Star Wars: The Outer Rim War

[The General]

"Odd one," Grievous murmered as the young soldier bustled off to take care of the children and such. There was still something that Grievous found odd about the boy, and yet he couldn't place it. He merely shrugged, deciding not to think on it. Perhaps he would figure it out later, or perhaps he was just insane. It wasn' impossible, with the way things were going.

Grievous strolled down the miserable streets, his eyes flicking to the differant figures that loitered them. Some were happy, and smiling. It was good to see smiles in times this harsh. Others however, were beaten down, tired, and bitter. It was those among the people Grievous pitied and at the same time loathed. They were like a disease inside an already weakened body. They infected anyone with their anger and bitterness, spreading through the city at rapid rates.

Grievous sighed. War was harsh, this he knew. But nevermind that, he supposed. Nalio should be giving the pep talk and his officers should be planning new fortifications. Grievous sighed, for once he wished the Huk would attack, it would break the awful tension that hung in the air. He could train, ride, visit the civilians not at the rally, he could do virtually whatever he wanted with his time and yet....there was nothing to do.

Suddenly an Idea hit him, and he spun around, heading past the Bazaar. It seemed he had arrived right on time, as the small group of new comers headed up the road. They stopped as Grievous approached, looking directly at the young male. "So," He began. "You ran off before I had time to finish..." He let the apprehension hang for a moment, then grinned beneath the mask. "I never got to properly show you around, now did I?"

"But first...I'm sure you must be tired, and well, no offense, but you stink to the heavens. Here, allow me to show you to the showers, hm?" Grievous lead them amiably down the road, and stopped in front of two large tents. "Here you are...ah...Gat, you're going into the wrong tent...." He said slowly as he headed for the large female branded tent.

"Of course I'm sure the little ones will need assisstance." He continued, walking over to a pair of females, who nodded their heads and escorted the children away. "And Gat you can go on in."

"Send one of the other males to my quarters when you're done. I'll come back and I'll give you the proper tour, if there's anything you need, then just let me know." Grievous said with a nod, and before Gat could reply turned heel and left.

Ah, Grievous loved new refugees. They added a new sense of hope to the air...even if that Gat was an odd one. "An odd one indeed..."

[Masurao]

Gat was left in a dumbfounded stare, watching as the general disappeared into the crowd, leaving her in front of the bathing tents. The male one. It took some time before realization set in…And what a horrible realization that was.

She looked behind where an attendant with a long, unfriendly face stared back at her, most likely curious at the general’s focus of attention. Technically, she couldn’t say for sure if the attendant in question was truly unfriendly or not, but it was not in her interest to find out. Though the keen look in his eyes told that he would most likely inform the general if she where to leave. He didn’t look like the kind to keep things from his superiors. The attendant cocked his head, his eyes narrowing. Gat could feel a cold drop of sweat trickle down the back of her neck yet somehow gathered enough courage to walk pass the attendant and into the tent, praying for it to be empty.

I mean, who bathes mid-day?

How the inside of the bathing area looked like, Gat could not instantly recall for her eyes were lowered as soon as she walked in. Those were men. Bathing men. Naked men.

For what seemed like an eternity, Gat held her hand over her eyes, only shifting when she sensed someone pass by her. She could feel their eyes staring at her for a few, terrifying moments before they had their curiosity satisfied and continued about their own business. The air was thick and humid, steam rising from seemingly out of nowhere. The tent itself was merely an entryway that lead to a stone building and the building itself was nothing more but housing for a single large bathing pool inside an even larger blue tiled chamber. Of course, this was all taken into account for the brief second that Gat dared to raise her sight. The rest of the time was spent juggling ideas in her head – as to how to avoid taking an actual bath – at such a rapid pace that soon her head spun. How to avoid this? If she were to leave now, her own scent would betray her (if not the attendant); on the other hand, if she were to remove her clothing to actually bathe, there were a few things in her physiology the rest were bound to notice.

But who said she had to remove all of her clothing? She just merely needed to apply water to the areas that needed the most attention. That wouldn’t require to be completely nude…

Gat grabbed one of the washcloths hanging from the wall and quickly made her way to the farthest corner of the pool, the side with the least amount of bathers, careful not to bump into anyone on the way there, and sat on one of the empty stool on the side of the pool – originally used to place the discarded clothing off the wet floor – with her back towards the main crowd, staring at the wall. Veil, scarf, and mask were placed next to her. For a brief moment, she mentally panicked and fought with this incredible urge to just run out of the place and just hide for whatever the time it took for everyone to forget about her, but she quickly suppressed those feelings and managed to calm herself enough to remove the first layer of upper garments. She stopped…but nothing happened. The rest of the bathers went about their business. The second layer was removed. Again, no one gave a second thought. Removing the final layer revealed the bandages tightly wrapped around her chest. Her breath paced. Would they question this? Would they ask for it to be removed? A silly thought, she told herself. Many here were bandaged and none stripped them off, so there was no reason for her to deviate. Let them believe that Gat had suffered an injury.

