two Slave's playing.

"Where would the most Xiscapians be? We need to strike as many as possible" he stated, looking up and down.

Fallback point

"Whatever," Samantha shook her head and focused on her scope, "Think what you want to think"
She was still keeping an eye out for any sign of Troops or trouble. They were the last hope of the strike team if everything failed.

Cliffs

Sasha moved forward to be with Jenny and Allen,
"Well," She asked, "Who's going first?" She looked from one to the other

"Do you want to clean yourself up?"
"With what?" the kitsune asked dryly.
"Where would the most Xiscapians be? We need to strike as many as possible"
"Most of the slaves here are privately owned." Keela said from the ground. "In general, though, they go where their masters do, and I saw on the bulletin that there's a town hall meeting today. This town's only got a population of a hundred or so, which means nearly everyone will be there. If we can strike and free the Xiscapians there, we'll have a shot at a successful operation."
Fallback Point...
"Think what you want to think"
"Ah, come on now, don't be like that," said Jake, turning to look at her. "Don't ya get lonely, going where you do with only your squad mates for company?"
Cliffs...
Without a word or second thought Kal moved under the lip of a high distant cliff, tugged a pistol out of her belt, and fixed a metal clip to the end of a length of strong cord. She clipped the metal to her belt, attached some sort of device to the end of the cord, threaded it though the pistol, and fired it at the bottom of the rock. She remained in her stance for several seconds before the line jerked abruptly and she was pulled into the air, riding the line with her pistol as it was sucked back though the gun into her pack.
Yoko stood back. "With all due respect, I should go last. My method of climbing is somewhat unorthodox and is potentially harmful to anyone below me."
Allen nodded, and looked to the other two. "Ladies first."

"Here," Cavourna handed her a cloth and sighed,

"A hundred against two isn't going to go well." He was thinking, "How many of the Slaves do you know? Is there a Brothel or anything thatwe can strike first and try to thin their ranks?" he was still looking for any sign of an Alversian coming the other way with an equally hungry Slave as the last one. For Keela's sake.

Fallback Point

"My job is to provide cover for my squad and ensure they get home safe. Nothing more" Samantha replied through gritted teeth, "What I feel and what I want have no impact on the mission and nor will they ever do so"

Cliffs

Jenny and Sasha nodded, moving forward to the cliff. They took out their own pistols and fired upwards, covertly squeezing each other's hand for luck before they too were shoot upwards. They unclipped themselves from the pistol and pulled out a small SMG.

"A hundred against two isn't going to go well. How many of the Slaves do you know? Is there a Brothel or anything that we can strike first and try to thin their ranks?"
"I don't know any of the other slaves." Keela sighed. "Contact is limited, as we're not aloud to speak to anyone except our masters. Like I said before, most of the slaves are privately owned. But you forget, Commander," she continued, "these aren't soldiers we're talking about. These "masters" are civilians, they'll run and hide at the first sight of a gun. It won't take much to free everyone. Just the two of us could easily start an uprising by releasing and arming some of the slaves. There is a small brothel for those who belong to the government, and it's generally unguarded, but there's only about a dozen kitsune there. That's where you want to strike?"
Fallback point...
"What I feel and what I want have no impact on the mission and nor will they ever do so"
"Ah," said Jake knowingly, "but you weren't always like this, were you? There was someone in your past, I can tell. Was he killed?" he asked quietly, not unkindly.
Cliffs...
Kal was already at the top, arming her pistol again for another ascent. Allen followed seconds later, putting an arm out to keep the two Alversians away from the edge of the cliff. "I'd stand back if I were you," he muttered. There was the sound of rocks falling and a huge black armored hand reached over the lip and pulled the rest of Yoko's armored suit onto solid stone. "The weight of the armor causes many rocks to be dislodged and fall," she explained. "I climb by digging in with my hands and feet and making holds for myself as I go. Anyone below me would probably be brained or pushed off by the force."

"This is supposed to be a stealthy mission," Cavourna replied, "It only takes one man to alert the garrison, I think the brothel will at least expand our numbers a little" He tugged on her leash again, "C'mon, we need to find the Brothel and try to free at least some of the Slaves now" They headed off towards the town.

Fallback Point

"That's none of your business,"Samantha snarled, "What happened to me is what happened to me, I have to tell you nothing" She turned away to peer back down her scope.

Cliffs

"That's one way to get up" Jenny raised her eyebrows and looked up at Sasha, "Come on, time to follow Kal" They fired up with their guns again as they followed the Xiscapian back up the cliff. It was starting to get dark now and dusk was giving way to a deep black night.

"C'mon, we need to find the Brothel and try to free at least some of the Slaves now"
"We'll need to find weapons for them," said Keela as Cavourna "walked" her though town. Despite the leash she was really guiding him. "If they're not armed they won't be much good. We'll need to find some guards and take their guns."
Fallback Point...
"What happened to me is what happened to me, I have to tell you nothing"
"That's your right," said Jake softly, "but you shouldn't let your past rule you. The dead don't govern the living."
Cliffs...
Though the twilight they climbed, stopping at intervals to rest and find a new spot to continue from. The cliff face was incredibly steep, but full of handy ledges to attach to and take a break on. Far, far above they could see docking bridges extending out from the fuel facility into space. No sentries or cameras glared down at them, and all seemed quiet.

"I say there should be some Guards in and around the Brothel anyway" Cavourna reasoned as he walked through the town, leash in hand as Keela guided him in front. He had to admit, he had a great view of her from this angle,
"We can take out the guards at the Brothel then"

Fallback Point

"Shut up" tears were now leaking down Samantha's face, "just shut up! Don't talk about stuff you can't possibly know about!" She got up from the shelter and, without any consideration to enemy positions or her own safety, ran into the bush through the open ground.

Cliffs

Jenny wiped away a bead of sweat as they rested again, she was warm from the climbing although it was pleasantly cool in the night time.
"Long way to go" She sighed and looked up at their next target.

Soon enough the building came into view. It stood out among the stately homes and few clean stores, dusty and unkept, the windows grimy and nontransparent. Two men in black and red cloth uniforms lounged outside, rifles slung over their shoulders and a pistol in a chest holster, looking bored. One was smoking a cigarette, the other staring vacantly into space. A third guard sat on the roof with his rifle beside him, reading what seemed to be a catalog but was actually filled with selections for slaves. Though they couldn't see them, Keela knew there was another quarter dozen guards inside, along with the slaves and a few clerks for transactions. "Here," she said quietly as they neared the place. No signs advertised it for what the brothel was.
They didn't need to.
Fallback Point...
"Samanth-" Jake shut his mouth, aware that if anyone was nearby they would surely hear him. He stood up, gripping his rifle, torn between staying his position as ordered or going after the girl. If he went, it was abandoning his post in violation of a direct order, grounds for a court martial. But if he stayed, well, Samantha was obviously being reckless. If she met anyone, or went into town, she could blow the Commander's and Warrant Officer's cover, and quite easily get herself killed.
"Awww, shit!" He threw down his rifle and dashed out, legs carrying him after her as fast as he could go.
Cliffs...
No one said anything as they got closer and closer, finally stopping just a few dozen yards from the bottom of the nearest bridge and the mouth of the facility. A transport roared out of the dock, the entire cliff trembling as it blasted away into the sky, heavy with it's burden of fuel. Now was the time to plan and coordinate their actions once they got up there. In battle, there would be no time to talk.

"Right then," Cavourna walked up confidently, now dragging Keela behind him. He looked from one Guard to the other as a cat may look at a mouse. He gave a deep breath,
"I am here to speak with a Clerk of this Brothel, I am interested in exchanging my pet here for a younger model. Are you going to let me in or what?" He glared from one to the other in anger,
"Do you know who I am?" He demanded to know, jerking on Keela's leash for good measure.

Samantha and Jake

Samantha had run into the bush, and crouched behind one of the larger ones, tears silently running down her face. She shook her head hard but it did not get rid of the pain she felt. She just crouched lower and cried. Cried at herself for getting so upset and cried for what had been said. What she had seen.

Cliff

"Right..." Jenny was cut off by the roaring transport but soon gathered her wits enough to continue with the question,
"...what are we going to do here? None of us have ever seen the inside of this plant? How are we going to go about this?"

Keela went from all fours to flat in the dirt as Cavourna yanked her about, half strangling her. Cool it with the pulling! The guard on the roof was peering over at them with interest, catalog forgotten.
"Do you know who I am?"
"An asshole?" growled the guard with the cigg between his lips, gaining sniggers from the other guard. "Look man, I'll need to see your papers before you can make a trade, and the Clerk will have ta check up on her condition." He gestured to Keela. "No papers, no coming inside." He stuck out a hand expectantly.
Samantha and Jake...
"Samantha?" Jake asked quietly, looking around, the Alversian concealed by the bush. "Samantha? Ahh, no, c'mon, I'm sorry..." He knelt beside her, hands raised defensively.
Cliffs...
"None of us have ever seen the inside of this plant? How are we going to go about this?"
Allen spoke. "Intelligence reports indicate that this is only a loading dock. We'll have to penetrate deeper into the facility to get at the fuel, it's all stocked in one place at the heart. Judging by the estimates of the tons of fuel there, even a small explosion will set it all off. However, it's heavily guarded, so we can either do this quietly, or total destruction."
"The blast will have sufficient force to annihilate this entire facility," volunteered Yoko, "but it will probably also destroy the foundations of this rock face, and cause an avalanche to destroy the town below. We must coordinate with Commander Cavourna to make sure he and all the slaves are at the fallback point before we destroy the fuel."

"The papers? yes, hold on" His hand went into the jacket he had as he rummaged about. He noticed none of the three people had helmets on.
He yanked a pistol out of his jacket and fired three, silence shots, each aimed at the head of the Soldier in front of him, he was careful and quick and aimed precisely, using his expertise as an Alversian Officer and as a Rebel.

Jake and Samantha

"No," Samantha shook her head, trying to clear the tears again, "It was my fault, you were right, I can't let my past rule me." She shivered, as if cold, "It was my fault, all my fault. I failed him. I failed them"
She started to cry again, unable to hold back the emotion she had held up for so long.

Cliffs

"Hmm...then this will be difficult" Jenny and Sasha sighed,
"Do we have a plan? I think we should just sweep through with slit throats and silenced weapons. What do you think?" She looked from Xiscapian to the other.

The first two men went down in a second, blood splattering the wall behind them, never knowing what had hit them. The third soldier was slightly faster on the uptake than the others, but as he went for his rifle the shot hit him in the throat. He fell, gurgling and clutching his throat, but he dropped onto his gun, which went off into his back, silencing his agonized choking. However, the shot, while not loud enough to be heard all over the town, alerted the guards inside to their presence. Keela stripped both guards of their weapons, slinging both rifles over a shoulder and duel wielding the pistols, cursing. She kicked down the door with a crash, and was met by a clumsy-aimed blaster bolt that destroyed a bit of plaster ceiling above her. She was in a small room with a few faded, ragged chairs and dim light, a curtained door leading elsewhere. A guard crouched behind a table, aiming his pistol over the cover as a terrified clerk scrambled away. Keela coolly pulled both pistol triggers and the guard fell back, the top half of his head he had carelessly exposed now identifiable as blood, brains and bone fragments on the wall and floor behind him. She twisted her right pistol and shot the clerk as he struggled to get behind a coach. The shot tore though his chest and he collapsed, dead. "There's a small theatre bar in there," she gestured to the door as Cavourna came in, "but they'll have armed the clerks and will be waiting for us. I'd suggest a grenade, but the slaves are probably in there too."
Jake and Samantha...
Jake was at a loss. He had never had a girl cry to him before. Moan, groan, shout, yell, snarl at him, all these things, but never actually sob. He embraced her, patting her in what he probably thought was a comforting way on the back. "Shh, it's alright." he said softly into her ears as he body shook.
Cliffs...
"Do we have a plan? I think we should just sweep through with slit throats and silenced weapons. What do you think?"
"My weapons are not equipped with a silence option," said Yoko simply. "However, I think I have something that will work. We would never be able to infiltrate the facility stealthily though the docks, the security may be light but once we're there there's zero cover. I can go first and clear out those on top, as well as providing a distraction, while the rest of you sneak past in search of the fuel. This suit has stood up to squads of Imperials before, and I can telepathically warn Commander Cavourna because of my abilities."
Allen shrugged. "Sounds good to me." He looked around. Kal nodded, once.

Cavourna followed, watching with an interest as he saw Keela fight her way through the Brothel, still on a leash and still in chains. He followed her through to the threatre and sighed, thinking of a way he could get into the theatre without hurting the slaves. Then he had an idea and pulled a grenade from his belt.

"Smoke grenade" he explained, "When I say, open the door and drop, I'll throw the grenade in and we should be able to crawl in as they will be shooting at eye level. But first" he grinned, holding up the keys, "Do you want your ankles and wrists free to move?"

Samantha and Jake

Samantha, completely unlike her earlier self, hugged Jake tightly, taking comfort from the warm and body contact before breaking again,
"We need to get back to our post" She sighed.

Cliffs

"Sounds good, let's move" Jenny lifted her weapon and began to walk carefully around the edge of the cliff to get to the other part of the facility
"Good luck" She said to the Xiscapian before leaving her alone.

"Do you want your ankles and wrists free to move?"
"I trained myself this entire time to be able to move freely even while I was still chained." said Keela somewhat curtly. "It would be no use if I had to opportunity to escape but couldn't because I was still shackled." She held out her wrists to be unlocked. They and her ankles were and she moved to to the door, crouching beside it. "Three...two...one...go!" she muttered, and wretched the curtain aside, throwing herself flat on the floor, tail tucked between her legs. Blaster fire spat over her as Cavourna tossed the grenade inside, bursting into a dark, oily plume of smoke which rapidly expanded to fill the room. Keela abandoned the rifles in a corner and crawled over to a table, overturning it as the guards and clerks inside fired blindly and the slaves shrieked in fear.
Samantha and Jake...
"Yeah, hate to think what Allen would do to me if he found out I deserted my post." Jake helped Samantha to her feet, brushing away the dirt from her rear. "C'mon."
Cliffs...
Yoko nodded as the rest moved out, and then it was only her left. She grabbed into the cliff and began to climb. Thirty second later she was at the top, hauling herself over the side to stand fully erect. She used the shocked seconds the soldiers inside were having to bring her arms up, hands pushed inside to reveal one holding a large chain gun, the other a grenade launcher. Yoko was a full eight foot tall black armored monstrosity, visor darkened to conceal her face. Her suit had been constructed from Korr Skewered armor, which was made out of the same metal star ship hull plating was, so small-arms fire simply reflected off it. She was, almost literally, a walking tank.
Yoko scanned the area to see how many troops awaited her, their positions, and what weapons they carried.

Cavourna ducked behind the doorframe as more fire came through the door, less then before as some began to fire at Keela and her cover. Cavourna barrel rolled forward into the room and with one simple shot each, was able to take out the four men in the room before they could react,
"C'mon" He called to Keela, "Do the same keys fit all shackles?" He asked as he approached one of the frightened Xiscapians.

Jake and Samantha

Samantha gave a delicate flinch as she felt Jake brush her bottom. She took a deep breath and moved forward,
"I don't think General Cavourna would be delighted with me either" She shook her head, "What if they came back and we weren't there?" She sounded scared.

Cliffs and Fuel Facility

Inside the Hangar were no more than four Guards, standing and chatting. One of them turned to face Yoko,
"What the hell?" He asked.

"Do the same keys fit all shackles?"
"For the government ones they should." Keela called back as she picked though the senior guards pockets. "Ah-ha!" She held up a ring of keys and tossed them to Cavourna. "Those outta work."
The slaves all had four things in common: They were all kitsune, all female, all beautiful, and all very young. Some looked as though they couldn't be more than a few days past the age of adulthood. They clustered together as far away from the carnage and the two Rebels as their shackles would allow, twenty-four orange or yellow eyes staring fearfully as the Alversian approached. Keela was assembling the weapons, having come up with six assault rifles and six pistols. Another rifle and pistol was on the roof, so she relieved the dead guard of them and came up with fourteen weapons total. Perfect. She came back as Cavourna was freeing the kitsune, who were all cringing in fright and still trying to keep as much distance as possible between them and Keela and Cavourna. Keela frowned, holding her two pistols, and gestured to the pile of weapons lying on a table. "C'mon. Arm yourselves, we need to get out of here!"
Still none of them moved.
Jake and Samantha...
"Well if they're back already we're screwed, but if not, well," he winked, "it can be our little secret, eh?" They came into view of the hidden post, and no one was there, their sniper rifles lying where they had abandoned them.
Fuel Facility...
"What the hell?"
The weapons targeted the four individuals as they all turned to face her. "I would advise that you lay down your weapons and surrender." said Yoko calmly. "Don't make this any harder than it is already." If they tried to fire upon her, run away, take cover, call for backup, or anything else Yoko didn't like the two weapons trained on them would effectively shred them into small, bloody fragments in less time than it took to tell about it.

