A snowballs chance...

[Luchs Fallder]

The icy world of Riflon looked as appealing as an open wound, thought Luchs Fallder. The lumbering AT-AT that carried him in its hull was invunerable to the harsh winds, but Luchs imagined he could feel the winds running up his back. He looked miserable, which his gunner duly noted.

"Sir, report from Blue squad, the operations center is empty, the smugglers are gone."

Luchs sighed to himself.

"Tell all troops to embark and turn the attack group around, we're leaving."

Luchs sighed even deeper, yet another failure he thought...

A month later, Xucphra City, Thyferra

Luchs sat back, an ornate pipe in his right hand. His sullen features turned into a scowl as he took a deep pull of the Rodain weed. Disgusting. The grunts could keep their stinking weed thought the Colonel.

He sat, alone, in his apartment. The din of Xucphra City outside his windows sounded dull, far away. Luchs living area was spartan, a few sculptures and potted plants. The latter he only had because his doctor considered them theraputic. Luchs sighed again to himself thinking of his last operation. His small attack force had not been fast enough to stop those pirates from getting offworld. He could still hear his C.O. berating him about the consequences of his failure on the supply lines that ran through that system.

Luchs was not a natural millitary man. He had played most every combat sim invented as a teenager and upon failing school, had turned to the millitary. He thought it would be a game too, but he was sorely mistaken. His superiors didnt like him, didnt like his attitude. He, in turn didnt like them.

Luchs was startled out of his internal monolouge by the buzzing of the door alarm. Rising, he moved toward the door to his apartment.

[Jarek T'chort]

The stataplast door slid away, revealing an inner mesh door. Behind the mesh, glared a sullen face, a dusting of grey across his face and hair.

"Luchs, are you going to make me stand out here all day?"

Jarek smiled thinly at his old friend.

"Jarek! I mean...um...yes of course," the man shuffled about releasing the mesh door and permitting Jarek entry, "just I was'nt expecting...uh...visitors."

A few moments later, Jarek had removed his black trench coat and service cap and was sitting opposite Luchs.

"Well Luchs, I saw a report about your debacle on Riflon. Letting those smugglers escape, not a good example to the troops now, was it?" Jarek sat back, letting the artificial heat of the apartment slip into his body.

Luchs' face soured. "So the Supreme commander has come to give me a dressing down personally eh?" Luchs didnt keep the tone of bitterness out of his voice.

"No Luchs. I came because you are a friend and I thought you could do with some cheering up. One does not forget comrades in arms, let alone comrades who have been through such hell as we have." Jarek waited for his words to sink in.

Luchs eyes alighted upon Jarek's Imperial Cross, the ornate award that dangled from his breast pocket. The additional Pforr Leaves, crossed sabres and emeralds glistened. Luchs cleraed his throat before speaking.

"I know Jarek. But it has been a long time. The Vong are a memory, as is my career."

Jarek narrowed his eyes as his mind fell back into memory.....

[Luchs Fallder]

Brentaal, pre-fragmentation, Vong Invasion

"No one is going anywhere."

The sharp voice came from Major Jenner, his face a mixture of emotions.

"Orders from High Command are we stand and fight, we take back Gardel city."

A few of the assembled officers in the dimly litbunker snorted or scoffed at his remarks.

"The Vong have already swept us from the city, we are fighting to hold them back from the evacuees now." Argued one of the younger officers.

"Nevertheless, Command has sent a new man to replace General Krall. We will be going on the offensive, from what I've heard."

Luchs leant back into his hard bunk. His eyes traced the lines of ferrocrete run off that ran down the walls of the small bunker. It had been nearly two weeks since the Vong had arrived at Brentaal, an advanced world, with a mixed population of humans and native Brentaleese. The two cultures had formed an impressive civilisation, turning much of the surface of the planet into a thriving cityscape. Now, the Vong had taken much of the planet. Including the capitol, Gardel city.

Luchs barely even thought about the new commander or the offensive. All he could think about were the seemingly endless line of the coral implanted slave soldiers that had run screaming at the Imperial garrison. Luchs had been stationed here it was his home world, now the Vong would turn it into some hideous, growth covered hell hole.