The water was warm and comforting, but the bandages soaked up the water and turned from a dull tan to an ugly brown, and while the water stayed warm on her skin, it quickly cooled on the bandages and soon became uncomfortable. When she thought she was taking too much time, she decided she had enough bathing for one day and hastily clothed herself again. Outside, Gat was able to breathe a sigh of relief and look back at what she had done. She had entered a male bathing area. She. And she had done so without anyone noticing, and if they had noticed anything unusual, they did not questioned her about it. Gat wasn’t sure whether to feel pleased or embarrassed…maybe a bit of both. Now to maker her exit before her luck ran out.

Gat had not even taken two steps away when the voice of the attendant called out.

“You, stay. I’ve already sent someone to get the general. It would be rude to refuse him.” Encouraged by Gat’s wide-eyed stare, he continued. “What? You didn’t think I’d hear him? I know better than to disappoint the general, you too would be wise to heed that.”

Gat returned, chuckling nervously. “Oh…I know, I know. I just…forgot.” She lied.

So much for luck.

[The General]

(Although, I'm only going to be on for a few minutes, I would like to appologize for time lapses between my posts, and to thank you, Mas, for posting whenever you can. I know your circumstances so I know your busy.

As for you Red, I'm a little tired of you joining my rps post once or twice, then totally leaving them there to hang, when you have a role that affects the rp itself. Due to the fact that you constantly do this, don't join any RP I create. Ever. Thank you for your time.

I will now post, although it's short, hopefully it will give you something to work with.))

"General?" A voice called out from the crack of light in Grievous' tent.

"Come in, come in." Grievous said amiably, waving his hand to dismiss any formalities as the messenger walked in.

"Uh, Gat is done with his shower, sir."

"Oh, good, good. I'll go down in a few moments. Just let me finish this attack plan...tell me, what do you think of Slashrats?" Grievous asked, not looking up from his work.

"Well...I know they're banned from use in war...or at least, thats what most treatys say...if I may be so bold as to ask, sir, but why?" He responded uncomfortably.

"Because, I need you to inform the troops to create stone platforms to stand on. After all, the sand is going to be a bad place to be in the coming battle." Grievous replied, rolling up the sheet of dry parchment. He tucked it into his belt as the messenger began to reply.

"What...what does that have to do with Slashrats, Sir?"

Grievous sighed a little. What were they teaching in schools? "It has everything to do with Slashrats. After all, the vile little bastards can't swim through stone, now can they?"

"W-we're using Slashrats?" The messenger stammered wide eyed.

Grievous didn't answer the question directly, heading off in the direction of the bathing houses. "Just do as your told, Soldier. I value everyone here...and I've heard death by Slashrat is not a pretty way to go."

* * *

Grievous walked up to the bathhouse, brushing past the cloth to see Gat standing uncomfortably. The bathhouse was possibly the most crude place in the entire encampment, filled to the top with cursing and other activities deemed unseemly. Grievous rolled his eyes as two males tackled each other into one of the larger pools, nearly dragging Gat with them. "Sorry about this," He began, bowing his head slightly. "A few years or war and you learn not to give a damn about certain manners."

He turned lightly, gesturing for Gat to follow him outside. As they exited into the sunlight, they were met by the little ones who were dressed in new clothes and the scent of soap clung around them. "Thats much better, isn't it?" He asked, patting the young female on the head. "Well, from what I hear Gat, you've decided to join us. I won't lie to, it probably wasn't the best of decisions, but I suppose it's too late now. You've sold your body, soul, and life to the Kaleesh Army, and now they'll expect more from you than any normal citezen." Grievous let that sink in as they walked forward, turning away from them. "Trust me, I know..." He murmered bitterly.

"So, where to first?" He asked turning to face them once more. "Are you hungry, do you want the tour, or shall I let you rest and then we'll do the others later. It's up to you."

[Redeemer]

(I apologize, and i dont have an excuse, all i can ask is that you reconsider what you asked me and allow me another chance. That is all i can ask, so i will post as soon as i take out the trash and wait for your answer.One thing i can say is to look again, i have probably done this what........twice or so. So please dont say i "Constantly" do it.)

With a Nod to Grievous Nalio went to his tactics room. He looked at all of the soldiers on his way there. The masks of many warriors looking at him as he passed.As he got to the main building he walked up the stairs. The rust was starting to get more noticable.

Getting to the top he entered his room and layed his Naginata into the corner. He placed his guns on the rack and began to think of what to say. Just then a soldier ran in, "Sir some sort of fight has broken out between Colonel Yense and a corporal Ulnene. We need you to break it up."

Nalio jumped from his chair and said, "Were?!" The soldier had only pointed outside towards the wall to the east. Nalio ran as fast as his legs could carry. So fast he didnt even think to grab his weapons.

As he ran down the street, the soldiers that were there before werent and there seemed to be a circle around two figures. A soldier looked behind him as Nalio ran in and sort of gasped and fell back. As he did others saw and moved out of the way aswell.

As he entered the Circle he saw the Colonel was indeed battling with a Corporal, hand to hand. With a strong voice Nalio spoke. "ENOUGH!!!"

Everyone stopped cheering and looked at him. As Nalio noticed he had everyones attention he began his speech he was preparing. With just a little added.

"You fools, i heard that there were problems with soldiers being scared of battle and this is how you settle it. A fight amongst yourself? I will tell you something, if you had the same enthusiasm for a street fight as you did for a real battle we might acually win,"

Nalio caught his mouth, he did not mean to make it sound like they were going to lose.