Cavourna carefully freed each slave and looked into their frightened eyes,
"Don't worry," He said to them gently, "We're here to help you. We need help to free the other slaves. Will you help us?" He asked, looking from one to the other.

Jake and Samantha

Samantha nodded in agreement,
"It looks like we got away with it..." She stopped as she felt a muzzle barrel big into the small of her back,
"Don't you move, little Missy" A voice sneered. Samantha did not look around but she knew Jake was trapped in the same way.

"Damn" She swore.

The Soldier looked over to the main bush and called,
"We have them commander" He called.

Cliffs

"Damn it" The soldiers lifted their weapons, "Back-up in the main hangar! Back up needed!" One of them called over the radio.

With their shackles and chains vanquished, some of them having had the bonds for nearly half their lives, the slaves rose unsteadly, staying together but some of them nodding or mumbling affirmatives to the tall Alversian Commander. There were a few "leaders", the more head-strong and couragious, often the eldest, most experienced ones or the younger, unbroken fierce warriors that would come, and the rest would follow for a sense of purpose. Keela started handing out weapons, and nearly all of the slaves looked at them in through mystification. She sighed, taking up one of the rifles and pointing out features, doing the same with the pistol. "Safety, here. Keep it off if you're going to shoot someone, on if you're not. Sights, if you've got the time and cover you can look though these to get a bead on the other asshole and peirce something vital, i.e. anything above the waist and within head and torso will put them down. Trigger, you point the barrel at something and pull this, and whatever's at the end of the gun if only so much broken matter or charred meat. Stock, if someone gets too close you can beat them over the head with it. Ammo cartridge, load a new clip by popping the old one with this button and slam the new one home, cock it, and you're set." She demonstrated, firing a few shots into the ceiling, causing several of the slaves to jump. "Anything to add, Cavourna?"
Fallback point...
"Shit." Jake cursed, raising his hands slowly above his head. He still had his service pistol and combat knife on him, but there was no way in hell, even with his superior reflexes, he was going to get a weapon, spin around and kill the man behind him before getting himself, or Samantha, shot. He eyed their rifles lying in the concealed trench longingly. He could take down any number on Imperials from range, and he wasn't all that bad CQC, but it added up to nothing if the enemy had you at point-blank range and you had no weapon in your hands.
Facility...
"Wrong choice."
Yoko opened fire, the chain gun tearing though the soldiers before a grenade landed among them and blasted them into only so much blood, bone chunks and bits of flesh. The radio had disintigrated, but the damage was done: More would be on the way. But the more coming to her, the less standing around near the fuel to slow down the rest of the team. Yoko contented herself by hunkering down among a pile of crates, watching the far opposite end of the hanger for movement. They could come though the doors, from the catwalk and lifts beside those, or even out of the empty fuel tanker ship squatting in front of her.
She used her telepathic abilities to seek out and speak to Cavourna:
Commander, this is Yoko, part of Delta fire team. I have infiltrated the fuel facility, but I bring bad news. When the fuel is destroyed, it will cause the cliff this plant is on to collapse and bury the town you are currently in under tons of rock. The rest of the team is going for the fuel even now, so I would estimate you have fifteen minutes, tops, before the fuel detonates. You must evacuate the slaves ASAP to the rearranged extraction point. Rescue as many as you can, but the saved life of just one makes this mission a success. I will keep in touch if I come by any additional information. Good luck, Commander.

"None," Cavourna shook his head, then recieved the message from Yoko, "Except that we have to hurry and now"

He lifted his own rifle and made sure it was loaded before moving off towards the town, knowing that the Alversian Garrison would have to have been alerted by some of the activity taking place that night.

Jake and Samantha

More soldiers came from the bush and soon there were three or four rifles on each Rebel. Samantha had her hands over her head as well when she recognised the symbol on the man's arm. She gave a small sneer,

"Spitting Cobras" She uttered, "12th Legion"

"You have that right, little missy" One of the soldiers, obviously an officer, was rubbing against her ass as well as her breasts. Samantha inhaled deeply but said nothing.
"You look warm," He murmured while gently brushing at her neck, "Why don't you take that armour off? We won't hurt your animal then"

Samantha said nothing. She slowly began to take off her armour to the Officer's wide grin

Hangar

A line of Alversian Imperial troops entered the hangar and, after taking cover behind a variety of covers, began to fire back at Yoko, a storm of laser blasts from all over the hangar rained in on her.

The slaves moved past the broken tables, cracked walls and sprawled bodies in single file, following Keela and Cavourna, weapons up and at the ready. Keela had to admit to herself that if it came to a head-on engagement, they would almost certainly lose. But if they could get the drop on the Imps, they would have a chance. She hoped Cavourna knew what he was doing: He was leading this little party, after all.
Fallback Point...
Jake didn't stop to consider the consequences, or think about the repercussions of what he was about to do.
He just reacted.
Using what he had been taught back home, he tensed suddenly, pivoting on a heel and swinging his fist with the thumb out on the side, rather than held inside the fingers under the knuckles. Doing the latter had broken many a beginner's fingers on impact. He let the momentum of his turn guide his fist straight into the officer's face, feeling the man's nose crack and break as it connected, lifting the man a little less than an inch off his feet. The blow knocked the Alversian to the ground, but a rifle stock to Jake's stomach doubled him over, a second to the back brought him on his hands and knees, and a third to his ribs had him curled into a fetal position, groaning.
Fuel Facility...
Yoko kept suppressing fire on the soldiers while she fired grenades into and beside their cover, forcing them to either be blown up by the blast or run out into the fire and be killed. Blaster fire reflected off her armor, splashing into the floor, walls, ceiling, cover, and many objects scattered about the hanger. She kept static even as her cover crumbled around her, calmly targeting and firing, over and over. It didn't matter how many came at her: She could do this all day.

As Cavourna rounded a corner in the town, he ran into three Alversian troops running for the hangar. Before they could react, he had killed all three but even more were approaching from the town. Cavourna was forced to duck around the corner to avoid the return fire,
"Not going that way" he grunted as he twisted to fire a few more rounds into the town, "We need another way into the town"

Jake and Samantha

As Jake was thrown into the fetal position, a second Alversian officer drew a sabre and was about to run him through, a victorious look in his eyes when Samantha threw herself across it, her armour removed.
"Stop!" She cried, "Okay, okay" She slowly began to shrug off her shirt, eyes on the ground. The Officer's eyes widened in delight. He grinned wolfishly and nodded to one of his men who rammed a pistol into Jake's head but did not fire.

The Officer dragged Samantha into the bushes by the arm, she was not even bothering to resist. She looked back at Jake with a half-pleading, half-defiant look as they vanished into the brush.

Hangar

Jenny crouched near to a group of Alversians as they were distracted by Yoko and her armour. She nodded and covered the rest of the group as they exited the hangar. They were now in an open courtyard, surrounded by pre-fab buildings and a barbed-wire fence. It was deserted. The tanks were visible even from here.

"There's a back road going in to the west, but that will be guarded too," said Keela above the noise of the fire. "Our best bet is to go by the wilderness edge to the east, where you freed me. That area will only be lightly patrolled, and if we are able to slip inside the town unnoticed we could free the slaves before anyone caught on."
Fallback Point...
Jake returned Samantha's look with one of helpless anger. He could do nothing for her: Surrounded by troops, closely watched and armed with only his pistol, katana and a few knives, he had no hope of fighting his way to her. A low, rumbling growl began in his throat, and he watched his guards out of the corner of his eye. He would find a way out of this. Somehow.
Fuel Facility...
Allen was beside Jenny as she followed Kal and Sasha out into the courtyard. "What's the plan?" he asked quietly. "The Commander will need more time to evacuate the slaves, and we need to make it to the fuel undetected."

OCC: sorry, i fell asleep ha

"Right," Cavourna fired another few rounds, "Wilderness it is"
He turned aand began to usher the Slaves back the way they had come. They were gonna have to be careful about how they did this. If they were lucky, the Alversians would think they were withdrawing back to the fuel tanks and head that way.

Jake and Samantha

After a while the Officer returned, zipping up his trousers and laughing at the harsh congradulations from his men. He nodded at the Officer who had a gun to Jake's head. They all crowded around to see him kill the Kitsune with Samantha's own weapon.
When he pulled the trigger though, the gun did not fire but exploded up into the group of Imperials killing them all instantly. Jake had been freed by a little help from Samantha.

Samantha herself was lying on the other side of the bush, completely naked, curled up into the fetal position. Her hands were in handcuffs which were connected by a chain to a nearby tree. The Officer had also wrapped a tie around her ankles to stop her moving off. She was sobbing quietly herself, uncaring about her position or condition.

Fuel Tanks

"If we set the charges for five minutes, that should give us all the chance to escape" Jenny glanced around quickly for any sign of attackers. When she was satisfied that Yoko was keeping the garrison busy, she nodded and they began to move cautiously across the shadows of the courtyard.

Keela led the slaves away, circling around the last of the buildings to vanish into the forest. Cavourna would notice, probably not for the first time, a tattoo just above Keela's hindquarters. It was a small, inked image of a white mongoose, mouth open as if to bite, tiny eyes red and body twisting to strike. She had no other kinds of body art, and none of the other slaves did, so Cavourna had to assume if was from before she had been captured. They moved quietly though the woods, all feet bare and soundless except for Cavourna's boots, weapons raised high in case of attack. The eastern border would be another few minutes yet.
Brush...
Jake made sure to unholster his pistol now, rolling and coming up in a crotch to aim at where the Imperials had been, only to find them all dead. Killed by the booby-trapped gun. Hearing the sound of crying he leapt up and ran though the trees and brush, skidding as he reached Samantha. His heart caught in his throat at her condition. "Great Qonn..." he managed, choked up with pity and fear. "Hold on!" He turned back and stepped over to the dead Officer, removing the ring of keys from his belt before kicking the corpse in the side. "Bastard." he snarled, spitting on him, before returning and unlocking Samantha's handcuffs and sawing though the tie holding her ankles together with his combat knife. He dropped the weapon and put his arms around the traumatized Alversian once again, murmuring into her ear. "It's all over now, they're gone, they're all gone." he said, stroking his hand though her hair. "You'll be all right."
Fuel Facility...
Allen grimaced but followed. That might not be enough time...the Commander had better move fast. "Heads up and swiveling," he hissed to Kal, and she nodded, proceeding with her pistol held in both hands, watchful. Allen went last, machine gun cradled in his arms, scurrying across the empty space to join the rest.
OOC: Check TGs.

Cavourna did indeed notice the tattoo and he frowned lightly, it was not the normal ID number that was tattooed into the normal Slaves. He shook his head, he could ask her later but now was not the time. Soon they were in the quiet and deserted town,
"Two to a house" He whispered to the Slaves, "Quickly and quietly"

He and Keela moved to the nearest house while others were heading into the town.

Jake and Samantha

Samantha hung limply in Jake's arms, feeling his hands stroking through her short hair. She did nothing and said nothing, just crying silently to herself, tears running down her face. Her sides were covered in mud, and other fluids. It seemed like the hardened sniper had vanished and left one small, violated frightened girl. Exactly what she was at thus point.

Fuel

They moved quickly and without challenge from the Imperial garrison. It was more like a ghost town than a heavily defended fuel tank. They moved quickly and were soon at the base of the tanks,
"Quickly and quietly" Jenny commanded, throwing charges to each of the attackers. Some remained in position, keeping an eye on the garrison in case someone got wise to what was happening.

Fourteen people, seven houses. The light had begun to fade and the slaves, nude and naturally assuming a position where they would be less noticeable (received from years under masters who were quick at any given time to call upon their pleasures) were nearly invisible in the gloom. Keela, with her duel pistols, hit the wall beside the front door facing outward, leaning to noiselessly crack it open. The door was unlocked: Why would they lock them? Those who lived in the town had everything they needed, so they had no cause to steal from each other, and only locked the doors when they were going out and their slaves, for some reason or another, weren't coming with them. "You'd better go around the back door," whispered Keela to Cavourna. "If we can hit them from both sides there'll be less of a chance anyone will sound an alarm, and if we get into a fight, we won't both be pinned in the same area."
Brush...
Jake tenderly wiped away the Ninth Legionnaire's tears, strange for a kitsune usually so callous and carefree. "Don't cry now, you're safe, shhhhh..." He bodily picked the women up and carried her past the shrapnel-riddled bodies of the soldiers to the fallback point, ducking under their concealed sniper nest. Jake knew that it wouldn't be long before the garrison noticed their patrol missing, and he knew he had to erase all signs that they had been there. But he didn't want to leave Samantha, what with her condition, and once again he was torn with relationship and duty.
This time, he chose differently.
"I'll be right back," He said softly, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, before going back out and retrieving her armor, the weapons and dragging the dead Twelfth Legion troopers into a small ravine. He returned with his knife and Samantha's armor, going back to where the Alversian lay.
Fuel Facility...
Allen nodded and slapped a charge to the side of the tank next to him while Kal kept watch, one eye on arming the charges and the other on the lifeless courtyard. The two Alversians and two kitsune working fast and silently, weary for any noise or movement not made by them, the explosions, gunfire, shouts and screams heard clearly from the hanger.

Cavourna nodded and crept slowly around the back. He crept forward into the darkened one storied house. He moved forward in the dark, using only the moonlight to guide him around the house. He arrived in the bedroom and put his hands to his lips as the startled Slave rose from the bed where she had been sleeping beside the Alversian. Cavourna drew his weapon and slid it across the Alversian's throat, he spluttered for a few moments then flee silent.
Cavourna quietly unlocked the young Kitsune's chains,
"Will you help us free the others?" He asked her quietly.

Jake and Samantha

Samantha just lay where she was for a while but by the time Jake had returned, she had managed to pull some leaves around her torso to hide herself from the outside world. Her eyes were red and hollow from crying and she seemed unable to speak or perform any actions at all. She just sat and wept.

Fuel Tanks

Jenny stuck a few more charges to each tank and made sure they were all set correctly. When she was happy, she motioned to the others and they began to move back towards the hangar

The olive-skinned, black haired and gray furred slave nodded mutely, and Keela emerged from the hall where she had been carefully checking the house, making the "Alls clear" sign to Cavourna. The slave reached inside her dead master's nightshirt and removed a small key, which she used to unlock the dresser drawer beside the bed. From it she procured a small handgun and a clip of ammunition, flipping the safety off and gesturing to Cavourna's knife. He handed the stained weapon over and she cut a strip off the sheet on the bed, wiping the bloodied blade on the body of her master before handing it back to Cavourna. She tied the strip of cloth around her head to keep her bangs out of her eyes and stood, as naked as all the others. It occurred to both Keela and Cavourna that she must have been planning this for some time. Across the other six houses similar situations occurred as the slaves clubbed the Alversians to death and waited for Cavourna to come free the newly rescued slaves. Unfortunately, only the slave Keela and Cavourna had rescued was armed. Seven more slaves brought the party up to twenty-one members, but only fifteen were armed.
Fallback point...
While Jake's experience with crying females had been upped by one, he was certainly no veteran, and certainly not for such a situation. Sitting beside her, keeping an eye out for any more approaching enemies, Jake took Samantha's hands in his, looking seriously into the sniper's eyes. "What happened there, you did it for me." he said softly. "If you hadn't given yourself up, I would be dead right now. Your sacrifice has been probably the greatest of anyone here today. Remember what I said, about not letting your past rule you? That still applies here. I know it hurts, I know it's a lot to get though. And right now, all you need to do is cope and rest. But you have to know that what happened do you isn't the end of the galaxy. You'll pull though. I promise." He pulled her closer, and she could see the pools of tears in his eyes as his voice cracked with emotion. "I'll make sure of it."
Fuel Facility...
Allen nodded to Kal and they turned and started to head back. No one had seen them yet. So far so good...

Cavourna looked around at the group they had rescued, there were quite a few, even if most of them were unarmed. That did not matter, what mattered was that they were now free,
"Is that all the Slaves?" He whispered to Keela as the group sheltered in a house out of the way, "are there any more that need rescueing?"