The young Major shivered in his skin again as he thought of his home beneath the tendrils of the organic structures of the Vong, of his parents bodies being walked over by those disfigured freaks.

Time would tell whether the galaxy could last out these barbarians. Time would tell.

[Jarek T'chort]

The Yuuzhan Vong. A name the galaxy knew all too well, and feared the mention of. From small agriculutral outer rim worlds to the bustling meteropolis of Coruscant, the image of self multilated alien invaders and their invasions of the galaxy were remembered with horror and fear. The Galactic Civil War was but a memory in most average beings lives, but the Vong still held a power over the galaxy, a fear that through some impossibility they would return, to conquer, to subjgate and to destroy.

Brentaal, pre-fragmentation, Vong Invasion

The final bars of the Imperial anthem drifted away with the smoke of battle as the coffin of General Krall was lowered into the ground. The ebony box held the Imperial crest on its lid, now obscured as earth was shovelled over it, into the shallow grave.

"...General Krall served the Empire as a true soldier, he died in the line of duty, protecting this world from evil."

The gathered officers and soldiers dispersed as they moved to get ready to move up to the front lines. A few men styed by, close friends of the deceased General, killed by a direct hit on his command bunker.

Even as the ceremony finished the word went around that the new commander had arrived. The soldiers were utterly loyal to the Empire, but their morale had been shaken terribly. Nothing seemed to able to stop the Vong.

[Vem Gador]

Warmaster Vem Gador stood, feet astride, on a ruined skyscraper, his bony fingers griping his amphistaff tight. The ferrocrete below him groaned, almost sensing the pain of the planet below it as an infidel shell smashed into it. His flesh retched slightly his armour that was sealed to his skin moved in acordance with his body as he turned to leave his vantage point. He bellowed an ancient curse at the infidels, then turned abruptly and strode back into the ruins of the skyscraper.

Below him, the coral implanted slaves yet again charged the steadfast Imperials, dug in around a large sports stadium. The E-Webs and
concentrated blaster fire of the infidels was holding back the slaves for now, but Gador knew the enemy was weak, they could not stand the ferocity of the Vong attacks, they were weak, inferior, they had no tolerance for pain. How pitiful, he thought to himself, they would feel pain before they died though, he would make sure of it.

[Shediao Shi]

The Yuuzhan Vong warrior stepped onto the ground of the planet that his race was about to take over. His men fled out of the ship like wild bandits, aiding the vong along thier way. Shediao Shi walked along the path that had been made by some force, his amphistaff firmly gripped in his hand as he walked. The cloak that he wore shuffled around his feet as he manuverd through trees and plants as he made his way towards the battle.

Before landing upon this planet, he had attached his armor to his body, placing the living creature upon his face, it sunk its tube down Shediao's through, so that he may breath. Shediao stoped next to Vem Gador, one of his fellow comrads and spoke in a raspy voice to him.

"This is going as planned for us I would say. The Warmaster Tsavong Lah will be pleased. "

The chaos around them filled his ears as they stood, watching the battle take place upon this pittiful planet. This would just be another planet that they would take over, and then afte they had accomplished their mission upon this planet, they would move to the next, and so on...But first, they would plant a slave seed in every one of the surviving enemy that was left upon the planet. That would prove to be the down fall of all of the races in the galaxy...

[Tear]

A gust of wind rippled through Tear’s robes causing them to jump and dance like they were alive and agitated. How did she manage to convince me to do this? Tear thought closing his eyes briefly from taking a glance down. His small figure was barely visible while it scaled the side of a massive skyscraper, hundreds of stories up. Then he remembered his mistress of darkness: Darana had sent him on an errand to Brentaal to acquire certain top-secret documents held in the imperial intelligence building in Gardel City.

Here we are, I thought to myself, peering through the tinted glass window. The snap hiss of a lightsaber was lost through the dense glass leaving the hustle and bustle of imperial officers oblivious to what was about to happen. Gently pressing the tip of the saber into the glass. The reaction of a superheated blade pressing against the window was expected as it shattered, showering pieces of glass in every direction. Dropping down onto the windowsill, feet crunching under the golden glow of melted glass, I slipped into the building. Watching imperial personal slowly stand from their crouching or ducking positions they had taken in response to the explosion of a window.

