Zoot Wars II

[DarthTex]

OOC: I'm going to make a retroactive change here. After some discussions with Def, from now on I'll use the term "gunboat" instead of "gunship", as this fits better with the ships used in my storyline.

 

Chuck Wagon 1 (a converted gunboat that is a transport) broke off from the space battle and headed towards the moon base. The other transports that launched after the gunboats detoured around the space battle and were now approaching the perimeter of the base.

 

"General", called the lead transport, "the main hangar bays are severely damaged. There's no way to set down there and land."

 

"Very well. Standby while I contact base control. Base control, this is General DarthTex with reinforcements from Earth. The main hangar bay is out of action, where should we land?"

 

"General! Thank the Force someone has come! You'll have to land at the new maintenance hangar bay on the far side of the base; it's still operational. But be warned, the Admiral's private hangar has been compromised and enemy forces are defending it."

 

"Will do base control, and thanks for the 'heads up' on the Admiral's hangar." I ordered the transports to the far side of the base, flying low while passing near the enemy LZ (landing zone). Soon another hangar came into view. There seemed to some minor scorch marks here and there, but no structural damage that I could see. The bays doors were opening and the magcon (magnetic containment) fields were up. Base control was on the ball getting the hangar ready for our arrival.

 

The hangar bay seemed deserted on first notice, but several people could be seen taking defensive positions around equipment. The transports came in pairs, with commandos and troops hopping out just prior to touch down. I hopped out of Chuck Wagon 1 giving the hand signal to spread out and take defensive positions. "Who's in charged here?" I said moving forward quickly assessing the situation as best I could.

 

"I am sir, temporarily that is", said a young lieutenant as he snapped a salute.

 

"What's your situation here, and what's the status of the base?"

 

The lieutenant seemed nervous, but got straight to the point. "Enemy forces have taken the Admiral's private hangar, and are freely roaming about the base. They assaulted this hangar, but we've beaten them back for now. Commander JH is setting up a defensive barricade down the main corridor to help repel any more attacks that may come. We have an AB-ugly stationed at the main entrance just inside the hangar, other than that, all we have in terms of firepower is side arms. They'll think twice before charging in a second time, especially against laser cannons. We have contact with base control, but some internal systems are proving unreliable, mainly sensors. We've heard the YVH's have gone rogue, but we haven't had contact with any of them."

 

"Very well, lieutenant. Sergeant, deploy some of the men to shore up defenses and get the others ready to head out. Lieutenant, why isn't this hangar destroyed like the other hangar?"

 

"Well, sir, this is the new maintenance hangar bay. Maintenance was previously done in the operational hangar, but it got very crowded and messy in there. This hangar was just completed a couple of months ago; it's for maintenance only. The Green Goblins were just getting ready to move back to the operations hangar, and the Raging Rancors moved in last week, then the attack began. The Sun Streaks were wiped out with the operational hangar, I think. Word is the YVH's sabotaged the shields and base defenses, leaving the base vulnerable to attack. There's no reason for the YVH's to be down here, so the shields and defenses held. The pilots were either packing up or helping with moving the fighters around when the attack began. We prepped them as quickly as we could and they launched. Some of the fighters aren't 100%; they might not have long range comm. or sensors, some might not have a full fuel or weapons load. But that's really just minor stuff, considering."

 

"Good job lieutenant. Go get Commander JH for me ASAP. Sergeant, get the men and my YVH's ready to push on. We're heading into the base to secure it and probe the enemy lines."

 

The lieutenant wasn't gone very long when Commander JH arrived. I eyed the commander skeptically, as he approached. He seemed to be wearing Madalorian armor; how curious.

 

"Reporting as ordered, sir".

 

“Commander, I’ve been to the base a couple of times but I’m not familiar with this section; do you know where the maintenance for the YVH’s takes place?â€

[JediHunter]

OOC: So, here it is… my first post… I hope you all like it.. so without further ado here is my addition to the Zoot Wars,

 

I, that is, Commander J.H., was waist deep in repairing an AB-ugly in the maintenance bay when the klaxons started to sound. I was just about to get the shields repaired, but that seemed impossible now. Klaxons meant a battle, which meant more destruction….. which meant more work for me. As the numerous explosions occurred around the base, I just winced knowing this wasn’t going to be a good day. The PA started blaring, shouting for everyone to get to battle stations. I needed a damage report, I needed to know what those explosions were and if I could fix it.