Jake and Samantha

The silent Alversian looked into Jake's eyes and tears began to gently fall from her own eyes. She shook her head slightly and gave a small nod, in confirmation of what he had said. She opened her mouth as if to speak but nothing came out. She closed her mouth for a few moments then spoke again,
"Clothes..." She muttered weakly, "...I need my clothes..."
Though Jake had brought her to the hideout, she had left her clothes where still in the location where she had been raped and tied up by the Imperial Officer. She was naked and covered in mud still from the incident.

Fuel

"Yeah," Jenny was looking left and right as she walked, "so far, so go..."
before she could finish, laser blasts tore into her chest, her body vibrating viciously from the impact of the blasts before she collapsed backwards without a sound.

Sasha screamed as a dozen Alversians ran from cover to cover in front of them, blasting away at the group, one of the Danaversians fell as did one Alversian. The rest were forced to take cover.

Inside the dark, empty house with all the naked Xiscapian girls pressing together it looked like any straight humanoid's wet dream. Most of them were scared and many unarmed, eyes glowing slightly in the blackness and faces constricted with fright glancing out the windows.
"Is that all the Slaves? Are there any more that need rescueing?"
Keela nodded grimly. "Another forty slaves are still here. But we're in luck. Remember what I said about the town hall meeting? Well, they're all there while their masters meet to discuss. It'll only be lightly guarded, so we can storm the place, free them, and get the hell out while they're still reeling from the shock. If our luck holds, we can time it right to occurr in syncronization with the fuel detonation and make it out just before the town is buried."
Fallback point...
"Right here," Jake reached behind him and took out the dirty, stained shirt, pants and armor that he had retrieved from the field. "Do you want me to turn-" He stopped, realizing how stupid the question he was about to ask was. There was no point in turning away while she dressed, he had already seen her naked anyway.
Fuel...
Allen dove behind a nearby low wall, croutching while blindfiring over the top at the attackers. Kal was nowhere to be seen, and Allen cursed as he took out a grenade, ripped off the pin with his teeth, and chucked it away. Moments later he was rewarded by a blast and a scream, and he dove out and dodged to the next piece of cover, behind a set of stairs leading up to an office. They were being pinned down, and if they didn't get out within the next four minutes and thirty seconds, they would go down with the fuel.

Cavourna nodded, too occupied to notice the girl's current state, he was already trying to think of a way to storm into the Hall without killing any of the slaves there or freed,
"Any ideas?" He asked, not just Keela but the other slaves as well.

Fallback point

The ends of Samantha's mouth curled upwards into a small smile as she slowly began to pull her clothes back on again. She was also rubbing at her hands, where deep red marks had been left by the handcuffs. She scratched at it while also checking her weapon for the first time,
"I've lost my Pistol" She tried to laugh but found she couldn't.

Fuel

Some of the troops were blown away by the grenade and the rest did not bother hanging around to stay with the Rebels. They were enroute to engage Yoko, where a Pilot had made it to his fighter and was starting it up to use it's heavy weapons against their attacker. Again, the courtyard was deserted.

"Any ideas?"
All the slaves looked at each other, and there was only silence. Finally one stepped forward. She was rather petite, only five foot four, black skinned and white haired with snow colored fur and bright, orange eyes. She was holding what seemed to be a kitchen knife. "Uh...sir," she looked a bit nervous, "if we could somehow find the power supply to the town hall, we could cut the lights and they wouldn't be able to see. While they were fumbling around a few of us could go in and start slitting throats and generally making targets of ourselves. If the soldiers and citizens are being attacked they'll worry more about saving their own skins and defending themselves than trying to stop escaping slaves. We could have guards outside the doors, so if anyone tried to pursue the freed slaves they could intercept and take them out."
Keela looked at the dark kitsune. "What's your name, girl?"
"T-Tora." stammered the slave.
Fallback Point...
"It sort of exploded," said Jake dryly. "Saved my life, that little function did. Bastards never knew what hit 'em."
Fuel...
Allen rose cautiously from cover and crept over to check the vitals of Jenny. Her eyes were glassy and dead and her mouth was slightly open in surprise. But the huge burned holes in her chest was all Allen needed to see. He shook his head, standing, as Kal rejoined them, wiping blood off her katana.
Hanger...
Yoko was running out of ammunition. She'd used her entire stock of grenades, all her chain guns rounds, emptied an entire clip of railgun ammunition, and her mechanized systems just slammed another one home when they informed she only had one more clip to spare, and her only weapons left were a flame thrower with a range of thirty yards, gas emitters, and a small portable cannon strapped to her back. Blaster fire continued to ping harmlessly off her armor as she fired her railgun, blowing aside crates and boxes and ripping though flesh to add to the dead stewen about the floor. She saw a fighter lift off, landing gear retracted, and slowly and deliberately begin to hover to face it's weapons towards her.
Time to bring out the heavy weapons.
Yoko's huge suit went down into a kneeling position, hunkered down, not firing anymore. It looked as though she had ceased functioning, but the Alversians kept up their torrent of fire. A grenade landed next to her and detonated, but it seemed to do nothing. Behind the face mask Yoko was muttering quickly, and she finally lifted her hands, extended towards the huge, empty tanker that a number of soldiers were hiding behind. The ship abruptly lifted, jerkily controlled by the Force, moved back a little, and fell. The Imperials screamed and tried to get clear, but the bulk of the vessel crushed them all. It lifted against, crushed armor and body parts sticking to the now crimson-colored bottom, and was flung with startling speed at the fighter. They connected and the fighter was knocked clear across the hanger, tumbling out of control out though the main doors and down to the forest below, where it crashed and exploded spectacularly. Yoko then turned her attention to the rest of the Alversians fruitlessly trying to take her down. She spread her arms high and wide like wings, smiled, and hammered down.
Courtyard...
"We have to move." said Allen, shaking his head. "Those charges will go in less than three minutes. Yoko can take care of herself. As for the others," he gestured to Jenny and the other fallen Rebels, "this is the best funeral pyre I've ever heard of." He sighed. "Let's-"
He was cut off by a sound like galaxies colliding, pounding the eardrums, and then there was a horrific blast as the rear hanger wall, closest to the rest of the squad, exploded outward. Pieces of concrete, mangled steel girders, smashed crates, bits of ships and bodies and fragments of bodies flew past, showering over their heads into the far side of the courtyard. Yoko stood at the destroyed wall, flames, corpses and wreckage seen behind her.
"Go," she finished Allen's sentence for him. "I suggest we leave now, Commander," she addressed Sasha, "we have very little time to waste."

OCC: I might be gone for the rest of tonight, so ya, say the stargates are working between Xiscapia and Celestis and your general has arrived, he will have revoke his Xiscapian citizenship to become Kash's 1# commander(i wont kill him, that could be included in our agreement).

OOC: NC, why do you keep coming into this thread to leave OOC messages?

Cavourna listened to the plan with sharp eyes and an unfriendly expression but when he heard the plan, he broke into a grin,
"Well done, Tora" Cavourna gave her a reassuring smile, "If you can get five others to join you then we're good to go, if not then we're in trouble" he knew time was running out quickly, "Let's move" He checked the area outside the house was clear before they moved out into the street.

Jake and Samantha

"That was the point," Samantha smiled weakly. She was still shivering although it was not as bad as it had been and the Alversian was fighting to keep herself under control for the time being.
"Glad it saved your life, I could have used it myself"

Hangar

Sasha could not take her eyes off her friend from the 1st Legion and tears were falling as she barely acknowledged Yoko and the others,
"Time to go" She repeated faintly, not bothering to take her eyes off her dead, dear friend.

OOC: Just TG me next time please, NC.
IC:
Keela nodded. "You, you, you, you and you," she pointed to four other armed kitsune slaves and grabbed Tora by the arm, grouping them together "with her. You're going in. The rest of you, watch their backs, guide the other slaves, and shoot anyone who isn't female and naked, or wearing Commander Cavourna's armor." She looked to Cavourna. "Shall I and a couple lasses guide the rest of the unarmed back to the fallback point?" she asked, handing Tora one of her pistols. "The less of our people we have in the area, the less of a chance they have of getting shot." Tora and the four under her command were already trotting to the Town Hall, while the other eight armed slaves waited around Cavourna and Keela.
Fallback Point...
"I've gotta get me one of those," Jake shook his head in amusement. He fell silent, and it suddenly became awkward. There wasn't much left to say, and given the circumstances, Samantha didn't seem inclined to make small talk.
Fuel...
Allen was not gifted with the grace and compassion of Jake. He fairly glared at the crying Alversian, gesturing to Yoko. "Pick her up, carry her down." he instructed gruffly, turning back to shout to the rest. "All right! Commander Sasha is currently unfit for duty! Until she says otherwise, I'll be guiding your asses out of here! Let's move!" He began to led them out of the facility and down the mountain, where it sloped more smoothly. If they could make it, the team would be on the opposite side of the mountain when the blast occurred and would be safe to make their way down to the fallback point at their leisure.
Yoko reached out to Cavourna.
Commander, you have less than three minutes before the fuel is destroyed. We have suffered casualties, but we are leaving now to the fallback point.

"Very good, Keela, lead the others back to the fallback point. I think we've outstayed our welcome" He grinned then pointed at the eight with him,
"Come on, we need to protect the Kitsune while they rescue the slaves" He lifted his rifle and moved towards the town after the others.

Cavourna was grim as he received the message from Yoko, this was going to have to be a military style sweep and run. Casualties...hopefully none of his men.

Fallback Point

Samantha had nothing left to say and sat for a while, looking through her rifle before glancing back at Jake,
"Thank you" She said quietly, "For comforting me. It was not an easy time back there"

Hangar

Sasha, although she did not protest, gave a small kick to protest against her being carried.

"C'mon, you lot," Keela gestured for the others to follow her, and she led a string of naked Xiscapians though the dark streets back into the woods, going for the extraction point.

The eight kitsune former slaves loyally followed Cavourna, rifles or pistols up and ready for the first Imperial to show himself.

Tora and two of her women stood by the front door of the brightly lit town hall, a dead guard slumped against the wall, neck broken by a lucky blow. One of the others had gone around to come though a window, and the fifth had found the generator and would be destroying it...
Now!
Suddenly the town hall was pitch black, and in the chaos no one noticed the five kitsune slip inside, aided by their night vision. Imperial guards and Alversian citizens scrambled in the darkness for a light switch or the door. All forty slaves were chained together in a separate room, and two armed slaves ran in and began blasting the chains apart. The guards and citizens turned at the noise and light, but now the other three were gliding though the crowd, taking knees out from under humans and stabbing them or lighting themselves up by a brief flash of harsh red blaster fire light when they killed before receding back into the shadows. Whenever they fired they were sure to shoot point-black, because they had to look away from the blast or risk being blinded. The Imperials were not so careful and fired blindly, destroying what little night vision they had and hitting each other by accident. One slave was hit in her left arm and went down, lying on the floor by the front door. Cavourna and his group would see a small mob of scared citizens and a few more cowardly guards stampeding out the door, trying to escape, as the first few freed slaves burst out into the night.
Fallback Point...
"Thank you. For comforting me. It was not an easy time back there"
Jake nodded sadly. "It wasn't. I know. Look, this is really all my fault. If I hadn't been such an asshole and got you worked up in the first place, we never would have gotten captured by that patrol. I...I'm sorry." He hung his head. "I feel so ashamed."
Mountain...
Yoko looked questioningly to Allen as Sasha kicked in her arms. "Commander?"
Allen nodded. "Put her down, Private." Yoko slowly, gently lowered Sasha to the ground as the team exited to facility and began to descend the mountain slope.
OOC: Off for the night. I'm sure you'll want to be going to bed too. Night.

Cavourna had arranged the slaves so they could shoot at the retreating Alversians without risking being trampled by the crowd. Men fell left and right as Cavourna saw the slaves run for the bush, a wounded comrade in tow. He nodded to his own Slaves and they were soon heading down to the fallback point.

Jack and Samantha

Samantha shook her head,
"No, if we had been here then they would have killed us. We're both alive and there's been no damage done" She looked as though she meant the opposite of what she said, "and the others can pull back without passing our dead bodies"

Cliff

Sasha climbed as fast as the others, tears running down her face but still having the focus to climb from rung to rung, evidence that the bomb was about to explode.

Aside from one wounded and a few minor cuts and bruises, the operation was a complete success. The former slaves soon left behind the dead and wounded Imperials in and around the hall, moving at a rapid clip off into the night. A few citizens and panicked guards had escaped, but they were of no consequence. In no time Keela had reached the fallback point, but motioned to the other slaves to keep quiet as she strained to listen in.
"No, if we had been here then they would have killed us. We're both alive and there's been no damage done, and the others can pull back without passing our dead bodies." she heard Samantha say. Her tone sounded like she was thinking the exact opposite, however, and Jake seemed to recognize this. "Yes there was damage done, damn it. What happened...you..." He struggled, and finally subsided. "It's not okay." She heard him mumble. Keela decided then was the time. She did a passable imitation of a nightingale, and Jake's ears perked. "C'mon in, Warrant Officer." Keela led her two escorts and six unarmed slaves past the fallback point to the prearranged extraction area. Soon enough Cavourna and the rest joined them, and for the first time it seemed to strike the slaves that they were free, and the air was filled with rejoicing. Keela smacked Cavourna on the back hard enough to make him stagger, grinning widely, a fierce gleam in her eyes. "We're outta here! We got them bastards Commander, we got 'em good!" Around them former slaves danced and hugged and shouted their happiness.
Cliff...
They had made it about half way down when the bombs went off and the fuel exploded. It shook the entire mountain, and they could feel the vibrations as the facility was obliterated and a wall of rock swept down though the forest and crushed the town beneath it, killing any unlucky souls who happened to still be in the town. The sky above them was suddenly filled with orange as huge, hungry flames licked at the pathetic remaining bits and pieces of what had been the fuel facility. Yoko messaged Cavourna as the rest wore grins of satisfaction.
We are halfway down the mountain now. I regret to inform you Commander Jenny perished during the fighting, as did two other Rebels. We got their dog tags, which will be given to you as soon as we reach the fallback point. May I be the first to offer my congratulations on a successful mission, Commander.

Cavourna took the slap to the back like a man and did not let it show that it had actually stung. He grinned at Keela as the other slaves began to rejoice,
"What is it like to be free again, Warrant Officer Keela?" He grinned then embraced two Slaves had run to hug him in gratitude. He laughed at them but then managed to bring himself down to earth slightly. They weren't out of the woods yet.

Then he watched the explosion and felt a great rejoicing only dampened by the loss of Jenny. She was to have been a key part of rebuilding the rebellion and he didn't know how Sasha would cope without her friend. The two of them had been very close. He decided it was time for the fallback point to be abandoned. Any Imperial troops still alive in the town would have been crushed or simply fled.

When he saw Jake and Samantha emerge from the bushes, his smile faded slightly, he saw Samantha looking shellshocked, her clothes arranged in a haphazard fashion and her armour gone altogether. She looked completey different to the Sniper he had left behind.
"Jake!" Cavourna called Jake and Keela over to him, they moved a little out of earshot from the slaves,
"Whats happened Jake?" he asked, his voice filled with concern, "What's happened to Samantha?"

"What is it like to be free again, Warrant Officer Keela?"
"You can't keep a good kitsune down!" cowed Keela, grinning madly. Around them the rest of the freed girls didn't cease in their wild whoops and yells, but when Cavourna called her over Keela went with him to Jake and Samantha.
"Whats happened Jake? What's happened to Samantha?"
"She was raped." Jake said bluntly. "We...came upon an Imperial patrol and was captured. She let them have their way with her, and saved my life because of it. Afterward they tried to kill me with her pistol, but that...backfired." He managed a small, humorless smile.
Cliffs...
The rest of the Rebels finally made it to the forest, and made their way though the forest to the fallback point. Yoko, Kal, Allen and Sasha were at the front of the group, with the rest following behind. Most of their mouths simply dropped when the scene met their eyes, but Allen led Sasha to Cavourna, stopping a respectful distance away just outside of earshot, three marred metal dog tags dangling from his fist.

Cavourna stared open mouthed as he heard of what had happened to Samantha, he tried to say something but no words came out. He shook his head in horror and closed his mouth. There was nothing to say,
"Get some of the Freed Slaves to look after her" he instructed Keela, "Do what you can for her"

When Sasha and Allen came to Cavourna and showed him the dogtags, he just nodde grimly,
"Casualties were always inevitable," he reasoned sadly, "good troops had fallen for a good cause" He looked from Sasha to Samantha again, "and I think we have outstayed our welcome."