“Hello” A smile creased my lips as I let the word slip. Almost instinctually the first imperial officer reached for his blaster, only to have it fall to the floor along with his hand. I walked silently passed the man as he fell to his knee’s screaming in agony, clutching the still sizzling, smoking stump.

“The next on who tries something wont get off as easily.” I said calmly, working a terminal with my free hand. Everyone seemed to comply. They weren’t combat troops; these people worked in small offices fo rmost of their lives, probably only leaving the building to go home.

My fingers stopped abruptly with the flashing of –Password-. “Who has the password to enter…” my eyes drifted down to the man writhing in agony on the floor clutching the stub where his wrist should have been. I dragged him to his feet and dropped him in front of the computer.

“You have one good hand left, use it” were my only words as I lowered my lightsaber under his neck, the golden glow reflecting off his sweat glistened skin with a melodic low hum. He swallowed sorely with a trickle of sweat dripping down his forehead as his hand shakingly tapped various keys. The red flashing of –password- soon faded to green as a new screen popped up.

“Thank you” I growled, Taking the man by his chest and throwing him through the air, he landed with a thud on the other side of the room. I slid a small data chip from my concealed ropes and tacked it onto the side of the computer, hitting a tiny button to begin the download process.

“Don’t move!” A tiny voice shouted, cracking slightly mid sentence.

I turned around slowly, my eyes meeting a young cadet's. He was holding the officer’s blaster. He looked young around eighteen the same age as me. The blaster twitched and shook in his nervous hands as he desperately tried to keep it steady and aimed.

“Well aren’t you brave.”

He swallowed nervously, glancing to his sides for some sort of aid from his co-workers, but none came. Then suddenly his hand stopped shaking and drifted down to the floor, his mouth dropping in the same way. His eyes weren’t looking at me anymore.

“Now that’s better. Why don’t you giv…” I felt a surge of panic ripple throughout the people in the room. They were all staring directly behind me. I turned around to the glass windows that were behind me. “What the frell…” It looked like some sort of rock? Speeding toward us..

“What the hell is that!?” One of the imperial women screamed as she clutched onto the nearest person.

“Oh god..” Another imperial whispered. His pale white face already telling a tale. “It’s a yorik-trema, a Yuuzhan vong military drop ship.”

DING. The small data chip on the side of the computer beeped confirmation that the download was complete.

At the same time two bright red flashes spewed forth from the ship. Red almost liquid acted like a trail of smoke as the two orbs as they streaked toward us.

People instantly began screaming and running to the exits, trampling anyone who had fallen.

I glanced at the data chip a few meters away. Not enough time, i thought, before breaking into a sprint for the opening in the window. Reaching into the force, launching myself clear of the building. The two molten orbs ripped into the building, instantaneously vaporizing the floor in a brilliant explosion.

The roaring sound of air rushing passed me, forcing tears from my eyes as I struggled to right myself in mid air…falling

[Tear]

Tears body rolled through the air steadying his feet underneath his body, having spotted something beneath him. The numbing pain of his feet sent him rolling as he slammed on top of the same type of rock craft. The feel of his hot breathe being blown back against his face between labored pants. Motionless crouching on his hands and knees, pain from the impact throbbing through his legs like a heartbeat. Weakly he rolled onto his back, gazing up at the building set in flame, trying to judge how far he had fallen. Too far, where his only thoughts, pulling himself upwards on the hovering rock of a craft.

“Krishoo soranzai… pitiful creature.” A gravely sick voice growled.

Tear glanced up coming face to face with a horror never before seen by his eyes. Pale white skin, ripped and shredded, pulled and distorted. Solid yellow eyes glared from a head covered in tattoos and pieces of…something sharp looking poking out and through various patches of skin. The being was covered in patches of red, what must have been armor, with various thorns and spikes sticking outward. It was as if someone dug up a corpse mutilated the body horrifically and suited it up for some hellish battle.