"But we will be as enthused now wont we? Everyone look now and get ready for a battle. Some of us may die but by the force (?) we will give them hell before we do."

Raising his hand in the air he screamed, "WHOS WITH ME!!?!?!?!?!?!?!" Everyone stuck their hands in the air and yelled.

[0darkblade0]

(uh, is it too late to join? because you mentioned republic soliders and i thought i would like to be one)

[Masurao]

((Though it's not my call, I would say give Red a second chance General. I'm sure he'll try to be more responsible in the future. As for Malus, it's up the the General to decide if you can enter the RPG at this point. I would accept you, seeing as we're not that far ahead; but again, not my call.))

***

“Oh, I-I wouldn’t want to take up any more of your time, sir. You’ve done more than I could have expected, and I would hate to trouble you any more.”

Gat glanced at the attendant, who narrowed his eyes at her. It seems that refusing the general bothered the attendant more than she was lead to believe. She turned her attention back at the general. “I mean, thank you for you generosity and the consideration towards my children, but it’s not necessary – Not that I don’t appreciate it! I really do, and I’m sure the young ones do too, but…”

Her eyes returned to the attendant. He scowled disapprovingly, shaking his head to discourage Gat from continuing to reject the general’s offer. Gat sighed; having the Huks as enemies was bad enough, having your own species against you was not something she’d want to add to the list of things to worry about.

She paused for a few moments, then continued. “Well…this is my first time in the Capital, so the tour would be nice…”

Everett stopped admiring her new clothes to look up at Gat with content surprise, but Gat was to busy mentally kicking herself to notice the young girl’s enthusiasm. Out of all the things to answer! The tour? She was dressed as a soldiers and all she could think about was checking out the sights! Why couldn’t she had picked something more…manly, like the armory? At least the fact that both Vogel and Everett seemed quite interested in their destination would allow Gat to excuse her answer as a favor for the children rather than for her own amusement.

Even though she really did want to see the Capital…at least before it gets destroyed…

“Watch out!”

A large object jumped out of nowhere and tackled Gat to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust where she landed. At first she panicked, thinking a creature was attacking her, but then she felt it licking her face. That “it” was a stocky, slobbering creature with a wide mouth like a toad’s filled with tiny teeth, small, beady eyes, and covered in wiry fur. The creature panted happily and licked Gat’s face again, its stubby legs barely making it rise two feet off the ground. It barked a shrilling call when another soldier came running towards them.

The soldier immediately pried the creature off Gat by a leather-like collar around its neck. “Oh, I’m really sorry. He just got excited…You’re not hurt, are you boy?”

Gat coughed a couple of times. “I-I’m fine…I’m fine.” She rose to her feet and dusted herself off, backing up when the creature tried to reach her again. “What the –?”

“That’s wierd…This is Cao, sort of like our company’s mascot.” The soldier explained. “…but we usually take him on walks away from the popular areas because he just pounces on women; a real conversation killer, you know.” He looked at Everett. “That girl’s scent must have gotten him confused and mistook you for a woman. The soldier attempted humor to apologize by patting Gat’s chest a couple of times. “Hell, if you had breasts, I might wonder myself.”

Gat was shocked at the soldier’s liberties – indeed, a punishable crime had Gat been replaced with Achde – but there was slight comfort in knowing that her ruse was working well so far. Stupid beast. The soldier attached a chain to the slobbering creature’s neck and dragged it away, nodding and saluting at the general in a relaxed manner. Though the situation was hardly humorous in Gat’s perspective, Vogel bursted in laughter only to be joined by Everett’s giggles, and Jae – too young to understand the joke – merely joined the other two children to not feel left out. Gat shot them a venomous glare. “Shut up. All of you, quiet,” she hissed. Not maliciously, but to try and make them take the situation as seriously as she did…which she failed. Knowing that trying to exercise restraint on three children that were not her own was futile, she let them laugh. Let them have their fun, even if she was the butt of their joke.

[The General]

(Red and I have talked, it's been resolved. Thank you for the advice Mas.)

Grievous rolled his eyes as the mutt waddled away, the fat butterball of a beast growing smaller in the distance. "I truely apologize for that, our little friend has a habit of getting over excited. I do have to say though, it is slightly odd how he tackled you. I've never seen him get that friendly with anyone or anything unless it's female. He wont even go near the Ollabacs..." He trailed off, letting the statement hang in the air for a moment.

He shrugged, deciding not to think on it. He clasped his hands together, smiling underneath the white tribal mask. "Very well then, shall we begin the tour?" He asked, heading away from the bath houses. They entered a small plaza, which was filled with active markets, diners, and other various places. He noticed the look on their faces and began to explain. "It's not much, but it's enough for civilians. You see, there was a miracle within this city when we arrived...intact factories and even areas for farming. We started small businesses runned by remaining civilians and refugees."

"To live in this city, you have to be wealthy so people have plenty of money to spend...it allows for an escape from the reality of war for both civilians and soldiers. We even have apartments here for rent. It's quite amazing what a race can do when forced to the brink of extermination, no?" He concluded, watching the crowds move.

"Would you like to go in?"