"Do what you can for her"
Keela nodded sadly, taking Samantha by the hand and leading her away. With a glance at Allen Jake made to follow, but the Xiscapian Sergant shook his head. "Stay here, Private." he ordered, though not unkindly. "You can go to her later. Right now, your place is here."
"and I think we have outstayed our welcome."
"I agree, Commander." said Yoko in the same metallic, calm voice that had come to be associated with her. "However, I do not believe our spy craft will hold all of the slaves and our force. Do we have back-up dropships?"
No one had noticed Kal disappear.

Cavourna frowned lightly, it was true that there would not be enough room in the stealth fighter for all of them but hopefully Krystal had been able to get some dropships scraped together to evactuate them. If not, then they would have to improvise with what they had.
He looked back at Yoko and smiled,
"Hopefully, the Admiral is taking care of that" He made reference to Krystal by rank rather than name, "And we should be out of here pretty soon" He did not want to spoil the good mood by telling the Slaves they may have to wait a little longer than planned.

A Resistance light cruiser which seemed to be modified parts outfitted to what had been the hull of a Xiscapian Destroyer appeared over the planet, and two dropships spat out from the hanger and burned their way to the extraction point. Landing easily but noisily, it was clear that both of the evacuation craft were old and not very well maintained, and after the slaves were loaded they rose jerky into the air, groaning under the additional weight to move shakily into the sky. The rest had gone to the stealth fighter, and now only Cavourna, Keela, Allen, Jake, Sasha, and Yoko were left. They slowly boarded the stealth fighter, each lost in their own thoughts. The mission had been more successful than they could have hoped for, with the obliteration of the fuel, the freeing sixty slaves and the recovery of Imperial weapons and equipment to the barely hanging on Resistance. But they had taken casualties, as Cavourna had said, in some less obvious ways than others.

Cavourna sat in the stealth fighter as it jerkily rose into the air. He was thinking of the report he would have to give to Krystal about what had happened here, the casualties inflicted as well as those who had been found again. There would also be other issues that would have to be addressed and he knew at least one member of his team deserved a medal for her bravery and sacrifice.

Back at the Resistance base the freed kitsune were clothed, fed, given medical check-ups and finally, armed. There was no life to go back to now, and indeed many of the former slaves were enthusiastic about joining and training in the Rebellion. Yoko had vanished, presumably for some R&R, as had most of the rest of the force. Allen stood with Cavourna outside the Command Center, both males having written up full reports and were about to present them to Admiral Krystal. He stayed silent, and it seemed to Cavourna he was simultaneously nervous of meeting with the High Command, prideful of his job well done, and overall brimming with cool military efficiency to try and hide the former two. Keela, dressed in a miraculously complete warrant officer's uniform, soon joined them, hands on her hips.
"I really don't mind being naked, but it's good to finally be able to wear clothes again," she said conversationally. "Especially a military uniform." Her katana, recovered from the town before it had been destroyed, hung at her side and a silver blaster pistol was holstered at her hip. The Resistance had been glad to have the old hand back.
Samantha's Quarters...
Jake stopped outside the door, biting his lip. He had no idea of how to approach her now, or even if he should at all. Then he frowned, and leaned closer. He could hear two women inside, speaking quietly and indistinctly. One of them was definitely Samantha, but the other's he had never heard before. It was light and reasonable, but one sensed pain and sorrow hidden behind the words, as though the speaker was trying to conceal her own feelings from Samantha.
Mustering his courage, Jake knocked. "Hallo?" he called. "It's me."
OOC: The other person is Kal, just to let you know. She's been ministering to Samantha, sharing her own experience and trying to help her though.

"Good to have you back in uniform as well, Warrant Officer" Cavourna nodded with a small noise of impressment, "I have to say it suites you more than a leash" He chuckled slightly, then glanced back at Kal, sensing the Junior Officer's nervousness,
"Relax, Allen" Cavourna decided to keep it informal until they were inside, "Grand Admiral Krystal is more than ready to listen to your reports. The Pantheria Commander, on the other hand" he gave a casual shrug, thinking of the two dismembered Officers who waited inside.

Samantha's appartment

"Come on in, Jake" Samantha sat in one of the comfortable chairs, facing Kal with whom she had been talking. She was sitting in looser and more comfortable clothes than those she wore on duty but there was still evidence of gauntness and anguish in her eyes and her manner. She was holding a cup of steaming liquid.

Kal was sitting opposite with a cup of some kind and both had looked up to see Jake enter,
"hi, Jake" Samantha welcomed happily then made a move to get up, "Can I get you anything?" All her movements were still slow and filled with pain.

"I have to say it suites you more than a leash"
Keela just smiled, shaking her head. "Sure is a hell of a lot more comfortable than a leash."
"Grand Admiral Krystal is more than ready to listen to your reports. The Pantheria Commander, on the other hand..."
Allen started, evidently not having thought Cavourna was that perceptive. "That's what I'm..." he shook his head. "There's the thing. That Alumina scares the livin' crap outta me. Her missing eye, and the way she just stares...like yer a mouse..." He shivered slightly.
Samantha's Quarters...
Kal was dressed in a tight fitting navy-blue jumpsuit, not unlike the one she had gone on the mission in, but minus the armor and all the weapons. She merely nodded her acknowledgment as the other kitsune entered, wearing jeans and a casual work shirt with a bandanna around his forehead.
"Can I get you anything?"
"Uh, no, thank you," said Jake as he waved her down, glancing at Kal, who stared stoically back over the rim of her mug. Kal could stare like an Alumina. He sat in an empty seat, suddenly feeling very out of place.
No one spoke.
"How've you been?" he asked tentatively.

"Now be careful," Cavourna warned, "The Alumina are naturally paranoid anyway but Commander Nigripes has more reason than most to be hostile to unknown people. It was from a rebel weapon that cost her an eye" He warned casually then looked back to Keela,
"When was the last time you saw the Grand Admiral?" He asked her, knowing how much she had changed in so short a time.

Samantha's appartment

"Coping," Samantha confirmed, settling painfully down again and trying to relax, "It hasn't been easy but Kal here has been more than helpful with regards to what happened" Samantha was quiet for a while as she thought about what she had just said,
"And you?" She asked Jake, "How have you been?"

Allen fell silent once more, digesting the information. It sounded as though Nigripes had been betrayed in the past by a Rebel turncoat...or maybe even an Imperial Spy.
"When was the last time you saw the Grand Admiral?"
Krystal shook her head sadly. "Remember when I arranged Kartosh and Skyler to get you and her off of Xiscapia, all those years ago? The last time I ever saw her was when she was giving me instructions for my assignment in Tenfour. For the longest time I had hope, but when I heard the Calypso was destroyed along with most of the Resistance, I thought she had surely perished with it."
Samantha's Apartment...
"How have you been?"
"Alright," Jake said with a sigh. "Look...what happened back there. We never got a chance to finish our conversation. What you said and what you meant...they weren't the same thing. I need to know how you feel. I need to make things right." His eyes met her, and they pleaded with her.
Kal stood, setting her mug down. "Do you want me to leave?" she asked Samantha softly in her beautiful voice. It was the first time Jake had ever heard her speak.

"Alas, no" Cavourna smiled, "The crew of the ship went down with her, but we managed to escape" He hesitated slightly, "She is...different...to what you remember. Prepare for a small shock" He warned her as he readied himself again to meet with the Kitsune as well as the Alumina.

Samantha's appartment

"Please" Samantha nodded to Kal then watched as she gracefully stood and left the appartment. When she was sure that the door was closed, Samantha looked at the Kitsune,
"What do want to talk about?" Samantha asked, frowning lightly, her recollections of that night were hazy at best, she had tried to block it out. Kal was bringing that to the surface to confront it and move on. Easier said than done.

"She is...different...to what you remember. Prepare for a small shock"
Keela merely nodded, and a moment later the door opened, and a kitsune Resistance soldier stepped though, looking at all three of them. "Commander Cavourna, Warrant Officer Keela, Sergeant Allen, the Grand Admiral and Intelligence Commander are waiting." He stepped aside, and they entered.
Krystal was on the top level of the same multi-tired structure she had been before, behind panes of glass with rebels working at glowing computer monitors as the central depression of generators, modems, CPUs and a forest of wires and cables hummed and hissed at the bottom. Two soldiers guarded the double steel and glass doors, and they ushered the the human and kitsune up to the top level. Krystal turned as they reached the top of the stairs, and Keela tensed ever so slightly at the sight of the mechanical, out-of-place leg that had replaced her real, right one. She bowed. "Sergeant Allen, Commander Cavourna, glad you have you back." Her eyes drifted over to Keela. "And you, Warrant Officer Keela. It is so good to see you again: I feared you dead."
"As did I you," Keela bowed in return, as did Allen, "but you should know it'll take more than a company of Imps to kill me."
Krystal smiled, and turned to Cavourna and Allen. "I will want to hear both your reports, but first," she tapped her mouthpiece, speaking into it, "Commander, the Sergeant and Commander have returned, with a guest. I trust you will wish to hear their full reports and give them their debriefing."
Samantha's Apartment...
"What did want to talk about?"
"It's just that I blame myself for what happened to you, and I think you..." He paused, hesitant. "I think at the time you blamed me too. I can't live with myself, I know it was my fault, but I can't continue without your forgiveness. I know this is a lot to dump onto you, now," he nodded, "and I understand if you can't find it in yourself to accept my sorrow. It was a stupid, foolish mistake I made, and I and I alone can only hold myself fully accountable."

At the command of Krystal, another door opened and the one-eyed Alumina strode into the room, she was looking from one to the other with her normal, hostile glare. She looked decidedly ill and stood at ease while Cavourna glanced at her with concern, the stress of trying to maintain a viable intelligence network throughtout a very paranoid empire was taking it's toll.

Samantha's appartment

Samantha listened to Jake as he got his concerns of his chest and did not answer him but listened intently, when he was finished, she gave a small smile,
"Jake," She replied tenderly, "Not once, from the moment I felt a gun in my back to this moment now, have I held you in any way to blame. I was in the 9th Legion myself and I thought I could handle any situation, I was wrong" She lowered her head and her eyes fixed on the floor,
"I brought this on myself, I was only glad you were there to help me when I needed it most" She looked up him again, "Thank you for that"

"Glad you could join us, Commander." said Krystal, apparently oblivious to Nigripe's condition. She had been like this for some time now, and she never stopped working except for brief breaks to sleep, eat, and use the bathroom and all its functions. Krystal couldn't afford to have anyone take any time off, but she knew that even if she asked the Alumina would refuse outright. She would never stop until the Empire was defeated, or she was dead. And even then, Krystal had her doubts.
"I believe you know Warrant Officer Keela," she gestured and Keela bowed. "Now, Commander Cavourna and Sergeant Allen were about to give their reports on our recent operation. Please," she waved a hand, "begin."
Allen told of Delta fire team's involvement, mainly the scaling of the cliff and the destruction of the fuel facility. He finished with "When we made it back to the fallback point, we found the slaves and the Commander there. He'll have to fill in that part of the report." He glanced at Cavourna. Allen had not so much as looked at Nigripes the entire time.
Samantha's Apartment...
"I brought this on myself, I was only glad you were there to help me when I needed it most. Thank you for that"
Jake felt lifted, as though a constricting disease he had carried with him ever since that time had been cured. Relief washed over his voice as he answered. "I...am glad I could help." he said simply. "You are a strong women, Samantha. With Kal beside you, I have no doubt you'll beat this thing."

Cavourna filled in the rest of the report, reeling off his facts seemlessly with all the guile and experience gained from years as a staff officer. His eyes were focused on the exhausted Alumina as he recounted how they ahd rescued Keela, rescued the other slaves then returned to find that their snipers had been ambushed and the female raped by Imperials. Neither commander seemed affected by this statement.
When he had finished, Cavourna looked to Nigripes, expecting a barrage of uncompromising questions with regards to every piece of information possible. However, the Alumina waved her hand limply to indicate she had been listening. She did not seem to have the strength to even talk.

Samantha's flat

"I hope so, Jake, I hope so" She shook her own head and sighed, "and I'm sorry for being so snappy back in the fallback point. If I had not been so touchy, then none of this would have happened" She sighed sadly again, "If it was anyone's fault, it was mine"

Krystal nodded. "Sergeant Allen, Warrant Officer Keela, you are dismissed." She nodded to Keela. "We'll catch up later." Keela bowed and the two kitsune exited. Krystal looked at Nigripes, glanced at Cavourna, and turned fully to face her counterpart. "Commander," she addressed the Alumina, "I must once again insist that you take some leave for R&R. In your present state, though I know your functional abilities will not come into question, I fear your physical body is not equipped to handle the work you have been putting it though."
Samantha's Flat...
"and I'm sorry for being so snappy back in the fallback point. If I had not been so touchy, then none of this would have happened. If it was anyone's fault, it was mine"
"Would'ves, could'ves and should'ves don't change anything." said Jake briskly. "We need to focus on now. How do you feel about," he waved his hand, "what happened, now that Kal had talked to you?"

The Alumina turned to face Krystal as if she had just personally insulted her honour and shook her head,
"Again, I must decline your offer, Ma'am" Nigripes was now respectful enough of Krystal to address her by her title and not some inferior name, "Not when I have vital information for you both"

She took a deep breath to steady herself,
"It seems that the orr have mounted a counter-attack in their war and the Alversian Army has collapsed in front of it. Not good news for us" SHe looked from one to the other, "However, it now seems that the Korr Army and economy are starting to fall under the strain of the war as well. If things continue as I have predicted, then both Empires will implode in a matter of weeks" She settled down now, exhausted from the effort of presenting her information.

Samantha's Flat

"Better," Samantha admitted, "But I'll never be able to truy come to terms with what happened and I don't know how I'm going to react to seeing another Imperial Officer" She shivered even thinking about it.

"It seems that the Korr have mounted a counter-attack in their war and the Alversian Army has collapsed in front of it. Not good news for us. However, it now seems that the Korr Army and economy are starting to fall under the strain of the war as well. If things continue as I have predicted, then both Empires will implode in a matter of weeks"
"On the contrary, Commander," said Krystal smoothly, "this is the best news I have heard in years. The Alversians will retreat across their space as the Korr push their advantage. The Korr will then be forced to halt their advance or risk total national collapse. I believe the Alversians will fall back to protect their main territory, that is, Alversia and it's surrounding systems, in case the Korr attempt a final push to gain control of their territory. However, the Korr will be unable to maintain their grip on Imperial space, and they too will recede, probably past their borders, to deal with their own internal problems. In this window, once the Imperials leave, we can recapture Xiscapia for the Resistance, but should the Korr managed to advance as far as Xiscapia, we can repel them. Should either Empire regain stability and grow to it's former strength, they will not be able to regain their power. The collapse will have freed dozens of occupied nations on both sides, and all will fight viciously to protect their freedom and sovereignty. Once your network receives word the Alversians are pulling out of Xiscapia, Commander, we must go there and set up the new government. The war will finally be over."
Krystal, for the first time in literally years, was grinning widely. There was a flash, only briefly and gone all too quickly, of the young girl she had once been, before she settled back into her old self. The Alversians would leave Xiscapia, and all they had to do was pick up where they had left off.
If only it had been that easy.
Samantha's Flat...
"But I'll never be able to truly come to terms with what happened and I don't know how I'm going to react to seeing another Imperial Officer"
"Can you still fight, do you think?" Jake sounded concerned. "The Resistance needs you on the battlefield. The next Imp officer you see, you can just blow his head off. Next time, I promise, I'll be watching your back." Some of his old cockiness was returning.

"Maybe, Grand Admiral, maybe" Nigripes did not sound as optimistic as her commander but then she was too exhausted to be enthusiastic about anything. Her own people were virtually extinct anyway so she had nothing to fight for personally.
"I shall return to my post" She announced and, with a quick bow to Krystal, had shuffled from the room"

Samantha's flat

Samantha smiled briefly, showing a new sign of confidence and self-assurance. She was comfortable enough to smile again. She nodded,
"I will probably go back into action again" She confirmed, "But I don't want to get close to them," She gave a violent shudder, "I'll stick to snipering from now on. No special ops"

"I shall return to my post"
Krystal watched her friend and comrade go with a small, sad smile on her lips. "She works far too hard." she murmured, more to herself than Cavourna, as the door closed. "But it has become evident to me Alumina do not know the meaning of 'time off.' Well!" She clapped her hands. "Congratulations on a successful mission, Commander. What types and how many weapons and pieces of equipment did we manage to make off with?"
Samantha's Flat...
"But I don't want to get close to them, I'll stick to sniping from now on. No special ops"
Jake nodded. "All you have to do for now is rest and cope, until the next mission. No one can expect anything more from you. No worries."

