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We stepped out of the jungle growth into a clearing on the edge of a low ridge. We were greeted by the sights of long rows of tents and a barricaded compound before us. Shouts came up from the camp and we began to take fire. "This isn't a supply depot, this is the frickin' main Mandolorian army encampment!" It was the last words out of the Sgt before his head was vaporized from a large beam cannon emplacement. Our medic, the corporal, screamed into the comlinks to pull back and spread out, his voice cut off mid sentence as another beam sliced through his upper torso. The recruits spread out and scrambled for cover as I called into HQ for air support. Waves of Mandolorians in armor were scrambling up the ridge to our location as we fired desperately into their ranks. A pilots voice crackled over the comlink "30 seconds to area, give us a target..." I yelled back "Hit my own position, we're overrun!" I grabbed the flare gun from the corporals corpse and fired it into the sky, knowing I probably doomed my entire team...
The skyraiders screamed in through the sky and it felt like time stood still as I watched the plasma cluster bombs tumble through the air all above me. I yelled at my team to hit the deck when the explosions swallowed me up and threw me backwards through the air. A wave of heat overcame me and my visual and audio dampeners cut in and shut out the explosions and conflagaration around me.
After a couple of minutes, the overrides released and once again I could see and hear the sound of sizzling earth and the screams of the dying. Long corridors were cut into the dense treeline where the plasma tumbled and spread leaving the ground molten into glass from the heat. The jungle burned and acrid smoke filled the area with the scent of burning undergrowth and charred flesh.
As I got up and began to search for survivors of my team, I could see huge piles of burning armored Mandolorian corpses scattered throughout the area, but enough gutted shells of Republic armor to tighten the knot in my stomach at the loss of my friends. I found a recruit lying facedown on the ground. I rolled him over and looked into his cooked remains as the plasma had completely dissolved the front of his armor and body. I scanned what remained of his armor code to send back to his family and left his corpse and moved on through the flames looking for others. 2 more recruits stumbled out of the smoke and I ran to join them. At least a couple made it through the bombardment. I'm sure the shock of the attack had the enemy stunned for now but we needed to get gathered up quickly and move out before they regrouped. "Head South!" I yelled over the comlink to any who could still hear, and we all took off running. I could see movement around the edges of my vision but with all of the smoke I just kept the group moving hoping to get back to friendly lines.
As time went on, the jungle growth once again inhibited our movement, but we were out of the main area of the battle. One of the surviving recruits had lost his arm and the stims were only helping so much but the pain regulation was beginning to wear off. Dawn was breaking and we only had so many medpacks left. As the adrenalin of the run was wearing off, he was beginning to stumble and wasn't going to be able to keep up. I hoped we were clear of the Mandolorians as I once again opened my comlink to try to call for a pickup. "We're heading for map position E-13, requesting evac". My heart sank as the coded "unable to comply" message appeared on my heads up screen. "We have to keep moving, too many hostiles in the area". I looked to the other unscathed recruit. "We'll have to take turns carrying him" pointing at the wounded trooper...
The skyraiders screamed in through the sky and it felt like time stood still as I watched the plasma cluster bombs tumble through the air all above me. I yelled at my team to hit the deck when the explosions swallowed me up and threw me backwards through the air. A wave of heat overcame me and my visual and audio dampeners cut in and shut out the explosions and conflagaration around me.
After a couple of minutes, the overrides released and once again I could see and hear the sound of sizzling earth and the screams of the dying. Long corridors were cut into the dense treeline where the plasma tumbled and spread leaving the ground molten into glass from the heat. The jungle burned and acrid smoke filled the area with the scent of burning undergrowth and charred flesh.
As I got up and began to search for survivors of my team, I could see huge piles of burning armored Mandolorian corpses scattered throughout the area, but enough gutted shells of Republic armor to tighten the knot in my stomach at the loss of my friends. I found a recruit lying facedown on the ground. I rolled him over and looked into his cooked remains as the plasma had completely dissolved the front of his armor and body. I scanned what remained of his armor code to send back to his family and left his corpse and moved on through the flames looking for others. 2 more recruits stumbled out of the smoke and I ran to join them. At least a couple made it through the bombardment. I'm sure the shock of the attack had the enemy stunned for now but we needed to get gathered up quickly and move out before they regrouped. "Head South!" I yelled over the comlink to any who could still hear, and we all took off running. I could see movement around the edges of my vision but with all of the smoke I just kept the group moving hoping to get back to friendly lines.
As time went on, the jungle growth once again inhibited our movement, but we were out of the main area of the battle. One of the surviving recruits had lost his arm and the stims were only helping so much but the pain regulation was beginning to wear off. Dawn was breaking and we only had so many medpacks left. As the adrenalin of the run was wearing off, he was beginning to stumble and wasn't going to be able to keep up. I hoped we were clear of the Mandolorians as I once again opened my comlink to try to call for a pickup. "We're heading for map position E-13, requesting evac". My heart sank as the coded "unable to comply" message appeared on my heads up screen. "We have to keep moving, too many hostiles in the area". I looked to the other unscathed recruit. "We'll have to take turns carrying him" pointing at the wounded trooper...
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