[Masurao]

It was hard to believe that that the Capital was in the middle of a war. Granted said war had been going on for years and many of the population had adapted their lives to co-exist with the ongoing threat of attack to such a point as for the threat itself to be minimized as a daily nuisance rather than a problem to worry about. That would explain the bustling people and their active social life. Soldiers armed with menacing weapons, spears and rifles alike, mingled comfortably with civilians. A pair of them were conversing with a small group of women, trying to impress them, while others simply walked about their rounds or stood under the stands to shade themselves from the afternoon suns. Cavalrymen dressed in thicker robes made from the hide of some animal sat atop their ollabac mounts, the creatures themselves donning leather armor pieces on their head – the intricate design and feather being more for decorative reasons than anything else – and their chest and back. The animals’ random bellows would drown the background chatter every now and then, before settling into silence again.

Vogel, obviously roused by the excitement of the plaza, asked Gat for permission to go ahead on his own to see what kind of oddities some of the booths were offering.

Gat nodded. “As long as you take Everett with you – and don’t complain. Either you go with her, or you stay by me at all times. I don’t want you to go off on your own. Don’t wander off too far, you hear?” The children might have not heard that last part, for they went running as soon as the first sentence was uttered.

“I find it amazing the way they don’t worry about the past and simply live in the present.” Gat said after a few moments of silence as she watched the children off. “Not three days ago they were hungry and lost, scared, but now I’m not sure if you pulled a trick on me and switched my children while I bathed. They don’t seem to be the same; that’s a good thing. They seem happier, more carefree…like children should be, you know.” She paused, then continued. “It’s an odd feeling. Never have I approved of this war, but as I see them so cheerful with what little can be offered to them I think – it’s just something worth fighting for.”

Gat shook her head when she finished, chuckling. My, what a charming little speech, a bit foolish, certainly not commendable, but entrancing while it lasted. Romanticizing the wrong and hoping for the best, as what she had always done. She would have to drop that foolish habit soon if she were to last long in the ranks. The ranks to fight. Not to fight for Kalee, Kalee itself was nothing, but for those living in Kalee, the ones that gave the planet its true worth. Immeasurable.

Vogel was holding Everett’s hand, looking at some items, while Everett held onto Jae’s; like a married couple in miniature. Gat couldn’t help but smile at the sight. He will make a fine man one day…one day. She will fight for Kalee. But not Vogel…

“General…” Gat said, after gaining some courage to address him, hoping she wasn’t out of place to talk to a superior. “I’m not sure whether you are naturally this strangely kind to newcomers, or you simply have a soft spot for children, I’m hoping for the latter, but…Is it possible to ask that you may end the war before Vogel, my son there, becomes of age? I-I don’t want him to become a man with a rifle in his hands. I don’t want him to spill blood for a living, as I’m going to. Most parents would be proud for their offspring to walk in their footsteps, but even I don’t like where those steps are taking me and I certainly don’t want Vogel to follow. I know it’s too much to ask for, but if you could, I will repay you somehow.” Gat shifted uncomfortably where she stood, but continued with her request. “I mean, I heard the Huks had appealed to the Republic and the Republic assisted. Is there really no one we could go for aid? Can we not try to plea to the Senate to reconsider? I don’t think it’s impossible, but how long do you think we can continue fighting before morale – or manpower – run out?”

[The General]

Grievous watched the children trundle off, and silently listened to Gat as the young man spoke. He was worried about his children becoming soldiers? He showed the caring of a mother, which bothered Grievous slightly. It was noteworthy, but it threw him off even more...first the scent, then the mascot, and now this...was there no end to the boys oddity? He snapped back to reality as Gat finished, looking at Grievous pleadingly under the mask.

"There is no telling when this wretched war will end," Grievous began to reply slowly. "The senate will not heed our pleas, they've already made that clear. The Huk are not willing to negotiate, they have made that clear by allieing themselves with the Kriltik. This war is cutting in everywhere, ripping our world apart, and threatening our very existance. We have no one to go to during our time of need, save for the separatists..."

He paused for a moment, bitter and angry at the way things were turning out. "But we have not gained enough sympathy in order to make a pact with them. We are helpless in the matter of allies, and that means that we truely are alone in this galaxy. When the entire universe shuts you out, that is when you know bad things are coming this way."

"However, it is possible that if we win here, we can build enough moral to win this war. I have suffered very few losses in my career, and I don't intend to make this a scar on that reputation. It is not the mere fact that if I do lose, I will be disgraced, it is the fact that in my own victories I have set myself up on a very weak pillar. I am seen as a hero by these people, which is why they feel safe to live this way. If I fail here, these people will lose their hero, and then their moral, and then their spirit...and finally, they will lose their sense of purpose will die, and so too will the entire race."

"Now you understand why I treat civilians and newcomers with hospitality...without them, this entire plantet may as well be dead." Grievous finished, and then chuckled slightly. "My officers say I give them too much credit...perhaps they're right." He trailed off slowly, then shook his headwith fatigue.

"You'll have to excuse me, but I was up all night preparing for the battle, I need my rest." He placed a hand on Gat's shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "Glad to have you in the ranks, and you should get some rest too...training tomorrow at six am sharp...I'll see you there." Without another word, he headed away, leaving Gat to his thoughts.