Cavourna had been staring at Nigripes with great concern until Krystal talked to him again, congradulating him on the success of his mission,
"We were lucky, ma'am" Cavourna reported grimly, "We managed to steal a few weapons of various calibres as well as a deployment map for two Imperial Armies." He sighed, "However, I don't think they really detract from what has happened. Commander Jenny was amongst the dead"

Samantha's appartmen

"It will take a while Jake, but I think I will be able to overcome this after a few weeks or months" She sighed sadly and shook her head, "Until then, I don't think I coud handle the stress of combat. You're gonna have to kill them for me" She gave a small smile.

"However, I don't think they really detract from what has happened. Commander Jenny was amongst the dead"
"Oh," Krystal's face fell. "Commander Sasha must be devastated. I'm so sorry..." She paused. "How did she die?"
Samantha's Flat (you almost got it!)...
"Until then, I don't think I could handle the stress of combat. You're gonna have to kill them for me"
Jake grinned. "I think I can be persuaded double my workload," he pantomimed shooting a gun, "with a little," he winked, "incentive."

"Ambushed by Imperial troops and suffering multiple wounds to the chest" Cavourna answered quickly and grimly, "I'm told she died instantly" he sighed and shook his head,
"Commander Sasha is not taking the news well, I think it will take quite a while for her to recover from her friend's death," He sighed heavily, "I don't know how much use she will be to the Rebellion now"

Samantha's Flat (Same thing, lol...)

"What did you have in mind, ace Sniper" a small smile crept across her face as she looked over at the Kitsune.

"I don't know how much use she will be to the Rebellion now"
"Then she should be kept out of action until we can be sure of her worth," said Krystal calmly. "We do not have the fund, personnel, or time to rehabilitate her, sadly. Once we claim Xiscapia, perhaps then she can be truly helped."
It would be wrong to say years of fighting the Imperials had hardened Krystal. But it had, however, aged her, and the sense of responsibility was draining. Probably the only other person in the Resistance who worked harder and pushed herself further was Nigripes. Krystal saw things very plainly now, separated into two parts: What had to be done, and what could be discarded as trivial or unimportant to the task at hand. She had gotten very, very good at going from point A to point B effusively. At the moment, Sasha was not a part of the big picture.
People first, then individuals, her mentality seemed to say.
Samantha's Flat...
"What did you have in mind, ace Sniper"
"Oh, I dunno," Jake gave a wolfish smile. "it seems to me that a women like you needs a big, strong kitsune around to...help her out. If you catch my drift."

"I understand, Ma'am" Cavourna was thinking of what jobs he could appoint to Sasha in the meantime while she recovered from her version of shellshock, "If I could put her in command of training troops then she could still be useful Ma'am" Cavourna suggested, "She does still have experience of Guerilla warfare that could be useful"

Samantha's Flat

"I think I do" Samantha now grinned wolfishly and settled down beside Jake on his chair, "I think I need a strong Kitsune to help me in these next few months, can I depend on you, Sniper Ace?" She teased him.

"If I could put her in command of training troops then she could still be useful Ma'am. She does still have experience of Guerilla warfare that could be useful"
"Make it so, Commander. I hope we will not have to use guerrilla warfare for much longer, though. Once we can take back Xiscapia, we can resurrect the real XGA!" her eyes were glowing with the thought. "It will take some time to fully train and organize and sizable Army or Navy, but I am confident we can do it. The Imperial Treasury was vast, and it is hidden in places even the Alversians cannot find."
Samantha's Flat...
"I think I need a strong Kitsune to help me in these next few months, can I depend on you, Sniper Ace?"
"I'm your ma-kitsune," he corrected himself. "You'd be amazed at what I can do, aside from blowing an Imperial's head off from a mile away."

"Be careful Ma'am" Cavourna warned her cautiously, "Sudden collapses usually cause great internal and external friction, I fear a slow build up of military forces may not be an option" He was thinking of how many neighbouring systems would be liberated suddenly, how many would look to Xiscapia as the perfect building block for their own empires. He sighed, now came the bombshell of advice,
"And there is always the chance of Civil War"

Samantha's Flat

"I have no doubt you can," Samantha purred as she tucked up beside Jake, nestling beside him, "I always thought you were a special one, Mr Jake, I always knew" She grinned up at him.

"Sudden collapses usually cause great internal and external friction, I fear a slow build up of military forces may not be an option"
"I am not speaking of a slow build up." said Krystal quietly. "Eventually, yes, but I expect that all of the Resistance and as many able-bodied, willing citizens as possible form a militia, in case either the Empire, the Supremacy, or some other newly freed nation decides to drop in. Xiscapia will be extremely vulnerable upon the Imperial withdrawal, and we must secure her for ourselves as fast as we can."
"And there is always the chance of Civil War"
Krystal did not seem surprised. "Of course there is, Commander. With so many different races, and even different ideals brought together in the Resistance, friction is inevitable. Rest assured we have plans in place should any opposition rise. We learned from the mistakes of your people, Commander, all that time ago, when the APA and the Imperials fought over Alversia. I am determined Xiscapia will not fall to the same fate. If the APA had won that war, things might have turned out very different indeed."
Samantha's Flat...
"I always thought you were a special one, Mr. Jake, I always knew"
Jake threw an arm around her shoulders, getting comfortable. "And I always knew I was a special one too," he grinned. "Seriously, though, I knew there was a soft side under that hard, marksman shell you put up. You can be affectionate when you want to," he tapped her nose playfully, "otherwise I never even would have spoken to you."

"I hope so, Commander, I hope so" Cavourna sighed, "In the meantime, are there are any outstanding requirements that need completing or shall I sit and wait for the meantime?" He asked politely

Samantha's Flat

"I doubt that very much," Samantha replied as she snuggled up to Jake so they were touching, "I think you would have tried to talk to me even if I had bitten your head off" She giggled playfully as he tapped her nose,
"I don't usually like men who are very boastful of themselves" She explained to him, "It makes them less...attractive"

"In the meantime, are there are any outstanding requirements that need completing or shall I sit and wait for the meantime?"
"I have no assignments for you other than seeing to the well-being and comfort of you men," said Krystal. "However, do not let your guard down or lose your edge. The war may only be weeks away from ending, but this is a crucial time. We cannot afford any mistakes now."
Samantha's Flat...
"I don't usually like men who are very boastful of themselves. It makes them less...attractive"
"Me? Boastful?" said Jake in mock shock and hurt. "Whatever would give you that idea? I'm as humble as a farmer." He tried to look down-to-earth, and failed miserably.
It was probably the hair.

"Yes Ma'am" Cavourna bowed as he left the operations room. He sighed as he left, knowing that Krystal was pushing herself from the edge and he could only hope that this could be ended quickly before she and Nigripes destroyed themselves.

Samantha's flat

"Don't worry" Samantha flashed a grin at Jake, "Sometimes, such assurance can be...attractive" She grinned at him and steadly rose to his level, looking straight into his eyes, without another word, she closed on him and her full, red lips locked with his in a passionate but enquiring kiss.

After Cavourna exited Krystal sat down at a table and stared at a starchart. It showed all of known space, stretching from the ends of Korr space to the limits of Imperial territory. Almost the entire map was colored either blue, for the Korr, or red, for the Alversians, with little bits of black space around the edges and here and there amongst the red and blue. Krystal knew most of these tiny areas of space were enveloped in ion storms, too close to nebula's for most ships to function properly, or inside thick, cluttered asteroid fields. Here and there, in little places, the Resistance lived one, some no bigger than a patrol going to what she had here, several thousand members living in this starbase. While both the Empire and the Supremacy fought each other for control and began to crumble, the Resistance would go unnoticed, and as both sides began to recede they would watch the Resistance eagerly snap up Xiscapia. And then, maybe, other worlds...who knew? Perhaps the newly freed planets could form a coalition, against their former enemies, but Krystal knew anything like that would be a long time in coming. Most of these conquered peoples wouldn't be so fast to ally with anyone, and after all that had happened, Krystal could hardly blame them.
Samantha's Flat...
Jake's eyelids half lowered in delight as her lips met his, and he began to kiss back, disengaging to rub his smooth cheeks across hers and activating his pleasure glands. Slowly she fell backwards, him on top of her on the couch, kissing and nuzzling and just generally being close to each other.

Nigripes returned back into the room once more after Cavourna had gone. Tired cat eyes met tired fox-eyes as she nodded to the Xiscapian Commander,
"Ma'am, here is the latest report from the Imperial-Korr War" She handed Krystal a rather detailed report with information from everything to troop numbers, mobilisation and deployment to how many rifles were being produced across the Empire. It was an exhaustive piece of intelligence that utilized thousands of sources across thousands of lightyears,

"I do believe that the Empire is now finally beginning to collapse" The Alumina summed it up tiredly, "Both Empires"

Samantha's flat

Samantha lay beneath Jake, enjoying the general closeness of them and the touch of their body's. She purred gently as she felt Jake over the top of her, her hands stroking all along his back in delight

"I do believe that the Empire is now finally beginning to collapse. Both Empires."
"So it seems, Commander. So it seems." Krystal nodded, ignoring the dull ache that was forming behind her eyes as she scanned the report. With the massive amount of resources, raw materials, troops, vehicles, ships and weapons at the disposal of both sides, many of the Imperial-Supremacy battles were on a vast, grand scale, Naval battles sometimes spanning entire systems with thousands of ships entering combat all at once. On contested worlds hundreds of thousands of soldiers were being thrown at each other, fighting with such force that in some areas permanent changes were made to the landscape by it. Despite the recent Alversian advancement, the two sides were deadlocked, unwilling to give any ground but unable to make any. Something had to give.
Krystal knew it was harsh, but this was a question that had to be answered. "Any word on what has become of the Alumina fleet?" Krystal had not seen hide nor fur of the surviving Alumina since they left her, offended, from that world all those years ago.
Samantha's Flat...
Jake shifted so that now the two were lying side-by-side on the couch, one leg thrown over both of hers, head lying bent on her side by her breast. He snuggled in closer to the depression their bodies made in the support below, hands clasped around her stomach, soaking up Samantha's body heat with a sigh of satisfaction. His top ears twitched slightly and the silky plume of his tail lifted itself to rest gently across both hers and his hips.

"No word Ma'am" Nigripes replied stiffly, "The Alumina Fleet will have done one of two things, gone into hiding or fought to it's extinction. I suspect the later choice is the one more likely" She shook her head grimly then looked over her own copy of the report,
"As you can see, Ma'am, the last battle of Nortonia has torn a hole in the Korr lines but the Alversians haven't the reserves to take advantage of it. I estimate casualties from the battle at one million to each side."
She was looking over the final details of the document,
"My Contacts inform me that the Emperor is removing one Battalion from each garrison Legion to form new frontline units. That includes the 12th Legion" She looked into Krystal's eyes, "That means a qaurter less troops to deal with on Xiscapia"

Samantha's Flat

Samantha snuggled close to Jake, enjoying just being with him for now, without a view of hostility that she had erected before as her only defence prior to this. Now she was open and enjoying his delicate affection, something she needed after what had happened.

"My Contacts inform me that the Emperor is removing one Battalion from each garrison Legion to form new front line units. That includes the 12th Legion. That means a quarter less troops to deal with on Xiscapia."
"But we are still severely outnumbered. Even if we attack with the entire Resistance, the Imperial force there dwarfs us by a good ten to fifteen thousand." Krystal sighed. "Commander, we are going to have to be very careful and very clever about how we go about this. If we win, we win it all. Xiscapia's freedom, the new government, the ceasing of oppression of her citizens. If we lose, we lose everything, the Resistance would be crushed once and for all, you and I would probably be captured or killed, and Xiscapia would be destroyed by the Empire."
Samantha's Flat...
Jake was slowly falling asleep. He had gotten very little sleep since the mission. Fighting always left him energetic, and he had been so worried about Samantha he had been like an insomniac, wondering the halls and little-used, permanently darkened corridors of the star base like a gaunt spectre. Now, with a comfortable couch underneath, a warm body beside him and the knowledge that Samantha had forgiven him and made up for it with a kiss, he felt himself slowly drifting off...

"I am aware of that Commander" the Alumina gave a tired sigh, "however, you forget there are a mere 13-15,000 men to govern an entire planet. They are very thinly stretched at the moment in an attempt to keep order throughout the planet. I have calculated the maximum reserve they can afford to send to a single location is a mere 250 men. If we were to land and force the garrison from a small town then I suspect we may have local superiority of numbers." Nigripes had spent hours planning for this moment and now she was revealling her plans for the first time to her superior.

Krystal cocked her head, thinking things over. "That means that we would only need to send a company of soldiers to any given location outside of one of the major cities to secure it. If we strike in multiple provinces and overwhelm the defenders, the Imperials will not know which way to turn. If we can rally the civilians, combined with the scattering of Imperials and our own forces, we can rout them quickly even from major cities, like Lune and Tenfour."

The Alumina did not make any sign that she had heard Krystal but continued to talk anyway,
"There is that possibility Commander, however, timing is everything in a mission like this. If we are too soon with our attack then the Empire will simply dispatch another Legion to restore order. Timing will be everything" She sighed, then failed to suppress a yawn.

"If we are too soon with our attack then the Empire will simply dispatch another Legion to restore order. Timing will be everything"
Krystal nodded. "I know this. We must wait until Imperial front lines are behind Xiscapia, on the map, then attack. With luck, the Korr will not have been able to advance as far as Xiscapia before being forced to withdraw, so we have a window of opportunity as the Alversians recede. They may inevitably send another Legion to bring us back under control. If I have so much as set foot on free Xiscapia, I will not allow that to happen."

OOC: Skip forward a few weeks?

OOC: Yup.

It was a few weeks later, as Krystal and a few more of the Resistance's key members were gathered around a Star Chart, the exhausted Alumina entered, looking more exhausted than ever, her clothes seemed to hang on her body,
"It has happened," She announced with a hoarse voice, "The Alversian and Korr Empires have collapsed"

"The Alversian and Korr Empires have collapsed"
There were grins all around at this news, from Krystal to Vanadict to James. "What are the details, Commander?" asked Vanadict with interest. If the Empire was crumbling as predicted, their window of opportunity would come very, very soon. If not, however, their plans may warrant some alteration. Even though Nigripes had only just reported it to what passed for the Resistance High Command, the news was traveling fast all over the station, and there was many a cheer and fierce grin from the rebels in all areas.

"My contacts are reporting widespread mutinies across both Empires," The exhausted Alumina reported, "Legions are refusing to advance or deploy and Rebellions are springing up without resistance. The Empire is withdrawing all loyal forces back to Alversia and the Supremacy is fighting for it's life against it's own troops. They have launched a coup" Nigripes finished with a deep breath.

They all listened to the news, delighted. "This is perfect!" Krystal pounded a fist on the table. "If the Korr are in disarray and the Alversians are calling back their forces, there's nothing stopping us from simply walking into Xiscapia and taking it without a drop of blood spilled."

"There is a problem with that plan" Nigripe reported tiredly, seemingly using the table to support her own weight, for her legs were incapable of doing so,

"Amongst the troops who have mutinied against the Alversian Empire is the 12th Legion, it has declared a new Alvo-Kitsune Empire and is forming a new Imperial Army of Alversian troops retreating from the front, it will not be a takeover, Admiral, it will be a Civil war" Nigripes reported grimly, "One the Imperial Kitsune Army will be much better placed to fight"

The Alumina tried to blink and, for what seemed like an age, her eyes were closed and she was staggering, on the edge of collapsing, before a monumental effort opened them again. She looked to the Admiral with red-rimmed eyes,
"I shall have to gain information on what troops are available to the Imperials but it may take several days or weeks" She reported, her voice slightly ragged.

Krystal bowed her head at the news, looking down at the table as she felt the feeling of new found hope sapping quickly from her and the surrounding officers. "Very well," she said finally, "find out what they have at their disposal. I will find and draw here as many Rebels and equipment as I can. But we can't afford to lose this opportunity: We'll never get another one like it."
Vanadict and the other commanders of the Resistance looked worried but determined. If they could rally enough forces, this was it. This attack on Xiscapia would be all-or-nothing, victory for the Resistance and the taking back of Xiscapia, or defeat and total collapse of the Resistance and the dawn of yet another Empire.