 

As the pilots of the Green Goblins and Raging Rancors started to fill their fighters and fly out of the bay, I knew it would be the last engagement for many of them. A number of the fighters from the Raging Rancors squadron weren’t repaired fully yet, some were missing sensors, some didn’t have operational shields. A few pilots had to stay behind since some of the fighters didn’t even have operational engines or engines at all.

 

A few of the maintenance crew stayed back waiting for their repair orders from their commander, the rest rallied with the remaining pilots to go defend the hanger bay. It always seemed that I was on my own or at least mostly on my own. But, this wasn’t a time for pity; this was a time for kicking butt and taking names. I started to head towards the maintenance interface console on the wall when I noticed a shuttle whizzing by the hanger bay door, it seemed they were headed for Grand Admiral Mitth’s bay. As I reached the interface and started to punch some keys, the system started to be unresponsive. The stupid thing must be bogged down with all the updates from the multiple stations reporting in. Finally, as I started to get somewhere and notice something about the defenses, the monitor went dead. It must have been wiped out by a secondary explosion that affected the system, or it could have been sabotaged. How was I to know? Just as I started to curse the system, the pilots and maintenance crew came running in shouting…

 

“STORMTROOPERRRRS!!!!â€

[Mitth_raw_nuruodo]

OOC: Awesome, guys. We're now up to date. Def, you're up when you're ready. After that is Paul. Then I'll go. Let's get that far for now.

[Defender_16]

OOC: Sorry for the wait guys.

 

IC

Defender finally reached the bay they had first entered the base from. The Zoot forces had completed what they set out to do, now it was time to leave. Judging by the fire reports starting to come in from Stormtroopers near the bay, that timing was perfect.

 

The officer in charge of the bay rushed over to him as he approached one of the landed Corellian Gunships. "General, we're starting to lose our infiltrated YVH droid forces. Some of them appear to have been recaptured. They may be headed here."

Def stopped and looked at him as though he hadn't bothered to notice his presence before. "Begin our withdrawal. Spacetroopers with Alpha plan designation will remain behind to disrupt enemy forces. Begin recall of all Beta and Delta Spacetroopers."

 

"At once General!" The officer snapped off a hasty salute and ran inside the nearest ship. Def remained outside the ship in the relative quiet of the bay. Troopers prepared the entrance corridors of the bay for defence as every so often more troopers, Zootlings or even YVH droids arrived from other areas where they'd been defeated. Concentrating deep within himself and on the crystals feeding him strength, he stretched out with the force. Lives, seeming so small an insignificant were moving about all through the base. A few brighter points stood out as force users, either belonging to his own force or the Q-branch teams.

 

A small group of engineers in Scout Trooper armour rushed into the bay from the barricaded corridors. Their normal bright whites were fire blackened in places and broken in others. All were wounded in one way or another. The engineer team leader was still alive, hitching a ride on the side of a Spacetrooper who was missing an arm. They set down near him and saluted.

 

"The bay Lieutenant indicated that you were successful."

"Yes sir. We completed a visual inspection. Everything piece of equipment was destroyed. Most were reduced to ash and those that weren’t were not recognisable. I used low yield thermal detonators on anything that looked even remotely salvageable."

 

"Excellent work Captain, get aboard and find some Bacta. I'm sure Zoot will appreciated the continued survival of soldiers such as yourself."

 

The Captain nodded then started limping towards one of the Gunships, clutching the his side of his cracked and blood stained armour. The Spacetrooper saluted with his good arm. "General, though I am part of group Delta I request permission to re-enter the base. My armour will not survive space combat extraction with an arm missing."

 

"Very well, I approve. If you need any more ammunition loaded for your remaining weapon, ask one of the regular troopers near the corridor."

 

"Thank you General." Came the deep modulated voice. "For the glory of Zoot, and the Empire."

