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// LOG 63.1: Rho Cortack IV - Pre Mission Check \\
This mission felt different, it felt weird.
Usually before a mission I felt antsy, excited, hyperactivity usually would creep it’s way into my body. But this was different, my armor felt heavier, denser, but no more protective. It felt like a burden. But I had no reason to feel this way, the hard plastoid would save me on multiple occasions every mission, whether from blades, blaster bolts or the elements.
I shrugged the feeling off, thinking it was a product of the new gear. The boys were getting dressed up, everyone grabbing their own gear and organizing their own divisions. My command had expanded for this mission, promoted directly up 3 ranks, I had well over 10 times more men to keep my eye on. To take some responsibility off my shoulders I had designated roles to my closest brothers, Pharaoh and Titan, assigning them to create two divisions.
Looking out across the hangar I could see that my predictions were correct. Titan polished and wiped down a brand new modified Z6 rotaty cannon surely starting a heavy division. While Pharaoh as promised was taking after myself by donning a jetpack and tossing fuel canisters to some ARFs. He then picked up his new ARF helmet, inscribed with the symbol of his first assignment, for old times sake he said.
The symbol brought my attention back to my lap. Where my chest plate lay face up. I was inscribing and painting my previous master’s symbol, a Shyyyo bird.
Coming from a half spiritual, half warrior species, Master Kailon was labeled “Shyyyo” by the females of his village. Choosing the massive bird because of it’s massive migrations. But was labeled smaller birds like convor and nuna by the males who saw him as weak for exploring instead of training. When he joined the Jedi he embraced the massive Shyyyo bird as his symbol, painting it on his shoulder armor in purple paint, made from jogan fruit he often bought. A reminder of his family, good and bad.
The bird was painted in red on my chestplate to honor his memory. An ancient mandalorian code labelled red as the color of respect and honor for a past mentor or leader. It was perfect.
Donning my new chestplate, helmet and fancy DC-17s in my belt holsters I stood to stretch. Too feel the new armor out. Hearing stomping feet and the common sound of soldiers snapping to attention, I turned # to see a hangar full of soldiers, engineers, pilots, brothers.
A truly breathtaking sight to behold, such a large audience at your command. Poised to hear your next word. Ready for any order. These men were bred for war, and I was going to show the exactly that.
// LOG 63.5: Rho Cortack IV: Enemy Contact \\
After dropping sub atmosphere, we glided through dense clouds, leaving the previous blaster fire of the space skirmish, we had safely made it planet side.
Emerging from the dense clouds I could see my Battalion spread out in dozens of gunships, all diving down to the surface. Then suddenly multiple exploded into black fireballs of smoke. Increasing their speed towards the surface. Multiple gunships plummeted below. Scorching the rock in black ash and craters.
Every ship was a dozen or more men, I felt a twinge of a sharp pain every impact and the heavy feeling returned. Clouding my thoughts, I winced at the doubts and the visions of mass injury and lifeless bodies.
// LOG 63.5: Rho Cortack IV - Surface Contact \\
At least half the LAATs had made it to the surface intact, landing on the front, we joined the rest of the 253rd in stone trenches, jumping in and double checking casualties and weapons.
I jumped into a trench with some of Vornsk Company, they were trailing there own commander and general who had led one of the first pushes. They advised to sty low, and there advice was backed by the volley of continuous red beams above our helmets. We were stuck.
I asked over comms for Sergeant Sparrow, curious what was left of his squad or him. He responded quickly.
“Our gunship took slight damage sir, we were forced to make an early landing. We are on the ridge two clicks south west of the main force sir, what do you advise?”
Glancing behind us, my thermal vision located the burning ship, as well as various bodies. “Do you have sight lines on anything in front of us?” A sharp flash of light temporarily blinded the thermal sensors. Sparrow’s squad had their rifles out and were aimed on our position.
“Yes sir. We can see you and the enemies front line.”
“What do you see?”
“Droids sir, so many droids. They have turret emplacements that seem to be holding down the majority of our forces.”
“Manned turrets?”