[Masurao]

“Thank you for helping me with the paperwork, Wiebke.”

“Don’t mention it. I know I got snagged in a few loopholes for not reading the entire thing properly, and I wouldn’t want it to happen to someone else. Less troubles. Frustration is not something you want on your first few days here. It’s distracting, you know, that feeling of being so damn careless for something so simple; you don’t want that kind of distraction during enemy fire, believe me.”

Wiebke’s pace was slow due to the wooden crutch under his arm that supported his injured foot. Not long after the general had departed for the day had Gat looked at the clock tower at the edge of the plaza, and nearly lost her heart at the sight of the time. It was nearing the end of the hour, time when the shuttle to Cavecove would leave from the Capital. In a rush she had gathered up the three youngsters and, after quickly asking for directions, barely made it to the shuttle on time. Luck had it that Wiebke was there along with a few other soldiers and civilians wishing their farewells and safe travel to their comrades. The soldier recognized Gat and the children and told the pilot of the shuttle to wait for them a while longer – delaying the schedule. This allowed Gat to settle the children in, wishing them luck, and to be patient while she got things in order, and for Vogel to take care of his siblings. Even after most of the people had departed, Wiebke stayed with Gat and accompanied the young soldier, whereupon had aided him with the enlistment papers – a process that took over an hour to complete – and were now making their way back to the military district.

Gat kept her pace to match Wiebke’s, but allowed the older man to take lead. If the plaza was where all the civilians gathered, then this place was the center of the military forces. Soldiers and officers, all of different ranks, socialized amongst the many fires that peppered the dark ground like the stars that now peered brightly through the darkening evening sky. Wiebke was greeted by other with enthusiasm, while Gat remained in the background, not wanting to be noticed. The stench of male musk was overwhelming, thick and oily, and the heat of the fires seemed to cook the musk itself in the air. The two then made their way to a pair of soldiers sitting down in front of a small fire with an untacked ollabac laying down nearby. The soldiers did not notice either Wiebke or Gat approach, and Gat could hear some of their conversation as they neared.

“…and just like that she was gone! I can’t believe she would reject me for some other bastard.” One of the soldiers said.

“She lived up in the western part of the Capital, right?” said the other. “Near the plaza?”

“Yeah.”

“By the way, her name wouldn’t happen to be Rechaa, would it?”

The other soldier was silent for a moment, then muttered. “You bastard.”

“Made a fool out of yourself again, huh Denkas?” Wiebke called out. Both soldiers turned their around and laughed at the sight of their friend.

“Hey, back from the infirmary already? By the way you were screaming and crying, one would have thought your entire foot was blown away.”

“Wise up.” Wiebke snapped. “The only ones here that cry are the women.”

“Then why do you wear a shirt?” The soldier continued, encouraged by the joke. “It’s not as if you have much breasts to hide.”

“You wear pants, don’t you?” Wiebke replied.

Gat chuckled at the gag, which brought the attention of the two soldiers towards her.

“Who’s the kid?” said one.

“Oh, that’s Gat, I think. Met him today in the infirmary with his kids. Came from a camp not too far from here, if I’m not mistaken, and signed up. Which reminds me, Denkas, the guy at the desk wants to talk to you about your payment issues. He says you’d know what I was talking about.”

The one named Denkas nodded. “Yeah, yeah. I know. I know.” He seemed nervous and promptly changed topic. “So, you from a camp?” He asked Gat.

Gat nodded.

“So what happened?” he said. “Most campers don’t exactly brave a desert to join the Kaleesh army; no matter how well they pay.”

Gat looked away, shifting uncomfortable, but it didn’t discourage the soldiers from pursuing an answer. She had a feeling she was going to answer this kind of question a lot. “…Huks. A raid.”

The other soldier nodded as if reflecting on a thought. “Yeah, they’ve been getting pretty aggressive lately.” He said to no one in particular. “This has to be, what, the second camp raid in a month? Random and relentless. Cowardly and underhanded. Trying to demoralize us by attacking defenseless refugees, so they can send a message about their prowess. It’s sick, really. I can go up to any fool and shoot them right between the eyes, but that won’t make me any more of a man.”

Denkas straightened out his cloak which got snagged on a branch of a tiny naked brush then turned to Wiebke. “Anyways, good thing you brought this Gat here. I could use a new ammunition-boy.”

“What’s an ammunition-boy?” Gat asked, almost afraid at what the answer might be.

Denkas pointed out to the dark silhouette of about half a dozen giant gun-like weapons mounted on the edge the Capital’s city wall. They must have weighed easily a ton each, with a large barrels, and a heavy base to support the large machines.

“See those beauties? The second on the left is mine. Well, the one assigned to me until I die, but mine nonetheless. They are modeled after deck cannons, the ones you can find on large war ships and whatnot, but are made for ground assault so they’re a little smaller. Those beasts do a lot of damage and consume even more ammo. An ammunition-boy delivers the ammo belt and inserts them into the feed tray before the gun itself runs out of ammo. There’s usually one ammunition-boy for every two guns, but we’re having three to one or even four to one in some cases. I usually had Wiebke do it, but the bastard had to go and shoot himself in the foot.”