 

"For Zoot and the Empire." Muttered Def more to himself once the trooper had moved off. There was something fundamentally wrong with that saying he knew but couldn't place what.

The task at hand General... we can discuss any... thoughts you may have upon your return.

 

Zoot. That presence in his mind never left him alone. He knew better than to fight that voice, it was the master. But perhaps someday if he could master these artificial force powers...

He sensed the equivalent of deep dark laughter at the back of his mind. Both condescending yet welcoming the challenge.

 

The Beta and Delta group Spacetroopers from the surface areas surrounding the launch bay entered through the Magcon field. Some jetted along on repulsors or thrusters and other landed and walked. They all headed for the aft sections of the Corellian Gunships. Plate sections lowered from their outer hulls becoming convenient places for the troops to latch on in preparation for flight. Each man grabbed handholds and magnetized their boots to the plate below as they stepped on.

 

Once the first Gunship was carrying all it could, the ship lifted on repulsors. Def stepped inside his own vehicle and closed the hatch behind him then headed to the small bridge. He could sense the fighting near the entrance to the base growing more fierce each moment. The fist two Gunships, now loaded to full, drifted forward through the Magcon field and out onto space, engines blazing. He reached the bridge and looked out at the remaining vehicles in the hanger. Besides his ship two assault shuttles still remained to evacuate those holding the doorway.

 

The Q-branch Force users were nearby though. Mitth was approaching fast and there was another with him. Those remaining would have to see to themselves.

 

"Pilot, take us out." As the Gunship lifted and spun in place, he could make out the sparks of lightsabers cutting through the bay wall towards an undefended area.

Then they were outside and driving up away from the moon towards the now battered looking fleets still locked in battle.

 

An X-wing and two AB-wings came in to harass them, lasers and Ion cannon firing. An alarm sounded just before a torpedo streaked in and impacted the shields. The Gunship's return fire came thick and fast, damaging shields and punching a hole through one of the AB's wings. The fighters could do little to the ships fleeing the moon base and so turned back to the still numerous Tie starfighters.

 

Back closer to the surface, the Assault Transports exited the hanger bay. An explosion silhouetted one for a second before it spiralled out of control and crashed back to the surface in the weak gravity. Other transports also began to lift from parts of the base as the Zoot forces abandoned their positions. One strayed too close to the Q-branch fleet and was hit by turbolaser fire from a Corvette.

 

The VSDII Velocity, began a sweeping manoeuvre that would bring them and their escort screen around and behind the fleeing transports, stopping the Q-branch capital ships from attacking them. The crippled ISDII Hephaestus, missing it's bridge tower was already outbound along the same vector, laying down long range Turbolaser fire to deter pursuit.

 

"Pilot, get us up near Hephaestus, instruct all other transport craft to form on the Destroyer as soon as they can."

"Yes General."

 

The emergency priority channel flashed to life with a signal from the Vic. "This is Velocity, scouts report incoming ships from the direction Venus. Two Mon Cal cruisers, one an MC-40 Light Cruiser and some kind of Heavy Mon Cal. Scanners put her at over three kilometres in length."

 

"Where did they come from!? The only bases they have left are on Earth and Luna! We destroyed they one base they had in the Jovian moons."

 

Defender wanted nothing more than to feed his surprise, anger, fear and hate into the force and use it to tear the new enemies apart. But with so little time and experience with the force he knew that it was beyond him. It was time to play tactics. He grabbed the com pickup and brought it to his mouth.

 

"Velocity, this is the General. Do either of the new ships have gravity well generators?"

 

"No sir it doesn't appear so."

 

"Fine. I want you and your screen to increase speed and catch up with Hephaestus now. If they jump-"

"Enemy ships entering hyperspace."

 

The two Mon Cal Cruisers were dragged out of hyperspace by the Moon's gravity well just as the Zoot fleet had been. Because of the difference in approach angle the new arrivals appeared 120 degrees around the moon instead of right on top of the now fleeing force.

 

"Huttsp-"

"Captain, get your Destroyer up here as fast as you can, we can use Hephaestus for cover until the rest of our group jumps."

"Understood General."