With shocking speed the creature circled and lifted tear up by the neck in a strong vice like grip. Tears feet dangled several feet from rock face, or floor, as he struggled to pull the hand from his neck.

“Wh..a..What..” Tear could barely speak with the crushing hand closing in around his neck as he forced himself to spit the words, “aRk..are..You!”

The creature only blinked before a sickly grin spread over his jagged teeth with the jumping of his tongue the words formed in a gravel tone. “Your end.”

Tear managed a few desperate coughs, struggling for air as the world around him started to fade to darkness.

Cinders sparkled up with a background of darkness, floating delicately for a moment before taking off like a smaller animal fleeing from the arrival of a viscous beast. A first just the flickering glow of a small flame…twitching faster..and faster until bursting into a roaring blaze of fire…a rage burned.

Tears eyes shot open suddenly, fighting the darkness back, driving the small metallic cylinder that was his lightsaber down towards the creature’s head with murderous rage. His hand hovered just inches away from the monsters face, he had caught his wrist.

“Nice try little flesh bag.” He hissed.

“Die.” Tear growled viscously. The sound of hissing plasma burning through flesh sizzled through the air as Tears finger slipped from the ignition button, lighting the blade. He couldn’t have screamed if he wanted to, Tear thought to himself watching, as the monster’s body fell limp. A small twisting tower of smoke spiraled up into the air along with the smell of burnt flesh as Tear pushed the body forward letting the blade with drawl from the creature’s face.

A gust of wind sent Tear’s robes fluttering out away from his body as he turned to face a sound from behind. Four more of the beasts stood baring weapons and jagged fang. Tear stood, his saber raised up to shoulder level, both hands gripping the blade like a bat ready to be swung. There was near silence as strong gusts of wind rippled through Tears robes. Screeching battle cry’s from the four suddenly rang out as they charged, one leading the pack. Tear ducked the first staff as it screamed over head, spinning his body toward the next closest, using the momentum to drive an upward slash up from the hip to the shoulder blade, causing shower of spark and smoke to burst forth. The third creature drove his spear forward, grazing Tears hip as it slashed through leaving bloodied cloth. Tear brought his saber up just in time to catch the fourth’s staff, deflecting it to the side with a kick to the beast’s knee causing the creature to stumble somewhat.

Something was wrong. Tear couldn’t feel them through the force. He couldn’t sense or see them at all through the force. They were like black dots against a background of white, total voids.

The four stood off against Tear again having changed places standing in opposite ends on the rock. The only difference now was that Tear was hurt…as for the beast he had slashed… he looked as if he enjoyed the pain. The faint flow of smoke still billowed from the large slash mark over his chest and over his snarling teeth and mutilated face, his eyes never leaving mine.

“What the frell are you…” Tear growled not expecting an answer. He couldn’t win this battle, not with four of them and especially when he didn’t know what it took to take one down, short of stabbing them through the face. It was time to go…

Tears eyes glanced briefly over his surroundings. There was a roof of a skyscraper just a short distance down, the roof curved into a slope but it would have to do.

Tear swung his saber low against the rock like surface of the craft causing a spray of sparks and debris to fly into the air, blinding the four for a moment. But a moment was all he needed taking a quick few steps before jumping from the hovering boulder. Tears robes rippled above him as he fell toward the building, flicking his saber off as he fell. The thick class crunched and cracked as Tear landed with a thump falling into a roll down the slope of the building. The slopping building quickly slanted to a point where there was no slant only flat, straight down. Not good, Tear thought as he ignited his saber digging it deep into the thick buildings glass walls. The dim golden glow streaked down the building as the lightsaber left its scorched trail, sputtering sparks, each time Tear pressed deeper into the wall trying desperately to slow his descent. There just wasn’t enough friction to stop the fall…Tear clenched his jaw as he held both hands to his saber, dug deep into the side of building the ground still rushing ever closer.


(ooc wrote it a long time ago..kinda sucky but eh..)