It was four days before a very thin, pale Nigripes returned to Krystal and the other Officers with the news they so badly needed. Her fur was now badly matted and several parts of her body were balded. Her eyes were bulging and red, she looked exhausted from the work she had been forced to do in order to gain the news needed by the Rebellion, she was dying and she knew it.

"I have..." She stopped, completely out of breath, "I have completed the report needed..." She stopped again, her breath was already ragged after just a few words, she had no strength and indicated to an Aide to hand out the reports,

The report indicated that the Imperial Kitsune Army consisted of over 95,000 men. The original 20,000 men of the 12th Legion and then another 75,000 Alversians pressed into service with the Army. The report indicated that over 90% of the old Imperial Army had gone and was now more concerned with defending it's immediate system. However, that left 10% dedicated Soldiers looking for a war. They were now being recruited with ease into the IKA and it was increasing by the month.

"It seems Ma'am" The Aide, a young Alversian, explained, "That within three months, the IKA could be triple it's currant size. If we are to move, we need to move quickly" Nigripes gave a loud sigh full of pain and settled in a chair nearby.

Krystal looked at the reports for a moment, looking down the sets of type and columns of numbers. She looked up at the aide, then at Nigripes, then around to the other officers. She gave the slightest nod, staring back down at the table. One of the Resistance soldiers by the door stepped forward, leveled his rifle, and fired it directly at Nigripes. What came out was not a bullet or blaster bolt, but a tiny dart. It struck the skin of her left shoulder and injected drugs, knocking her out. Krystal had worried the drugs might have enough potency to kill the already weak Alumina, but the resident doctor has assured her they were completely safe. In any case, Nigripes would not willingly stop her work, and it was very clear she would be dead within the week if she was allowed to continue. "I'm sorry," Krystal whispered as her old friend slumped in her seat. "I had no choice." The Officers had started, but all the soldiers had been informed beforehand what was going to happen, and two calmly bodily lifted Nigripes prone form onto a stretcher and carried her out, down to the medical bay. There she would be kept sedated and treated for the exhaustive task of taking down an Empire.

Krystal leafed though the reports, not looking at anyone. "We have only a little more than a fourth of IKA forces. Twenty-five thousand Resistance members, mixed but mostly Xiscapians and Alversians. If we can get them on the ground, we might have a chance. But there is a problem," she looked to the aide, "what is the condition of their space fleet and orbital defenses? We cannot sneak an army of that size with all it's supplies, equipment and armour necessary for the task past. The Resistance has only a couple dozen ships, and among these only a few are fighting craft, only one capital and none are modern. We can't fight a space battle."

The Aide had stared forlornly at his Superior as she was tranquilised and taken away. He knew how dire the situation was with his Commander. What stunned him was that she was willing to kill herself for a report that could be filled out by someone else. He shook his head at her prone figure,

"Well, Ma'am" He continued awkwardly, "It seems that while the IKA is being built up, the IKN is not. It consists at a moment of a few converted Merchant Vessels with their original crews, some Kitsune ships and one Dreadnought with a conscript crew. They have too much space to patrol and I sense that they will break before our own forces." He smiled as he ran through his Commander's statastics, "The merchant ships have been heavily armed but they have Civilian crews and I suspect they will break and run, same with the Kitsune crews and same with the Conscripts. I feel even a shout of 'boo!' at them will force them to run. The real battle starts when we hit the surface, although I believe we can achieve an easy local advantage as the bulk of the IKA is at Rio Casa." He looked at the Officers.

"Commander Nigripes felt it best to strike in the most mountainious area and set up defensive structures. Allow them to break themselves against superior defensive positions while hampering their supplies with guerilla warfare. She also suggested the recruitment of ex-Imperial Generals who can form their own Armies of troops and march to our aide. She suggested General Cavourna could use his old contacts for this mission." He looked directly at Krystal, "She estimated that five Generals alone could double our current force with ex-Soldiers rich in combat experience. She also said it would be best to liberate the first town as soon as possible and introduce conscription. That way, a Kitsune Army can be quickly trained and equipped for battle"

He finished and looked at the Officer's with a shrug,
"My Commander worked for over a dozen hours gaining this information" He shrugged sadly.

Krystal listened without saying a word to the information the aide telling them. Once he finished she nodded sadly but didn't comment on her Intelligence Officer's dedication. "Holing up in the mountains will draw the IKA out to destroy our presence, but they can afford to lose troops when they outnumber us four to one. There are small villages and perhaps a town or two we can take there to bolster our forces though. From where would these Generals and their troops be coming? I am confident we will be able to stand our ground north of Rio Casa, and once we receive the reinforcements we can march on the capitol. Do you have any information on the rest of the IKA? I believe once Rio Casa falls into our hands the remainder will surrender, but if not we must be prepared to take Tenfour, Lune and other major cities."

"True, Commander, however, in the mountains, even a thin defensive line would inflict heavy casualties on the attacker for little gain" The Aide explained to the Admiral, aware that she was not as knowledgable about Infantry tactics as she was about fleet manouvers,

"Our own losses could be heavy but theirs far more so, as long as we can find enough troops to defend the line. In terms of capture, the loss of Rio Casa would be a severe blow to the IKA yes, however, there is enough evidence to suggest that it will still rally on the other major cities. This will be a drawn out thing, ma'am, there is no quick victory"

The Aide delivered the ultimate conclusion, the one his Commander had worked against for so long, had almost killed herself to disprove. Now, on the pinnicle of battle, the Admiral's words were at last verified by the Alumina herself, there is no quick or easy Rebellion.

"In terms of the Generals, it is up to General Cavourna to rally those who are willing to use their personal Armies and come to our aid. Only he can make that effort" The Aide concluded looking at the Officers with grim determination.

...This will be a drawn out thing, ma'am, there is no quick victory"
Krystal gave a sharp, sudden laugh, making everyone jump, a humorless shadow of when she used to genuinely find things funny. "Do you think I don't know that by now? No, this will never really end...not for me, not for Commander Nigripes, not for many of us. Where is General Cavourna? We need him to contact his old former Imperial friends, to convince them to help us. In the meantime, from my limited experience, I think Commander Nigripes battle plans will work. If we cannot rout the IKA in Rio Casa, I will personally hunt them down all across the globe until not a single one of their members are left standing. Xiscapia must be freed. We can allow no compromise."

"Of course Ma'am" The Alversian saluted and quickly left the room in an effort to find Cavourna, he was wondering about the sanity of the Senior staff as he left. One who seemed to laugh in the face of bad news and one who was willing to die for a few statistics and a report. He shook his head as he walked.

It was not long before Cavourna arrived at the central area. He gave Krystal and quick salute and nodded a more personal greeting,
"You wished to see me?" He asked her.

Krystal nodded. The other officers had since left, to draw up plans, brief and equip their own troops, and generally prepare. "I need you to contact any former Imperial Generals you know who might be in a position to help us. We're going to attack Xiscapia, very soon. We need any extra troops and all the battle-experienced commanders we can get." She pushed a communicator across the table. "Get to it."

Cavourna gawped at the Communicator for a few seconds before picking it up and moving to one corner of the room. He knew of many Generals who would now be unemployed but few who would help a rebellion against other Imperial troops and especially with Kitsune, the creatures who had sniped at their rear for years, caused untold stress and losses without a shot being fired in reply. Many Generals would die rather than join him.

But then there were his old friends in the old Legions, where loyalty within the unit was more important than the Empire itself and where the Emperor himself would be sacraficed to ensure loyalty. Cavourna was an old Legionnaire and he knew he could get troops to come to Xiscapia's cause, more importantly, he knew he could get them to serve with Kitsune officers as their superiors.

After a few hours, Cavourna returned and reported his progress to Krystal.
"Most of the Generals did not want to know" He reported the obvious first, "However, there are a few who are willing to march with their old units to war for you. Not many though. They total about a Legion overall, 25,000 men. All fanatical and all battle-hardened."

"Exactly as the Commander predicted," muttered Krystal. "Intriguing. But she is an Alumina, after all. How fast will these Generals and their Legion be able to arrive to come to our aide? We will be constructing defensive fortifications in the mountains to the north of Rio Casa, to hold off the Imperial attack once they ascertain our presence. These rouges and their band of turncoats will need to connect with the main Resistance force for the march on the capitol."

"Well Ma'am" Cavourna explained, not hearing her comment on Nigripes, "It seems like the soonest troops could be there within three days. However, they would prefer to hold back until all can be assembled and move as one block of troops. In these circumstances, it would be better for them to wait a week before coming to our aid" He pointed at a hollow map nearby,

"If we can hold the IKA at the mountains, then they could land and strike on it's flank, hopefully routing it. Of course, it would all come down to timing and the ability of the Rebellion to hold the mountain range.

"The Rebellion will hold the mountains if I have to go out with a pistol and shoot at the IKA myself." Krystal said with conviction. "Once the Generals and their troops land they need to be ready to move. If we can get the IKA on the run, it gives us a better chance of smashing though their ranks to take Rio Casa. From there we can survey the situation in the other cities and whatever remainents of the IKA are not dead or captured."
OOC: TG.

Cavourna nodded,
"Very good Ma'am, shall I make the preparations?" He asked

"Do so immediately General. Round up your troops," Krystal stood. "brief them, tell them what to expect, what the plan is. You have eighteen hours for preparation. We leave tomorrow."
As the Alversian exited so did Krystal, making her way though the dank corridors of the starbase down to the sick bay. Passing by the single lounging soldier who was the guard, she quickly located the doctor. Aside from a mechanic who had been burned attempting to fix an engine and a soldier with a rapidly coloring bruise on his jaw and a split lip from a fight, Nigripes was the only patient. "How is the Commander doing?" she asked him quietly. The mechanic slept quietly in his bed while the soldier stared with undisguised surprise, unfeeling or uncaring of the blood beginning to dribble down his chin.

"Eighteen hours!" Cavourna was stunned but nodded all the same, it seemed like 18 hours was a very short time to rally an entire Army for campaign but hopefully, he could pull it off. That was the hope of them all. At least most of the Rebellion was in the same place. He moved off to begin the complex operations of summoning an army from nothing.

In the Sickbay though, the lone doctor took one surprised look at the Admiral and gave a small shake of his head,
"It's hard to say Ma'am," He explained sadly, "She has driven herself pretty much into the ground and I don't know if we were in time to permit her a full recovery. I shall continue to try but I don't know what will happen with her. Alumina physology is...new to me"

Krystal nodded at the man's words. "Keep her sedated until you think she is strong enough to deal with reality. Don't deny her anything unless you thing it will prove detrimental to her health, but under no circumstances is she to be permitted to go back to work or discharged. Do your best, man. No one expects miracles." But we all hope for them. She added silently. She was leaving this doctor with an impossible task, she left Cavourna with one, the entire Resistance was about to attempt something it had been planning for years: An attack on the forces holding Xiscapia. It might not be possible now, it probably never was. But Krystal would be damned if she didn't throw everything she had into this fight, and if she failed and died (as the two, in her mind, were inevitable if one occurred) she would answer to Qonn or whoever was up there in the end for her actions.

"Yes Ma'am" The Doctor gave a heavy sigh and turned back to his new patient. It was going to be tough to bring near what her full heath had been, nearly impossible in fact, and he marvelled at such people managed to kill themselves over very very little indeed.

18 Hours later

It had been tough, but Cavourna had done it. The entire Rebellion had been mobilised and was ready to strike at Xiscapia. Part of it was Alversian and these men would answer to Cavourna once they hit the ground, while the rest was almost entire Kitsune and these would be under whoever Krystal put them under. All Cavourna new was that eerything rested on this moment.

His breathing was heavy and his stomach churning with the thought of going back into action, just not going back into action but trying to rally a new army from the Kitsune of Xiscapia. Recruiting them would be no problem. Training them was another matter.

"All ready Ma'am!" Cavourna called to Krystal as he saw the Admiral walk steadily past with her staff.

"Very good, General." said Krystal, coming to a halt, bionic leg audibly stopping with the whine of servomotors and the hiss of steam. She surveyed the men under Cavourna's command sternly, reviewing what she knew. The Alversian commanded a third of the Rebel Army, over eight thousand troops, codenamed Delta. They were made up almost entirely of Alversians recruited from around the galaxy, among them former Imperials, hardened resistance fighters and raw greenhorns. The second eight thousand was codenamed Echo, under the command of James Rose, who had been smuggled off Xiscapia along with the remnants of the XFC. This was almost purely kitsune, in the same state as the Alversian portion, consisting of the few former XGA who had survived, fire-spirited rebels and bands of former civilians sick of Imperial rule. The third had been somewhat of a conundrum: Cavourna and James were Krystal's two most trusted military lieutenants, and Krystal knew full well, despite years of fighting Imperials on the ground, that she did not compare favorably to a fully-fledged Imperial General. So, after some debate, a commander was chosen for the most diverse part of the Rebel Army, codenamed Alpha: the Vanadict.

From first look, the decision made little sense: Vanadict had been an ambassador, not a warrior or military commander, with little battle experience. However, she had been made a slave to the Korr Grunge, and during that time she had secretly educated herself though watching him do battle with his Alversian foes. Tactics was now an open book to her, and she had covertly apprenticed under one of the most able Korr Generals in the Supremacy Army. Needless to say, she was nervous, but nevertheless confident and, as anyone who knew her could vouch for, iron-willed. She was the commander of the rest of the Alversians and Xiscapians who were not in Echo or Delta, as well as the next largest group, the Danaversians, and the miscellaneous aliens and other humans from around the galaxy.

Krystal was going to do what she did best: Command as Admiral to the space fleet. What she had was, quite frankly, pitiful: Only one capital ship, a captured Imperial Dreadnought christened Relentless, a couple of beaten-up frigates, half a dozen PD and picket ships, a handful of corvettes and patrols, and twelve huge, bulky, slow transports for the Army. Aside from the Relentless, the only ship anywhere near new or well-equipped for a fight was the Star Snake, which would be helping in space, orbit and the providing air support. Krystal planned, if the IKN was eradicated as easily as the aide had suggested, to get the Relentless into orbit. From there, if she got the chance, she would bombard any IKA forces outside of the cities or not closely engaged with Resistance troops.

Everything was in place: The troops and equipment were ready, the ships had been fueled, weapons loaded, checked and rechecked, commanders briefed and steeled. She nodded to herself. It was time, then.
She rapped her staff on the deck of the starbase as she stood outside the gigantic, gaping mouth of the transport that was taking the command element of Delta to Xiscapia, looking directly at Cavourna. "For the People! For the Emperor! And for Xiscapia!" All around the starbase and throughout the ships, kitsune echoed her words.

As the massive doors closed Krystal was beamed away to the bridge of the Relentless. The Imperial Dreadnought was the newest, largest and most heavily armed ship in the entire fleet, and Krystal wondered if she would meet her match on the opposing Dreadnought. She doubted it: Whole stronger, larger and better-equipped Imperial fleets had been destroyed or routed by the vessels under her command during the War, and she had no intent of giving up her winning streak at this last, crucial moment. Around the craft other ships arrayed themselves: The frigates flanking it, smaller PD and pickets at the head and corvettes and patrols scattered among the transports at the rear.

Smiling grimly to herself, Admiral Krystal spoke. "All craft, jump on my mark." Her voice was heard on every ship, ringing though the ears of every Rebel soldier and spacer in the fleet. "Three...two...one...Mark!"
The Resistance fleet jumped abruptly, vanishing into the void with a flash of light.
It all came down to this.
Do or die.
Kill or be killed.
Krystal knew she would see this though to the end.
One way or another, her, and Xiscapia's, struggle was nearly over.

Cavourna sighed as he boarded his landing craft with the rest of his men. He had thought of taking a leaf out of the Alumina book and calling the unit after it's commander but Corps de Cavourna did not sound quite so dramatic as Task Group Delta. Most of his men were good, either fighting in the Rebellion or the Imperial Army for years and years. Some of his men were inexperienced but he hoped the more experienced ones would give them courage in the heat of battle.

In the same way that Krystal had rarily been defeated in space, so too, had Cavourna rarely been beaten on the ground, by anyone. If one were to sit down and actually plot all of Cavourna's campaigns across the Empire, it would become obvious that he had only been beaten on a few occassions and those were mostly in his more inexperienced years. James, he knew and trusted with military commands but the Vanadict he was not so sure about. She may have watched Korr Generals command their troops during battle but those commands were made with superior numbers as well as dedicated troops. The Rebels were outnumbered and there was no garuntee that the Danaversians wanted to die for a free Xiscapia.