 

The two cruisers began accelerating, firing heavy Turbolasers even beyond range while launching fighters. The fleet of ships that had come out from the moon base was in no shape to continue fighting however. The few corvettes that were undamaged moved to escort the larger ship, while the Frigates and most of the base fighters pulled back. Tie Raptors and Droid fighters screamed back to their carriers.

 

The two Destroyers lined up, even as they continued to run, previously undamaged aft weapons firing. Though slower because of damage the ISDII still had the tougher shields. The Green bolts deflected harmlessly off the forward shields of the larger ship. The red bolts were starting to wear small holes in the destroyer's shields.

 

"Gravity well detected!"

 

"What? NOOO!" Defender screamed.

 

"General! It's a gravity well power-up sequence but it hasn't reached full effect yet. It will be four minutes before it can become effective enough to stop our jump."

 

"Are we clear of the Moon's well yet?"

"Yes."

"Commence jump immediately, straight for Jupiter. No more playing around."

 

"Twenty...nineteen..."

 

Hephaestus started taking additional hits to her hull and the stump of the bridge tower. A concentrated volley lit up her starboard side with a large secondary explosion as they lost an engine. It was still too little, too late. The entire fleet entered hyperspace even the badly mauled ISDII.

[DarthTex]

OOC: Excellent post Def! Most enjoyable

[JediHunter]

Great post Def! Worth the wait!

[Defender_16]

OOC: I had to go back and look up the names of the Star Destroyers from the earlier post. lol

[DarthTofu]

Erm, good post, but where the hell did we get the Mon Cals from? I'm more than a tid bit confused, here... Howsabout we keep everyone who's doing this RPG in the loop, eh?

[Defender_16]

It was heavily discussed by the planning councel. Mitth already wanted Mon Cal cruisers for the defenders on the moon but we reduced those to frigates and light cruisers. This way the addition of a large Mon Cal ship wouldnt be as devastating to the story line.

 

Besides the moon base isnt in the best shape for an HQ with no life support.

 

EDIT: Who thinks we should have another mass-chat thing to descuss what is happening from here on?

[DarthTofu]

I'm all for it... I'd like to be in the loop for once!

 

By "Where did the Mon Cals come from" I was more asking "Where in the RPG did the Mon Cals come from?" than "Who's head did they spring out of?"

 

I vote we name one of them "Herra" (Sprung fully armed out of an RPG member/Zeus's(AKA Iupiteris (Yes that's correct- it's the Latin form of Jupiter in the genetive case!)) head.

[Marius2]

OOC:Hey Mitth your this weeks featured article on Wookiepedia, congratulations, Sorry guys this was off topic (Happy now!!!) Edited October 1, 2006 by -Marius-

[Mitth_raw_nuruodo]

OOC: Excellent post, Def. Paul, you're up when ever you're ready.

[JediHunter]

OOC: a "mass-chat " sounds like a good idea to me Def.. i guess that way we all know where we are going from here...

[Krytos]

OOC: I'm down for it - but alas, as per usual I doubt I'd actually be there to talk due to the time difference.

I've sent Mitth one half of a proposed post from me, I'll send him the second and let thim proxy I guess (by that, tell everyone what I've written). I'm not fused about where it goes, so if scrapping my post is needed, so be it.

[Mitth_raw_nuruodo]

OOC: A chat is a good idea. The problem is my computer doesn't seem to want to allow me access to the chatroom. Could someone make a copy and send it to those that can't attend?

 

@Krytos: Def can act as your proxy. I'll forward what you've sent me to him.

 

@Def: Let me know how things go.

[DarthTex]

OOC: The SWR chatroom is down. If a "group chat" is still wanted, it'll have to be through other means (i.e. MSN, etc.). I only have Gmail chat (currently), so if anyone has any suggestions ... otherwise, it'll have to be done the hard way (posts and/or e-mail. At least there won't be a timezone problem that way ).

[DarthTofu]

I have G-mail for chatting as well as AIM... Nothing else, unfortunately. Do you folks want to find a third-party internet chat area we can all arrange to meet at without having to download anything Edited October 4, 2006 by DarthTofu

[JediHunter]

I have G-mail for chatting as well as AIM... