Klatooine
Explosions ripped through the nearby building, sending shrapnel in every direction. The concussive wave blasted Cabrin into a ditch, landing hard on the gear packed onto his belt and back, some of it saving him from further injury. Ears ringing now, he pushed himself up, knowing they would be following that up once they thought they had the initiative, prompting the New Republic soldier to keep to cover. Diving into a shop, lances of superheated gas pocked the doorway and burned through the front windows, sending not only the evading trooper deeper into the store, but the innocent civilians as well. Sliding across the tile floor, he dove behind a long shelf full of food items and took a moment to catch his breath.
Brown eyes glanced to a middle aged man, fear in his eyes as the shopowner looked at him, then back toward the front of the building, then ducked back which gave Cabrin all the information he needed. Right hand to another grenade, he primed it and threw it, hearing the cursing outside as boots scrambled just as another deafening explosion darkened the world once more. Smoke and dust poured into the shop as shattered glass rained down, allowing Cabrin to move again, turning right and sprinting to the back. Turning as he reached the first corner, a shape in the dirty dust gave him a target as he raised his rifle and fired.
That done, he spun and ran through the storeroom and to a back door. Panting, the soldier carefully turned the knob and pulled the door back, daylight again warming his sweat and grime covered face. More blaster fire in the distance and explosions gave him some comfort knowing that his flanking maneuver may still work, though the chances of not being seen now were slimming with each passing moment. Pulling the door open, he moved to step out just as a shadow on the permacrete alleyway prompted him to crouch and aim his rifle at the next target, then fire.
Pitching backward, the nikto mercenary hit the solid surface hard, his rifle clattering to the dark grey ground and slid away. Moving to the downed alien, Cabrin crouched and ripped out the extra eclips and the mercenary's comlink, then continued moving.
Beyond a cluster of small hovels, animals barking at the stranger as he ran passed, Cabrin could hear the distinct sound of repulsor engines, laboring hard to keep the vehicle running. Slowing his pace, Cabrin noticed a narrow stair rising to the roof of the larger building to his left, a path that he chose instead. Climbing, he soon reached the rooftop, keeping low to ensure that no one was already up there. Scanning over the shallow lip and satisfied that he was alone, Cabrin rolled onto the roof and kept to a low crouch as he moved toward the sound of raised voices now, yelling over the group of engines. Reaching the edge of the flat roof, he laid down and angled his head sideways to peer over the low wall.
Four, heavily armed and armored personnel skiffs sat in a square, all pointing south to the far side of the fairly open plaza. Aliens of nearly every race geared up for one last push to the New Republic outpost which had been set up here for a resupply base. Their efforts to fight the Empire had taken the army and navy to places that they weren't necessarily longtime friends with.
Apparently, someone in the local ruling council decided they didn't want the New Republic's money or the attention of the Imperial Navy. Hiring these mercenaries wasn't the smartest thing either, he mused as the large group began gathering their things and heading toward the four vehicles.
Removing his comlink, Cabrin keyed in the private military channel and hoped someone was still alive at the outpost to help him out. "Vornskr actual, this is Cracian Four. Do you copy?"
"Cracian Four, this is Vornskr."
"Need fire mission at," he glanced at his wrist mounted data pad. "One, Four, Seven, point Two, north. Two, Two, Five, point Eight, east. Danger close."
"Copy that. Keep your head down."
Sighing, he turned off the comlink and backed from the wall's edge, waiting for the hard sound of incoming until the missiles could be seen, their contrails high in the sky, screaming down at him. Turning, he wrapped his arms over his head and prayed....
Explosions ripped through the nearby building, sending shrapnel in every direction. The concussive wave blasted Cabrin into a ditch, landing hard on the gear packed onto his belt and back, some of it saving him from further injury. Ears ringing now, he pushed himself up, knowing they would be following that up once they thought they had the initiative, prompting the New Republic soldier to keep to cover. Diving into a shop, lances of superheated gas pocked the doorway and burned through the front windows, sending not only the evading trooper deeper into the store, but the innocent civilians as well. Sliding across the tile floor, he dove behind a long shelf full of food items and took a moment to catch his breath.
Brown eyes glanced to a middle aged man, fear in his eyes as the shopowner looked at him, then back toward the front of the building, then ducked back which gave Cabrin all the information he needed. Right hand to another grenade, he primed it and threw it, hearing the cursing outside as boots scrambled just as another deafening explosion darkened the world once more. Smoke and dust poured into the shop as shattered glass rained down, allowing Cabrin to move again, turning right and sprinting to the back. Turning as he reached the first corner, a shape in the dirty dust gave him a target as he raised his rifle and fired.
That done, he spun and ran through the storeroom and to a back door. Panting, the soldier carefully turned the knob and pulled the door back, daylight again warming his sweat and grime covered face. More blaster fire in the distance and explosions gave him some comfort knowing that his flanking maneuver may still work, though the chances of not being seen now were slimming with each passing moment. Pulling the door open, he moved to step out just as a shadow on the permacrete alleyway prompted him to crouch and aim his rifle at the next target, then fire.
Pitching backward, the nikto mercenary hit the solid surface hard, his rifle clattering to the dark grey ground and slid away. Moving to the downed alien, Cabrin crouched and ripped out the extra eclips and the mercenary's comlink, then continued moving.
Beyond a cluster of small hovels, animals barking at the stranger as he ran passed, Cabrin could hear the distinct sound of repulsor engines, laboring hard to keep the vehicle running. Slowing his pace, Cabrin noticed a narrow stair rising to the roof of the larger building to his left, a path that he chose instead. Climbing, he soon reached the rooftop, keeping low to ensure that no one was already up there. Scanning over the shallow lip and satisfied that he was alone, Cabrin rolled onto the roof and kept to a low crouch as he moved toward the sound of raised voices now, yelling over the group of engines. Reaching the edge of the flat roof, he laid down and angled his head sideways to peer over the low wall.
Four, heavily armed and armored personnel skiffs sat in a square, all pointing south to the far side of the fairly open plaza. Aliens of nearly every race geared up for one last push to the New Republic outpost which had been set up here for a resupply base. Their efforts to fight the Empire had taken the army and navy to places that they weren't necessarily longtime friends with.
Apparently, someone in the local ruling council decided they didn't want the New Republic's money or the attention of the Imperial Navy. Hiring these mercenaries wasn't the smartest thing either, he mused as the large group began gathering their things and heading toward the four vehicles.
Removing his comlink, Cabrin keyed in the private military channel and hoped someone was still alive at the outpost to help him out. "Vornskr actual, this is Cracian Four. Do you copy?"
"Cracian Four, this is Vornskr."
"Need fire mission at," he glanced at his wrist mounted data pad. "One, Four, Seven, point Two, north. Two, Two, Five, point Eight, east. Danger close."
"Copy that. Keep your head down."
Sighing, he turned off the comlink and backed from the wall's edge, waiting for the hard sound of incoming until the missiles could be seen, their contrails high in the sky, screaming down at him. Turning, he wrapped his arms over his head and prayed....
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