Captain Cole, newly commissioned with the Imperial Army, stared into the black visor neatly crossing the blue accented helm of the Mandalorian warrior casually field stripping his new blastech pistols and frowned. This particular Mandalorian, Blaxer, was the unoffical, or official, she could never tell with these battle obsessed mercenaries, leader of the four Mandalorians under her command and had been serving Darth X since before he had been a Darth. Capable, reliable, and deadly, he was essentially the dark lords right hand. He was also as stubborn as a drouk, a trait that was partially responsible for his great success, but which was currently trying Coles patience. "Are you refusing a direct order?"
"Not military," was his typically clipped response, the result of life spent on the field of battle.
"You are, however, still under contract," snapped Cole, steel creeping into her voice. "Or do you intend to.."
Her accusation was cut short as Blaxer snapped his pistol barrel loudly into place and rose to his feet instantly, snatching the weapons twin from the small table in the conference room. He twirled the dual pistols around his fingers with a flourish and Cole could imagine a smug grin on the face behind the mask as he slung them into their respective drop-leg holsters.
"Not disobeying orders. Correcting an oversite."
"What? What oversite? What are you talking about? We need your people, Blaxer. You're the best suited to approach them." All reports she'd been able to access strongly indicated that the Mandalorians were spread throughout the galaxy working various mercenary jobs and that the current Mandalore was presumed dead, rotting in some creatures gut. If anyone could rally them, it would be Blaxer, even if he had to personally beat some sense into them one at a time.
"Forget that. Sorch will do fine. She's tough. Smart. You need somebody to watch yer back."
"Ridiculous. We're on a warship surrounded by... you can't possibly be suggesting that we need protection from our own men."
"They're not yer men. They're the Empires men. You n Lord X n the rest.. yer outsiders. Sorch n Reeve can round up the Mandos. I'm stayin. Lookin after my paycheck. C'mon, we'll be dropping out of hyperspace soon. I wanna be on the bridge so Darth X doesn't forget to bring me along for the ground assault."
Blaxer trotted out of the conference room at a brisk pace, and Cole was forced to run to keep up, leaving no time for a reply. Located directly next to a turbolift station, she soon found herself standing shoulder to shoulder with the heavily armed and armored hunter of men on the long ride to the bridge of the Tuk'ata.
"Sorch and Reeve," she repeated, giving up the argument in favor of more information. "What of Mira?"
"Figured you'd want to keep her close. Mado's are family, but blood is blood. Got her working on a private project in archives if you want to talk to her." Blaxer checked the charge on his wrist mounted flame thrower, as if the fact that Mira was her sister wasn't one of the galaxy's best kept secrets. She'd never told anyone that her much beloved sister had betrayed the Empire and ran off with a bunch of adrenaline addicts and combat junkies, and Mira didn't talk. To anyone. About anything. Ever.
"Talk to Mira, you certainly are a dreamer," laughed Captain Cole, inwardly cringing and stepping forth with swagger as the turbolift doors whooshed open. She marched down the walkway amid a flurry of activity and orders shouted and acknowledged. The Tuk'ata was in full battle mode. Flashes streaked past the transparisteel viewport as volleys were exchanged with the enemy forces. Rebels. New Republic. Whoever. Cole had mountains of data to digest, and the distinction between the two groups was barely discernible to her at the moment.
"Captain Cole, Blaxer, come, enjoy the view my friends," Darth X greeted them with a warm smile, beckoning them onward with a wave of his hand. "I think that battle platform is about to explode. It should make for quite a show, given its size."
"Agreed. Yer leading the ground assault?" Blaxer asked, informally as always, and as always Darth X either failed to notice or didn't care.
"I am."
"Think I'll tag along."
Darth X smiled wider, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Of course."
Summary
Exited HS in B-3
Shields up/Fighters Launch
Engaged enemies
ISD Tuk'ata vs GOLAN III 1254
VSD Dominance vs Rouge Sword II 680
7 IPVs vs GOLAN III 700
4 TIE Adv vs 1 Z95(A3) 288
5 TIE Adv vs 3 Z95(A2) 360
1 Elite Interceptor + 2 Avengers vs 3 Z95(A2) 480
23 LSHU vs 10 LSHU(A3) 414
9 LSHU vs 4 LSHU(A2) 162
2 LSHU vs 3 Z95(A2) 36
30 LSHU vs ...anything left alive...540
TIE Swarm 1 CSP
5/5 TIE Fighters
TIE Swarm 2 CSP
4/4 TIE Fighters
ISD Tuk'ata
B-3>A-3
Sh1760/1760, A1760/1760, H1320/1320, Sy880/880
Elite TIE Interceptors*
TIE Avengers*
TIE Avengers*
TIE Adv*
TIE Adv*
TIE Adv*
36LSHU*
VSD-II Dominance
B-3>A-3
Sh1000/1000, A1000/1000, H900/900, Sy500/500
TIE Fighters+
TIE Fighters+
TIE Fighters+
24LSHU*
ESC Hive
B-3>A-3
Sh500/500, A500/500, H125/125, Sy250/250
TIE Adv*
TIE Adv*
TIE Adv*
TIE Adv*
TIE Adv*
TIE Adv*
2LSHU*
ESC Aerie
B-3>A-3
Sh500/500, A500/500, H125/125, Sy250/250
TIE Fighters+
TIE Fighters+
TIE Fighters+
TIE Fighters+
TIE Fighters+
TIE Fighters+
2LSHU*