He hoped the Vanadict knew what she was doing but if it came down to it, then her orders would be irrelevant, as would his. A battle in the mountains would rely on the troops fighting it to make their own quick decisions and judgements rather than he, for he could not command each of the 8,000 men under his command personally. The Defenders would stick stubbornly to their defenses and allow the IKA to waste itself on their lines. That was what was running through Cavourna's mind as he jumped with his troops towards destiny.

There was nothing there, no ships and no evidence of any IKN forces near the green world that was Xiscapia. But then the IKN was meant to be a small and badly stretched force.

As the Resistance fleet jumped in, Krystal took a wary look around, then a second. Even now ships, as pathetic as the IKN was, should be responding to the energy signature that marked the exit of a fleet into real space. But there was nothing. It was possible, she supposed, that they were patrolling elsewhere in the system, but there was no reason for it. Xiscapia was the only holding of the 12th Legion, and indeed the only inhabited planet in the system. Korrilia had long ago been abandoned by the Korr, far too close to the heavily defended Imperial-held Xiscapia in favor for another, more distant base world.

That left only two answers: Either the majority was on the ground, completely defenseless and not expecting an attack, or they were lying in wait to ambush attackers. Krystal guessed the second: There would be no harm in being cautious either way, and she would not be caught unprepared. The best hiding place would be among the moons of Jomstar, but it would take too long for any enemy fleet to come around towards Xiscapia without being spotted and fired upon. Therefore they would be behind Xiscapia's two moons, Kel and Regalis, which were just rounding to the western hemisphere of the world.

The PD and picket ships went first, doing scanner sweeps for enemy craft, while the transports spread out distantly behind with their flanks to deep space out of the system, escorted by the corvettes and patrols. The monstrous Dreadnought shifted, bow pointing at the moons, with the two frigates "below" the capital, weapons trained on the surface for any incoming ships. Krystal spoke over the communications, watching the moons as invisible scans and sensor sweeps washed over them. "Star Snake, do you read me?"

A static-filled moment later came the response. "Loud and clear, Relentless. What can we do for ya?" called Kartosh's voice.
Krystal nodded to herself. "I need you to make a pass by Kel and Regalis, the two moons. I suspect the enemy may be using the mass as cover, as our scanners cannot penetrate either. If nothing shows, they're either grounded or elsewhere at the moment."
"Roger that. By Qonn, with all the shit I've been doing I must own half the Imperial Treasury by now..." a urgent muttering came from Skyler, indistinct. "Oh, yeah-"
The sleek mercenary ship shot by the Relentless and her frigates, banking to curve around both moons in a second...

Behind the moons was a large fleet alright and it possessed alarge number of craft. None of which looked as though they originated for other purposes including two massive transports that had been armed to the teeth with guns of every design and every origin. They were the cream of the IKN, the rest of the fleet were small mercenary vessels or irrelevantly outdated patrol ships. They were spread out in a loose order as if at ease, they were not suspecting an attack and that reflected with the age it took for them to even start moving, let along get into an attack position.

The Star Snake made a quick pass, the small vessel unnoticted by the lax IKN. Kartosh concentrated on piloting while Skyler carefully recorded the number of ships and their types before they vanished around the bulk of Kel. Making it back to the fleet, Kartosh got on the transmitter to the Relentless.
"Looks like you were right, Admiral. There's a whole fleet, a couple of large, heavily modified transports with a collection of outdated patrols and underarmed mercenary craft. They didn't see us, and I don't think they're aware of the fleet's presence. Engines are cold, shields offline, weapons locked and we didn't detect anything aside from passive close sensor sweeps. You won't get a better chance."

"Thank you, Kartosh, Skyler," Krystal responded, "keep this channel open and wait for new orders." She stared at the moons in consideration for a moment. The mercenary was right: She would never get a better draw. The Resistance was posed in a perfect positon to tear the enemy fleet apart.
"All Captains," she spoke as the broadcast was opened to all the Rebels commading their ships. "The enemy fleet is behind the moons of Kel and Regalis, and unaware of our presence. Here's the plan..."

The first thing those onboard the IKN craft would become aware of was a little sleek silver vessel, nearly in their midst. It did not stop it's gentle, meandering glide forward, nor did it respond to any hails. As officers shouted orders and men scrambled the ship went into a dive, unleashing duel yellow streaks that marked the passage of two proton torpdeos aimed for the nearest transport's bridge. As the enemy turned to concentrate on this intruder among them, a horde of corvettes and patrols, with two frigates bringing up the rear, attacked from the gap between the moons, firing evenly between the weapons emplacements on the transports and the smaller enemy ships.

The initial attack only lasted a few seconds but that was all it needed, the transports were gutted as, one by one, their gun decks were torn to shreds by laser and missile fire. The first thing, the crews knew about an attack was a panicked order to abandon ship and every man for himself. The vessels would not explode yet but their burning hulks were enough reason to flee. The rest of the fleet did not stand a chance without the big guns of the devastated behemoths.

The outdated patrol ships were destroyed one by one, their hurried and panicked return fire having little impact on the more modern Rebel vessels. Those that were not almost immediately destroyed, turned and fled the battlefield, seeking safety in the depths of space. The Mercenary vessels were the same, turning and running without firing a single shot. The battle lasted less than a few minutes but it was enough, for the IKN fleet had been virtually annilhated. All that was left was the planet itself.

Even as the last of the enemy turned and ran the Relentless appeared in front of them, having gone around the moons to cut off the retreat of the IKN. None escaped as the gigantic guns of the Dreadnought opened up, utterly annihilating the last of the IKN mercenaries and patrol vessels. The massive former Imperial ship settled into orbit over Rio Casa, scanning for any enemy armies out on maneuvers, camps or even so much as a patrol. Any of the enemy they could see not in a city or near a kitsune town or village was vaporized by death from above as the Dreadnought rained down fire. Of course, the IKA would wise up quickly and take cover in the cities and towns, shielded by the civilian presence.

The attack ships sat in space or hovered in orbit as the transports flew down into the Alkresh mountains, landing and unloading their cargo of troops, supplies and equipment. Twenty-four fighters escorted the transports down while the remaining sixteen of their number screamed off to the nearby Rio Casa for reconnaissance and bombing runs on isolated Imperial structures, troops, munitions and vehicles. Krystal just watched from orbital cameras as the forces of the Resistance spilled out of their ships. It was all up to James, Cavourna and Vanadict now, she had done her part. She hoped Vanadict, and the more green troops, were up to the task.

Ground...
Task Group Echo was quickly forming up, eight thousand troops clambering out of their vessels and receiving their orders from James. Here, have swept aside the enemy fleet without so much as a single fatality, finally back on their home planet, James Rose identical to the dead Emperor, morale of the kitsune soared. They spread out, finding cliffs, niches, bushes, natural and carved paths in the mountain, making up a defense. Snipers, covered machine guns nests and lines of soldiers hidden by rocks ready with grenades and rifles formed, watching for the first Imperial scouts or columns. Echo, the first line and consisting of some of the best trained, most battle hardened Xiscapians was ready to fight.

Task Group Alpha was just stepping off their ships, looking around for the Vanadict, just behind Task Group Delta.

Cavourna stared through a pair of field glasses at the plains just beyond the mountains and sighed. If the IKA wanted to attack directly from Rio Casa, this would be the prime location for it. They would come through those plains to assault the mountains. Some of his own troops had been drafted into the initial line as Echo itself was spread too thinly to cover the entire range. They were just waiting now, that was all, just waiting.

Imperial Palace, Rio Casa

"Damnit! Someone had better tell me what is going on!" General Staal, The Praetor of the 12th Legion, Commander of the IKN and now Emperor of the new Kitsune Empire, stood on his throne and roared at his aides and officers. There were reports of his navy being wiped out and patrols of fighters over his capital city. Of course, his own fighters had countered that sweep and were now swarming over the skies, as his men were in the streets to avoid a planetary bombardment of sorts.

His second in command was a turncoat Kitsune and he knew she was in the area somewhere, he looked around furiously before his eyes settled on the young, naked, female Kitsune tied to the bottom of his throne by her leash. His eyes widened with lust for a moment before he snapped back to more important matters,
"Where the hell is that Bitch!" He called, referring to his Second-in-Command, "I want her in here now!" He screamed and watched as a dozen Officers ran from the room to fetch her.

Near the top of one of the oldest mountains further back on the range, Vanadict stood just behind and to the left of Cavourna with a guard of a couple soldiers. From their vantage point they could see some of the deployed twenty-five thousand Resistance soldiers, James somewhere with them, tucked amongst some sparse foliage, on top of or behind boulders, crouching in shallow ravines and lying in caves. Most of the paths only allowed two men walking abreast, some so narrow that any attackers would have to travel single-file. From their positions, as long as they had ammunition and did not tire, the Resistance soldiers could hold out indefinitely. A prime defensive position.

The fighters had since returned to the mountain range and hovered in the atmosphere, there only to protect from enemy fighter attacks and bomb any large troop formations they could see. It had been decided that the Relentless would not orbital strike any Imperial troops crossing the plains to the mountains, as doing so would certainly deter them from sending anymore, and the Resistance needed the Imperials to keep throwing their forces at them. The Relentless would only fire if the Rebels on the ground were being overwhelmed and they needed to thin the enemy reinforcement pool.

"How do you feel about this, Cavourna?" Vanadict asked quietly, eyes still scanning for the enemy. They would be able to see the Imperials coming across the plains long before any would make it up the mountain, and she felt it safe to talk.

Rio Casa, Palace...
Even as the men ran out a kitsune slipped silently into the room past them. Durth, the Second-in-Command to the Emperor and unofficial leader of the few turncoat Xiscapians, looked at the Emperor though orange eyes that were like fire. She wished she could assassinate the stupid man, but all his forces were loyal to him over even the Alversian Emperor himself, and they would never accept her as a new ruler. She had wanted to withdraw with the rest of them for the safety of Alversia, but no, Staal had had other plans. She had been forced to stay here, though in lieu of killing the Praetor she planned to escape off-world to Alversia as soon as possible.

"The Emperor calls?" she bowed, green katana flashing in the light. She eyed the nude slave chained to the throne with distaste. Foolish man and his fleshy pleasures, he would have seen this coming if he hadn't spend so much time with his slaves.

"Dunno," Cavourna replied honestly, still scanning the horizon, "This is a perfect position and if we can hold it then victory should be assured," He shurgged, "On the other hand, anything can happen in war so we must be careful."
Vanadict's troops were to be kept as a reserve, ready to be flung into battle at a moment's notice. To that end, Cavourna remained here, where he could see the weakspots and direct both his own and the Vanadict's reinforcements. That was the plan.

"And you?" he asked casually, "What do you think of your first big command?"

Rio Casa

"There you are!" Staal settled back down on his throne again and relaxed, glad he had someone to take care of the whole disaster. Someone he knew he had their loyalty, if only because he had more troops than she did,
"There are rumours of landings north of Rio Casa and near the mountain ranges. I want you to see what they're on about!" he settled back again, sighed with relief then tapped the side of his throne. The command for his Courtiers to leave him in peace and his slave to climb the steps towards him for an intimate union.

Outside the throneroom, Staal's third in command, Styre, approached Durth and gave a grim nod. Both shared similiar views of the Emperor as well as his decision to create a Kitsune Empire,
"You're the unlucky one, then" he growled, in his deep voice, "I do pity you. Your his scapegoat for this attack"

Vanadict shrugged. "Quiet," she was looking at the distant city. "All I learned from Grunge, is, well, classroom. I've seen war, sure, but only from the outside, as an observer. I've never actually fought in a battle, and I've never led soldiers. The Admiral has faith in me, and it'll have to be over my dead body to prove her wrong."

Palace...
"This attack," she glowered. "You know as well as I do that even half a million men couldn't take those mountains if it had determined, well-trained defenders. This is a suicide mission, but guess who's next in line?" She flashed him a literally sharp smile, and went to organize her doomed troops.

"Well, luckily this won't be a General's fight" Cavourna spoke quietly and confidently, "It'll be up to the small units to lay their ambushes, organise their retreats and send for reinforcements" he smiled, "We are rather pointless here"

Rio Casa

"Sure, sure! Whatever you say!" Styre called after the Xiscapian, "Fox" he growled beneath his breath, low enough so even Durth's more sensitive hearing could not pick it up. Strye would no doubt be called on to defend the city once this attack landed and so he would prepare the defences. Once he had spent some time with his own Slave, of course.

Vanadict allowed a small chuckle. "I almost hope so. But once the attack slackens off we will need to guide our troops down the mountain side and make it to Rio Casa with as few casualties as possible." She said nothing for several seconds, then looked at Cavourna. "This renegade Imperial force that is to assist us...has it been determined when and where they are landing?"
Rio Casa...
The Emperor had authorized forty thousand of the eighty five thousand troops total at the city, along with a mechanized and fighter detachment. Durth knew the tanks would be useless, they couldn't climb the steep, narrow paths anymore than a fish could swim in fire, and the fighters would have a tough job finding all the Rebels, assuming they weren't shot down. No, this would be an infantry job. But Durth had a plan. Obviously the Emperor didn't expect her to return, so she wouldn't. But at first chance she would abandon her men as they took the fire and escape, probably back to Rio Casa, to get a ship off this Qonnforsaken world. To Alversia, then, away from these damned Rebels and their blind Imperial enemies.

But first, she had to lead the men to the mountains. The kitsune stood on a catwalk in a hanger, the 'elite' core of her soldiers (which, to her, meant they had half a brain and could throw grenades with the pin taken out first) under her with the majority outside on the parade ground. They had formed their neat, precise ranks, and began to march out of the city to spill out onto the plains towards the mountains. Tanks rumbled behind them and the fighters screamed out of their racks to fly ahead to the enemy positions. Her second-in-command stood behind her, hands behind his back, watching the troops as they marched out. "Good of you to join me," she murmured. "I bet you missed the sight of Imperial armor. All those doomed Rebels got to you, did they? I heard about the mission that destroyed our fuel reserves. That was the culmination of it, wasn't it, Cavourna?" She turned and looked at Thomas, brother of Alexander Cavourna, great leader of the Rebellion. "Didn't like the ickle smell of kitune, did ya?"

"Nope" Cavourna replied casually, "But I would trust those men with my life, so I know they'll be here. It's just a matter of when they're ready enough to be of any use to us."

Rio Casa

Thomas Cavourna watched as the Imperials marched from the city and into the plains and he gave a grim nod,
"It was in that mission I found the two things Kitsune are good at" He looked at his own Commander with barely hidden disgust, "Submission and Slavery. That's all" He spat, "And the sooner my Brother and his fox-loving friends realise that, then the better for us" he snarled again.

"I hope they get here by the time we attack the city," she shook her head. "It's going to be tough, we're-"
Then she gasped slightly and pointed, distant tiny dots forming on the plains near the city. "They're coming," she said, voice barely above a whisper.
Rio Casa...
"Naturally," said Durth smoothly, still watching as her troops kept filing out onto the grass under a sky that was beginning to grow leaden with gray clouds. And if I learned anything during my time here that there's only two things Alversians are good at, she thought, they're fucking and dying. Like rabbits, born to die and multiply. "You realize he's up, there, right? He'd never miss this chance. You might see him face-to-face."

Cavourna twisted to face the mass and stuck a pair of binoculours to his eyes. He began to count to himself, muttering the numbers and stopping at eight. He knew the rest of the Rebellion's experienced troops would be doing the same thing as he. He counted twice then turned to face Vanadict again, smiling,
"Eight Battalions," he explained, "means about 40,000 troops take or leave a few" he looked back again, "and I think we may have the edge in artillery," he could see none himself but then they had little themselves.

"Won't be long now" He smiled cheerily, then checked a watch in his top pocket.

Rio Casa

"I hope I do," Thomas replied enthusiastically, "then I can finished what his Second in command couldn't" he fingered the blaster by his side and smiled at the sight of his brother's army in ruins while his own was victorious. He was here for another reason of course, but he wasn't to tell Durth of that yet,
"How long before we fight?" He asked impatienty.

Vanadict winced, teeth set on edge, her heart pounding so loud she was sure Cavourna could hear it. The guards behind them shifted slightly at the sight of the enemy, and Vanadict watched as more soldiers, followed by a band of vehicles, followed.
Here it comes...
Just then the Imperial fighter group dove out of cloud cover, preparing to bomb and strafe any soldiers they could find. Thirty of the XX-38s and twenty XX-15s banked, pilots grinning to themselves, ready to destroy the helpless Rebels...
...When the forty fighters from the hangers of the Relentless came out above them and opened fire, lasers tearing though the enemy craft and missiles turning sleek vehicles of destruction into flaming fireballs of wreckage. The Imperial Wing Commander had made two critical mistakes: Assuming the sixteen fighters they'd seen was all the Resistance had, and confident in any case they could outfight Rebel pilots. Even as they were destroyed the Imperials turned back around, and a howling massive dogfight began above the mountains.
Rio Casa...
Durth resisted the urge to snort. Davis had not been incompetent, but he had been an arrogant fool, which meant he had something on the Emperor. If reports were true, he'd made himself far too obvious in his attempt to assassinate the leaders of the Resistance, and had paid for his mistakes with his life. She doubted Thomas would get a shot at Cavourna, and even if he did, she knew for a fact that the younger brother of the legend would be killed first, unless Cavourna was weaker than she thought.

"Right now," she answered as she descended a ladder into a waiting armored command car. She climbed into the open hatch, waited for the Alversian to climb in with her, and shut it. It was more spacious than it looked from the outside, and there was only two other people there aside from the two gunners on top: The driver, and the munitions loader. Durth sat, a command map balanced on her legs, as the armored car took off, following the long columns of infantry and growling tanks.

Cavourna stared up with some interest at the dogfight, then let his gaze drop back to the battle that would ensue in front of him, the one that would need his full attention and not just some of it. He sighed at the sight. He knew it would not be long now before the slaughter began.

Armoured Car

Thomas eagerly clambered into the car and waited impatiently for it to drive off. He stared at the map for a few moments then shook his head in anger,
"Why don't we attack now?" he demanded, "Why are we forming up like this when we can just attack?!" The reasons why Cavourna had been a general and his brother a private were painfully obvious.

As weapons roared above them and more fighters exploded apart or spiraled down to crash into the mountains, the Rebels watched as the enemy approached from the plains. The infantry was moving at a steady clip, commanders at the front calling marching orders, and they would be at the base of the first mountain in less than two minutes. Around the defenses Resistance soldiers checked their weapons, made sure they had ammunition, sighted down scopes and barrels, and waited.
Vanadict clasped her hands in front of her, resting on her somewhat worn and slightly tattered uniform. It was a olive green, cobbled together piece, complete with scuffed boots and a small skirt at the bottom, Vanadict's red katana sitting at her side just below a pistol. All she could do now was watch and wait.
Plains...
"Because," Durth said slowly and carefully, like she was talking to a child or a mentally retarded person, "a mob of soldiers is loud, likely to trample each other, without order and generally unprofessional. Besides, mobs tend to clump, and that would be a target for any field guns or aircraft they possess. You must inspire awe in your foe, make him scared, make him run. Ranks of thousands of men marching in perfect lockstep without expression can be terrifying from the other end." She shook her head. This Alversian was stupider than a box of rocks, and only his fighting ability made up for it.

"Remember," Cavourna told one of his Aides, "Tell the men to hold their fire until the enemy is at point blank range, then open up and strike them all down. Place shots and don't just fire randomly. I want every blast to count today. All troops are to hold their positions unless it is absolutely untenable, at which case fall back or signal for reinforcements" The Aide nodded and moved off to deliver the instructions to the troops below. Cavourna had done all he could, not it was just a matter of waiting.

Armoured Car

"Why make them run?" Thomas demanded, "Make them fight and die like proper soldiers. These are Alversians, they can stand a little bomb here and there" He announced with proper glee, "Those Alversians up there deserve to die on the end of my bayonet. Your Kind deserve to be in the mines or in my bed"

As the order spread thoughout the first line of Imperials reached the base of the mountain and began to scale it, changing from marching step to quicker, more alert slightly hunched jog as they went in pairs forward. Here the paths were at their widest, allowing four men abrest, but as they climbed the rock rapidly closed in, forcing them to walk two or one at a time. Hidden Rebels watched and waited above, careful to keep themselves concealed. "Not yet..." James whispered to his troops in the crags and cliffs. "Wait for it...wait for it..." More Alversian soldiers poured into the narrow trails, suspicous of the high stone around them but unable to tell where the first strike would come from. Just when the first soldier was about to reach a more open ridge where several lines of Rebels held firing positions, James nodded to his commanders, popped up over the edge and screamed:
"OPEN FIRE!"

Rebels climbed onto rocks, appeared over cliff edges, sighted down rifles from caves, appeared in alleys between mountains and popped out from shallow ravines, immediatly targeting the closest soldier and pulling the trigger on their rifle or pistol or chucking a grenade. Alversians twisted and fell, attacked on all sides, carpeting the paths with bodies and toppling into pits and off ledges. Under the rain of fire men screamed and cried and yelled tripping over each other to get away or find cover, a weak stream of return fire coming back as they tried not to get shot. Nevertheless, more Imperials stormed the mountains, stepping over dead and dying comrades even as they rolled back down, blaster wounds evident on their armor and flesh.
Armored Car...
"With enough ammunition and time, a couple of aircraft could decimate our entire force," said Durth, rapidly losing patience. "We have no anti-air weaponry, that's what the fighters are for." She listened for a moment to the noise of distant battle, blasters firing rapidly and men screaming as they died. "They're dying like soldiers out there now. Soldiers thrown into an impossible task, soldiers who will never return home, soldiers on a suicide mission."

Cavourna watched grimly as the battle was opened and he knew the lead units of the Imperial Army would already be devastated. However, he also knew the lower positions of the mountains would have to be yielded eventually to the greater numbers of IKA troops. When that happened, they would have to pull back higher into the mountains, where more men were waiting for the attack.

Armoured Car

"They're Soldiers," Thomas replied without sympathy and without concern, "It's what they were paid to do. Fight and die" He shook his head and looked around at the Armoured Car's interior,
"What would you have used to clear the mountains then?" he demanded.

The battle raged, more and more Imperial soldiers falling, but the irrisistable tide began to push forward as the Rebels kept up the assault, keeping up a steady stream of fire into the enemy. Soon enough the enemy was on the verge of overrunning the first positions of the Resistance, and some of the Rebels began to fall back, covered by their comrades, one or two dropping from lucky Alversian shots to the back from their position under fire. Already hundreds of the enemy were dead and thousands more ran to their death, leaping into abaondoned Rebel positions to get some relief from the relentless enemy attack. As more and more Rebels were forced away they began to plug most of the paths, hidden bombs creating small avalances of rock to halt the enemy advance. Sharpshooters and snipers proved invaluable, shots tearing though multiple Imperials at once, hidden mortars and concealed kitsune and with grenade launchers in caves collapsing more rock and destroying whole platoons at once.
Armored Car...
Out the shuttered windows at the front of the car Durth could see they had stopped as the soldiers ran ahead into the passages of death. The battle was consistant now, explosions and falling rocks joining the fwang noise of blaster bolts zipping though the air and the smoky bwooo sound as heated energy penetrated armor.
"I would have pounded these mountains into gravel with artillery and massive carpet bombings and tactical nuke strikes," said Durth in a bored voice. "The enemy is extremely well entrenched, and it will take weeks to kill them all. Better yet we would vaporize the range from orbit with capital grade weapons, but they destroyed our space fleet to a ship and have possession of orbit, as you've seen from the craters outside the city where troops were standing. But we have been entrusted with no nuclear weapons, our fighters are busy in combat with their aircraft, and all our artillery and field guns are back at the city. The Emperor is too cheap for the munitions for such weapons anyway, so we'll have to make do with the good old traditional human wave attack."

Cavourna watched as the first Rebels began to withdraw to the second line, blocking their paths as they did so. He sighed at the sight, for the veteran general knew that it would take more than that to cut off the IKA attack. Alversians, for one thing, were very stubborn and they would just keep coming until there was no one left. Either none of them or none of the Rebels. That was the way of things.

Armoured Car

"Good!" Thomas was more enthusiastic about the chance to clash bayonets with Rebels rather than bomb them from space, after all, where was the glory in that?
"We shall sweep them from the mountains with our troops then" He said feverently, "Let us continue to victory!"

As the Rebels fell back, firing as they went, the IKA poured forward, soldiers clambering up the unblocked paths and into new positions. The Imperial casualties were extremely heavy, and the wounded and dying would be dead in minutes because no medics or fellow comrades stopped for them. The Alversians had been trained to ignore the fallen among their ranks, to step over them and make the advance and block their ears to the cries of their helpless fellows. It unnerved many of the Rebels, to watch the enemy ignore or even trod on their casulties without a thought. The IKA stalled briefly before a new paths was found, and they kept coming forward until the machine gun nest at the end of it opened up, accompinied by tossed grenades, snipers and the occasional harrassing Rebel soldier. Once again the ground began knee deep in black armor, cooling flesh and splattered blood.
Armored Car...
"Indeed." said Durth with considerably less enthusiasm. "Come with me." She opened the hatch and climbed out onto the top of the armored car, waiting until her second-in-command was there with her. "There are Rebels," she pointed with one finger all the way from the base littered with dead to the distant, foggy summit, "all along this range. There could be only a few hundred to hundreds of thousand. We do not know. But as it is this range will only be taken though numbers, iron force of will and the bravery of our soldiers. Do you think you can bring victory to the New Kitsune Empire?"

Cavourna watched as the Rebels withdrew higher and higher into the mountain, towards the second line, the one they had had more of a chance to prepare and therefore it held the bulk of the Rebel Troops. He could only hope it would repel the Imperials and, for a moment considered leading an attack into their exposed flank. He rejected it as soon as he thought of it, splitting outnumbered forces was not a good idea and any attacking force would be split like these IKA troops and cut down as they were. This would be a gutter fight, it depended on the Imperials not being able to pierce front of the line and not having enough time to go around it. Cavourna could only watch.

Armoured Car

Thomas looked up for a moment in grim determination then stopped and slumped back into the car,
"My orders are to shadow you and gain information on how to command troops in open battle" he replied stubbornly. Thomas Cavourna had always been one for following orders.

The Imperials were temporarily stalled in the long stone cooridor, those who charged cut down by the machine gun fire and the soldiers who hid in cover or attempted to get into sniping positions killed or flushed out by grenades. Snipers continued to take their toll, and more and more Alversians fell as they tried to scramble up the rocks or crawl up the path filled with dead. It took some time, many more dead and several false starts, but finally they got a missile launcher into place. As one they stormed the passage, the forward soldiers dying instantly as bolts tore into them. The man with the launcher calmly loaded it as his fellow soldiers shielded him with their bodies, passing him to keep up the physical wall of flesh and armor, before the rocket was fired. It tore though the last of the soldiers in front of him as a sniper shot the Imperial in the head, and collided with the MG nest. The position exploded, throwing up dirt and rocks, killing the kitsune manning it and opening the passage for Alversian advancement. The snipers and regulars valiently defended, but the sheer amount of soldiers bulled though and once more they were forced to retreat.
Armored Car...
"Oh yes?" Durth asked. She knew the man had to be out here up to no good, and here was the proof. "That's too bad. You would have made great cannon fodder, just like your other friends." In one fluid motion Durth unsheathed her sword, turned, and stabbed Thomas Cavourna in the chest. "You see," she said quietly as his eyes went wide with pain, "I'm sick of this. Obeying Imperials who treat me as little more than a novelty, a kitsune who chose the right side. People like you and the Emperor doomed the Empire a long time ago, and it will be people like me," she twisted the blade, "who will help it rise again." She tore the blade away, and as he tried to keep his balance on the edge of the car, and leaned back, a feral grin spreading across her face. "Give Davis my regards." With that she kicked the man in the stomach and he slowly crumpled to the roof, sliding off onto the ground with a dull thud. The two gunners sitting in their turrets watched with interest. She saw them and snarled. "What are you looking at? Find some goddamn Rebels to shoot, and if anyone tries to stop us, light them up." She jumped back down into the car, shutting the hatch behind her, nodding to the two men inside. "Drive," she growled. They were loyal to her, and were to accomany the Xiscapian to Alversia.

Cavourna frowned at the sight of rock being thrown high into the air near to the second line. There was too much pressure at that one point and the line was starting to buckle. Elsewhere, it was holding fine but here there was a serious issue, if the plateau around the narrow passage was lost then the Rebel line would be cut in two and their chances of success cut short,
"Vanadict!" Cavourna turned and called over the sounds of battle to the Xiscapian, "I need three Companies! We have to counterattack that ridge!" he pointed to it, "Quickly now!" He roared in his best commander's voice.

Rio Casa

The streets were filled with troops, most establishing the city as a fortress, the rest preparing to withdraw south towards the other cities. None took the appearance of the armoured car seriously and none considered it a threat. However, almost all the space cruisers had been taken for the Navy and subsequently destroyed. All that remained was the Emperor's personal cruiser itself.

And, standing at the opposite end of the hall down which Durth and her four men needed to advance down to enter the hangar, was Commander Styre and a dozen troops, six standing, six kneeling. All aiming their weapons at the small band,

"Well, well, well" Styre licked his lips, "They say great minds think alike. Lost something in the hangar, Commander Durth?"

Vanadict wasted a second processing the information, then called into her communicator. "Zeta Company, Sato Company, Erus Company, we need to repel an Imperial advancement at the ridge, coordinates 2840358. Move it, on the double!"

Six hundred troops, a mix of Alversian, kitsune and Danaversian, ran for the ridge, weapons out and safties off. Zeta and Erus took up poisitions on either side of the ridge, raining down fire and grenades on the Imperials, while Sato Company ran straight in, meeting the Imperials in a storm of fire. It was a suicide attack run, but if they could repel the invaders enough to plug the passage, it would be worth their lives.
Under the assault the Imperials dropped, and as more tried to advance they were forced into cover by the stream of Rebel fire. Once again they tried the human wave attack, but the Captain in charge had learned something from these Qonndamn Alversians.

His soldiers were arranged in ranks eight lines deep, each lines looking over the heads of the one before it. "First rank!" he screamed. "Fire!" The weapons spat and the enemy dropped, superpowered shots that in another universe would be considered Setting Three ripping troopers apart. More charged. "Second rank! Fire!" More dropped. "Third rank! Fire!" "Forth Rank! Fire!" Fifth Rank! Fire!" The enemy drew closer. "Sixth rank! Fire! First rank! Fix bayonets!" "Seventh rank! Fire!" Eighth rank! Fire!" The Captain looked over his shoulder. "Hurry is up!" he roared, and the soldiers there redoubled their efforts, bent over something he couldn't see. Meanwhile the first of the Imperials met the first rank of Rebels, and they clashed with bayonets impaling troopers and shoving them back into their fellows. However, the first line was overwhelmed, Rebels dissapearing from sight under the mob of troops, and the Captain made his decision. "Second rank! Fire!" Point-blank range opened just enough space, so, "Third rank! Fire!" The second line swiftly bent and broke under the wave. "Ranks four, five, six, seven, eight, retreat in an orderly fashion!" The Rebels ran for it up the passage. By this time the third rank collapsed, and the Captain stood almost alone, flanked by a kitsune and an Alversian. "We're done, Captain." said the Alversian as the enemy recovered and, seeing only a few soldiers in the way, screamed victory and charged forward again. The Captain nodded solemly. "Well done, men. You did your duty." He drew his sword as the first Alversian stepped into range, seperating the man's head from his body. "For Xiscapia!" he screamed, and a white-hot bomb flash annhilated everything.

The blast traveled up the passage, throwing aside and incinerating all who stood in it's way, and finally the rocks collapsed, barring the way of the enemy. Zeta and Erus companies withdrew with the survivors of Sato company, mission complete.
Rio Casa...
"Easy now, Styre," Durth cautioned. She had remained in the armored car, and only the munitions loader soldier had been sent to secure the hanger, keeping the gunners and driver. The man was pale with fear in the face of a dozen rifles, framed in the doorway. "There's no need for this. We can just go together, unless you've suffered brain damage that makes you suddenly loyal to the Emperor."
It was a stand-off: Behind the armored walls of the car, Durth and the driver were safe, and the gunners on top could destroy the soldiers in the hall with their rapid-fire weapons. However, with good aim and strong will, the gunners could be shot off their turrets, and the driver would have no choice but to try and find another way in while keeping away from the pursuing soldiers.