“I would have quit anyways.” Wiebke spoke in his own defense. “How long did you expect me to continue running back and forth and trying to shoot at the same time? I’m a Sharpshooter. I don’t have to stop what I’m doing to go retrieve your damn belts. It’s not my job. What is my job is hitting what you miss. That’s it. We would still have our old ammunition-boy if you wouldn’t have sent him off when it wasn’t safe. Broken bones take time to heal, you know.”

“That’s why I said good thing you brought him.” He said, nodding towards Gat. “I’ll teach him to be a good ammunition-boy, trust me. Sure, he’ll have training and all with the officers, but it’s not hard to learn delivering and feeding belts. He won’t be doing much shooting for a while so I’ll make him useful until then.”

Wiebke shook his head. “If you say so… Gat, you can sleep in my bed tonight. I’m going to have to return to the infirmary after a while so I’ll sleep there for a few days until you get yourself settled.”

Gat thanked Wiebke, but did not turn in for the night immediately. The glow of the fire was warm and inviting and she remained there, quietly listening as the rest of the soldiers talked, bursting into hoarse laughter every now and then at crude jokes and impersonations of their officers. The general seemed to place all of his trust on these people, and by the way they boasted their skills, it seemed to be enough. They spoke with the clear confidence that they alone could take on the Huks and win. But were they truly alone? Granted the Republic seemed to want nothing to do with them, but had the general not mentioned the Separatists somewhere in their conversation? Gat knew little about politics, but she hoped that if these Separatists were to finally aid them it would be enough against the oppression of the Republic and the Huks. Then this war would be over and Vogel – nor Jae – would have to fight and kill and die in it. She sighed. It had been one hell of a day, and only now did she find time to rest and reflect on what happened. It had gone well so far…and only hoped that her luck would remain with her for a little while longer.

[The General]

The battlefield raged, bodies littering the ground in piled heaps. Several Kaleesh among the dead, but mostly the White armor of the Rebulic troops. Fire blazed into the night sky, raging across it like an angry dragon, tearing into the air, leaving the smell of burning metal and charred flesh.

A blinding flash crackled through the area, above the battlefield. A massive figure, hidden from view was battling a jedi, their sabers clashing and sizzling, sending a shower of sparks on the relentless troops below. Grievous had never seen such things before. They were about average human height, but a steel blue color...some kind of droid? Red beams lanced from their wrists as they marched forward, cutting into the republic enemy.

His view lifted back up to the battle between the two mysterious figures. One was obviously a Jedi, the other, Grievous had never seen the likes of before. It was a droid and yet it was not....and no matter how hard he tried he could not see it's face. A scream wrenched the night as the Jedi fell to the ground, a glowing green saber protruding from his chest.

The figure slowly began to turn and face Grievous. His eyes widened with horror. The face was a metallic version of a Kaleesh war mask, with /his/ traditional insignia on it. He was the monstrosity that now raised it's saber...and swung!

"NO!" Grievous cried, sitting up in his bed, drenched in sweat, his bare chest heaving. The nightmare had come once again, tormenting his dreams with the idea that he would become such a monster. He rubbed his forehead with fatigue, calming himself as he got out of the bunk, pushing away the sheets that clung to his damp skin.

"Damnit..." Grievous sighed, looking at the clock to his right. It was roughly 2 am, and once again, he would be faced with another sleepless night. He couldn't keep this up if he was to fight in a battle. The Huk were only two days away at best, possibly closer and he couldn't afford passing out from fatigue on the front line. Silently he left his tent, walking out into the cold night, the moon playing over his reddish brown skin. Only 4 hours until training would begin...he may as well get a head start...

[Masurao]

The air around became hot, scalding even. It became hard to breathe, something was crushing Gat’s chest, and no matter how much she tossed and turned her head, the heat followed her movements, tormenting her. As hot as the air was, it was foul-smelling; reeking of partially digested food and other scents she’d rather not guess of their origin. Suddenly, something hot and wet smeared across her face and Gat sat up, eyes widened in fear and disgust. It was Cao, that woman-pouncing beast, sitting on her with that stupid wide grin of his, his long tongue almost as long as his face. Gat yelped when the creature licked her face again and she pushed him off of her.

“Stupid beast…” She muttered, wiping the fetid drool off her face.

With slight surprise she noticed it was morning, early dawn, when the first of the twin suns was barely clearing the horizon and night was still reigning supreme. A faint trail of smoke from last night’s fire rose from the pile of dark ashes in front of her. Gat rubbed the back of her neck. She must have fallen asleep last night in front of the fire while the other soldiers were talking and was now paying for it with her muscles screaming in protest at the odd sleeping position she had spent the entire night in. Gat got up, her knees weak and wobbly, and began to walk. There was training today, but was unsure when it was to start, or where. Gat muttered angrily under her breath. The last thing she wanted to do now was training, or whatever the hell the officers were going to make her do today. She was sore, tired, and irritable; definitely not in the mood for any foolish exercises. The stocky beast, Cao, walked right next to her, and no matter how many times Gat threatened to skin the creature or even kicking it every now and then was not enough to discourage the fat beast.