[Teleran Balades]

Frenzied war cries and haunting screams of pain and horror floated through the air, joining into a hellish opera, foreshadowing the inevitable. A blood-red hue from the waning sun bathed the ruined outskirts of the cityscape, slowly plunging Gardel City into a dark veil of death. Highlighted in the crimson glare, a group of soldiers ran for the collapsed buildings as if a pack of wild rancors were right on their heels. Behind them lay a corpse ridden field where the monstrosities tore fanatically into unfortunates still left in the open.

An armored private dressed in a New Republic uniform spared a glance back at the carnage and froze, too horrified to move. A passing soldier grabbed his arm “Marius you idiot, get moving” A moment later group of Yuuzhan Vong warriors rapidly closed in. The lead warrior grasped his amphistaff in a single hand, whipping it foreword with blinding speed. Instantly the serpentine weapon changed from being a rigid pole it a flexible whip. The blue-black living weapon curled around Marius’s ankle yanking the stumbling soldier from his comrade’s grip. As Marius fell, the staff’s snake-like head sunk its needle sharp fangs into his leg, pumping venom into the soldier’s blood-stream.

Attempting to block the screams from his companion out, the Republic soldier fired several shots at the mob of walking horrors. One blast creased the side of the leaders face, but instead of crying out in pain and threw his malformed head back, laughing in a deep, rasping voice. The Vong’s eyes met with the soldier, a sudden fear stabbed deep into the soldier. Losing his nerve he spun and sprinted after the group hearing the haunting threat spat at him by the one he’d just confronted. “Unworthy infidel, you will soon discover the true meaning of pain.”

Junior Officer Balades ran with the other Republic soldiers and crew in the small unit. He kept a death-grip on the vibroblade in his right hand, knuckles white with the exertion. Shadows shrouded them as they entered the collapsed buildings. Anxious soldiers glanced at every dark crevice and grotto, thinking that a Vong warrior would step out at any minute. Sounds from the battle behind them slowly faded away as they raced through the maze of ruble. At a three-way intersection Commander Wiker ground to a halt. Tel leaned against a large slab of cracked ferrocrete, durasteel support bars visible on the sides, and stood panting for a minute.

“I make the calls from now on, Commander” Tel turned toward Wiker, who was kneeling next to a broken fountain. Looking up, Wiker retorted the junior officer angrily. “How was I supposed to know the Vong were here? Besides, the Imps got hit much harder than we did.”

Tel was in no mood to argue. “True, but we’re technically working with them for this op. Now everyone is split into separate groups all over the region, and most of our men were slaughtered back there. May I remind you that our goal here is to get off this rock and back to the fleet.” Silence fell over the cluster, allowing Tel to reflect on the past few days. A week ago A New Republic task force had come to aid in the defense of Brentaal. Even though the Empire and the Republic were sworn enemies, the Yuuzahn Vong crisis forced the two factions to join. During the first wave of attacks the Strike Cruiser that Junior Officer Balades and the soldiers with him had been critically damaged and started falling into the planets gravity well. The surviving crew and troop detachment had crammed into the escape pods and were marooned far from the city. After three days of walking toward Gardel City, a stormtrooper company had been spotted. Tel remembered bitterly Commander Wiker’s suggestion to flag them down. Before the two groups could even make an arrangement to get to the nearest spaceport, the Vong ambushed the mixed forces. The attackers closed to short range before anyone could react and cut through the troops with their deadly amphistaffs. Small groups of soldiers were able to escape, but most were brutally killed.

“We need to get moving before the Vong show up.” Tel glanced around, spotting a more-or-less intact office building rising a few stories off the ground a couple hundred meters away. “What about that building? Doesn’t look like they got to the block yet.” Wiker glanced at the building and shook his head. “If they weren’t there now they’re heading there now. Lenerz, what do you think?” The commander turned to a tall, muscular man in dark-colored camouflage who was leaning against the barrel of an insanely long rifle. Colonel Lenerz had been part of a commando group that had been groundside. “If we can get into the higher floors and away from those freak-weapons we’ll have the advantage. If we run into trouble we can always building hop.”

Commander Wiker paused for a moment. “All right, move out, Collins your on point.” Tel quickly stood up, following the wary soldiers in front of him through the maze toward the damaged office building. With luck they could get there before the Yuuzhan Vong did.