“Yes sir.”
“Blast them on my command, we’re breaching that line.”
“We’ll be ready sir.”
I contacted a sergeant of Vornsk Company, informing them of the plan. We would surprise the droids by taking out their turrets and rushing their trenches.
I slowly reached behind my helmet, peering over the edge of the trench and quickly tapped the plastoid covering twice.
“THWACK—THWACK—THWACK”
Before I could finish the second tap, blue beams darted across the battlefield as the red beams slowed.
Raising my vibrojato above my head I yelled
“FOR THE REPUBLIC!!!”
As I stepped above the edge of the trench and charged forward, troopers rose all around me in synch and charged as one. Returning my call.
“For Tal’Akaata!! For the Republic!!”
// LOG 63.12: Rho Cortack IV - New Separatist Toy \\
We had been pacing through the separatist’s corridors and mining facilities for what felt like a rotation or more. I had joined the heavy troops for the time being, accompanying Titan and the majority of Blood Battalion. Joined by 2 troopers from the recon division to scout ahead.
In that moment, one of them yelled back towards us. Sergeant Spectre and an ARF trooper he brought with him had been up ahead for a little while now, searching the expansive system of caverns for more droids or as they called trandoshans, ‘wets.’
“Sir! We have a few wets up here, you are clear to enter the cavern.”
Titan’s grimace could be felt from underneath his helmet. I nodded in agreement “We are on our way, but next time please call em organics or lizards.” They had learned this new lingo from squad leader Weeper and his new commando team. It seemed to catch on in the recon division at least, probably promoted by Pharaoh to get under Titan’s skin.
“Yes sir. 2 or 3 organics in here commander. Be careful of the heavy machinery.”
Reaching the last set of blast doors, they whirred open and revealed a massive open corridor perched on the side of the ravine. Covered in mechanics and cylindrical storage pods, the cavern seemed void of movement or life, besides the faint glow of the local fauna. Blasted fungi, covering bits of everything, the stuff smelled as bad as bantha poodoo.
The boys and I crept our way into the large interior, scoping mechanics and scanning every corner and crevice of the large hangar like room.
“CLACK, CLCK—SHHKK”
A large switch slammed downward and the room’s lights flickered out. Leaving only a faint light emitting from each cluster of fungi.
“Agh—unghh, ahkk!”
A struggle could be heard faintly in the distance. The sound of a clone smacking metal rang throughout the cavern, the rattling echoed throughout the ravine.
“Activate thermal vision boys.” I commanded as whirring mechanisms replaced the sounds of struggle.
Through my visor the body of a clone could be seen slumped against the cavern’s wall. Limp and heat quickly fading from the clone’s body. Turning blue and fading into the darkness around him. As that clone faded, another clone seemed to levitate into the air. Squirming and beating something in front of him with his fist while holding his throat with the other. He rose slowly as if being force choked. Without any thermal readings around the trooper there was no other explanation.
As the heat began to fade from the second clone, a small thermal reading slowly revealed itself. A small sensor, like that on a B2 battle droid, it became the only thing visual on our sensors.
“Thermals off, turn your flashlights on!”
The whirring subsided and beams of light canvassed the hall in white light. Before us stood a towering guardian, as if sculpted out of metal and cortosis. The massive figure rose higher in front of us, focusing it’s single red sensor on myself.
A droid. Taller, stronger... stranger than we had ever seen before. Clad in strange armor from head to toe, boasting massive arms and a second smaller set. It was enough to make a clone run and hide, but not the Blood Battalion.
Titan pulled a DC-17s from one of my holsters and fired a single shot down the corridor. Lighting the corridor’s walls in a red hue, the laser struck the droids central sensor. But instead of scorching the metal or melting through the hard exterior, the bolt simply diffused on contact, disappearing as soon as it had been fired.
He placed the pistol back in my utility belt and a gulp was audible under that plastoid shell and toughened facade. He pulled his rotary cannon from his back and planted his feet readying himself. Then letting the barrel rotate faster and faster before raining hell on this hellish opponent.