A loud rumbling sound caught Gat’s attention and she turned her head in the direction of the sound to see a team of two ollabacs pulling a large, flat slab of stone with ropes and chains, being led by a young soldier towards the sandier area beyond the city limits, towards the dunes. There were more of those stone slabs littered about that area, like platforms, while many were erected like a missing piece of a wall…or tombstones. Other ollabac teams were returning while a few more were entering the area with stone slabs, ether for the slabs to be left on the ground or raised. Gat had never seen anything like it before and for the life of her could not guess what it was for.

“What are they doing…?” She asked in a whisper to no one in particular.

Gat stayed there for a few more minutes, just watching the soldiers and ollabacs work on…something. The first sun was already halfway up and the second twin was beginning to peek over the horizon, following its brother up the golden sky. Night only left behind a hint of its presence. It was refreshing, actually, to be a simple observer to something she didn’t quite understood but enjoyed watching, just to see if she could guess what they were doing. Like an innocent game. She could only presume that the vertical slabs were to act as a barrier, but what about the platforms on the sand? Were the soldiers supposed to stand on it or something? Maybe lie behind them, for Sharpshooters? Who knows.

Cao barked for attention and Gat absentmindedly sat on her knees and petted the fat beast on his head. She was calm, with an odd sense of happiness, and for now that was enough.

[The General]

"Damn General, you look like hell." Was the first comment that reached General Grievous as he walked out to oversee the placing of the large stone walkways. He eyed the young soldier for a moment, but he couldn't deny the pup was right. Grievous rubbed his forehead tiredly with one hand, holding his mask with another. It was evident that he was weary, and he hadn't even fully dressed, instead he was still wearing the more comfortable sleep pants.

Grievous smacked him on the back of his head, raising laughter from the other troops in the area. "Watch it Kid, or I'll put you on Ollabac stall duty." Grievous threatened in a playful manner, pointing accusingly with a single finger.

The soldier winked rougishly at the General, rubbing the back of his head. "Sure thing, Gramps." He replied, turning back to his work.

Grievous laughed, slipping his mask back on. "I'll see you on the Battle Training grounds." Grievous replied calmly, returning the wink. He was thankful for wearing the mask at the current moment, for if he hadn't, his smile would have been visible for all to see as the young soldier blanched, paling slightly. As swiftly as he could while looking natural, Grievous turned heel and began to walk back towards the training grounds.

'So, the slates are nearly in place...' Grievous thought as he walked away. Good. He wanted everything ready before he released the Slashrats into the soft Dune's. The rats were near indetectible due to their speed combined with the way they slid through sand like water. As rumor had it, even Jedi had trouble dealing with them. He hoped the rumor was true, as they were going to need all the help they could get, be it beast or man.

As he entered the training grounds, Grievous lifted a smooth blaster rifle from the stack, it's black lusterous surface glinting in the slowly arriving sunlight. He calmly waited, and soon enough, one by one, troops began to file into the grounds some new faces, others battle scarred troops who had weathered more battles than most see in a lifetime. Grievous dropped his pleasant manner, his eyes becoming hard as he stared into the masked faces.

"So," He began, his voice flat and emotionless. "You've come here to learn how to fight, have you?" A few chuckles arose from the crowd, from the overconfidant males that were new recruits, that was. Grievous continued without pausing, he was used to that reaction...they would. Either the easy way, or he would personally beat it into their system. "Don't think this is going to be easy, soldiers, this is combat training. You will learn how to survive, and you will learn discipline."

Another chuckle arose from the crowd and Grievous raised the blaster rifle with one hand, pointing it at the soldiers chest. Instinctivley, those around him dove out of the way, and the muzzle of the rifle blazed as a shot erupted from the gun, sending the recruit to the ground. Grievous walked over as the smoke cleared, pointing it at the groaning Kaleesh's head. "Consider yourself lucky these Rifles have nothing but pelt shots in them, Soldier, or else you would be dead right now."

"Do you like the view down there on your ass, kid? Well get used to it, because until you learn discipline, you'll be spending all your time down there." He grasped the soldiers hand, hauling him up. Grievous brushed off his shoulder and strode back to the front. "Any questions?"

[Redeemer]

As he awoke Nalio, looked out of his window to see Grievous shoot a young one in the chest. Nalio laughed and got dressed. His battle mask on and his blasters in his belt he went to grab at his spear. His hand open and his thoughts on grabbing it the spear seemed to jump out at his hands.

"What the........" Nalio dropped it and held his hand out again, nothing happened. "Hmmmm, i must have had to many drinks last night." Nalio grabbed the spear off the ground and walked outside. As he walked behind Grievous he crossed his hands over his chest and listened intently.

[Masurao]

Both suns had finally cleared the horizon, bathing all they touched with a warm golden glow, and even the brightest of stars had disappeared for the day. Gat had spent most of the early morning simply observing the soldiers working with the ollabacs bringing in the large stone slabs, either placing them on the ground or erecting them. While it seemed odd to be so entranced with such a petty task, it was a rare treat for Gat. As a woman, she would have never been allowed to enter the military district on her own, much less observing what seemed to be an important job of high military value. Or so she believed.

The suns had been raising the temperature steadily lately and while it was still nowhere near noon the heat had started to become uncomfortable. As Gat fanned herself with her hand, a horrid thought dawned on her. Training! She had training this morning! Gat got up to her feet and frantically began to look to where the soldiers usually trained since she was given no prior directions. She hesitated the thought of asking someone for directions, afraid that she would be chastised for tardiness, and she wanted as little attention to her person as possible. More than once she nearly tripped over the fat beast, Cao, as he weaved between her legs, trying to keep up. Behind a large stone building there was a wide clearing with a large group of soldier, both old and young, all facing towards an officer she couldn’t recognize and the general of yesterday. If only she weren’t so forgetful about people’s names…

Gat stayed hidden from view, not wanting to be spotted by either the soldiers not the officers. One soldier in particular was being picked up from the floor; he was bended over in pain, rubbing his chest. Gat was wondering what had happened when a faint whistling sound caught her attention. It was the soldier she talked to last night, the one that wanted Gat to be his ammunition-boy. With a few hand gestures he made Gat wait behind the corner of the building until both the general and the other officer were distracted, then allowed Gat to come to him. As quickly and as quietly as she could, Gat sprinted to the soldier’s side, both pretending that had been there the entire time.

“Where were you?” The soldier asked in a whisper.

Gat leaned closer to him. “I got…distracted.” She whispered.

“Well, try not to get distracted again. General Grievous may be lenient towards newcomers, but Nalios is a different story. You may not be so lucky with him if he catches you tardy.”

“I’ll try…” Gat said. “Did I miss anything important?”

The soldier chuckled. “I don’t know if important, but you sure missed something! The general shot this kid in the chest! It was only a pellet, of course, so not much damage, but he’s going to feel it tomorrow. Heh, I remember my first year here I was so peppered with pellet marks that people created a constellation out of the bruises.”

“That seems harsh…” Gat commented.

“And that was General Grievous, the lenient one, remember? You know, some say that Grievous is not his real name. There’s a rumor going around that he earned that appellation.”

“I would hate to know what he did to earn it.” Gat said, but if he was willing to shot his soldiers for discipline, it wouldn’t be too hard to believe it.

[Redeemer]

Nalio watched as the General made his speech, even though he watched he was mostly thinking of the war ahead, it would be tough he knew, and these nightmares of walls and walls of Huks with Jedi dotted around inside of them scared him. Just then a sudden jolt hit his head, not really pain but it made him look down and hold his head.

Nalio saw something two Kaleesh talking, but were........... As it stopped and he looked up he saw were. He grinned under his mask as he began to think of what to say. He was known for being an ass sometimes.

"You two in the Back!! Step forward," As he waited for them to come he cracked his wrist. "Do you think this is unimportant. You think you dont need this training, you are a fool! You would sooner die in battle than to listen and learn? And you newcomer, you should be in the front." He spoke and pointed at the new recruit.

"Just be glad Grievous has the pellet gun or you both would have one in your groins. Now both of you will stand in the front at attention."

Nalio smiled under his mask and laughed to himself. I love my job, Is all he thought while he did.

[The General]

Grievous lowered the rifle to his side, once again looking over the Soldiers before him. "Now," He began to say, resting his hand on the large barrel next to him. "Inside this Barrel there are Blaster Rifles, I want each of you to come up here and retrieve one." Grievous lifted the lid, revealing the sleek black weapons.

As the soldiers began to file up to retrieve the guns from the pile, Grievous continued to speak. "The first and foremost thing that you will learn is that the Huk are merciless, and they won't hesitate to kill you, so don't hesitate to kill them." Grievous reached into a small pouch out of the flap at his side and put it on the ground. A flash of blue and the small holocron activated, showing a detailed image of the insect like creatures. "This, as many of you know, is a Huk Warrior." Grievous said, gesturing to the hologram.

"The weak points on this creature lie here," He said, pointing with the barrel of the rifle at the wings. "You hit these and the Huk will drop to the ground, possibly dieing from the impact...it just depends on the shot. If the impact happens to not kill it, you shoot it in the skull. One hit, one kill." Some of the new recruits seemed to be a little squeamish at the idea of shooting a creature in the head. "The other weak points include of course, the Head, the neck, and the only other truely vunerable part is the segmented waist that connects the head and the abdomen."

Grievous looked over the troops, his eyes taunt and holding a grim glint to them. "Seeing as I don't have much time to train you all in proper combat, I'm going to have to improvise a little. I'm sure that each and every one of you has a senior fighter in your battalion, they'll be the ones to teach you how to clean, care, and overall take care of your rifle. The only technical thing I'll be teaching you here will be how to load, and reload."

"The other thing that happens to be a problem is that you have nothing to practice /against./" Grievous paused, allowing them to guess as to what he meant before continueing. "Seeing as this is the problem, you will be split into two teams and will train against each other. As this young idiot found out," Grievous said, pointing out the soldier he had shot. "The guns are filled with nothing but pelt shots, but they'll sting like a bitch if you get shot."

"Shall we begin?"

[0darkblade0]

((an answer would be good.))

[The General]

0darkblade0 said:

((an answer would be good.))

Wha? I could've sworn I had already said Yes. Meh, oh well, sure, join away.

[0darkblade0]

dachande said:

0darkblade0 said:

((an answer would be good.))

Wha? I could've sworn I had already said Yes. Meh, oh well, sure, join away.

Ok, i'll be a republic solider sent to help out the huk, i'll start posting as soon as i have fully read up on the story so far.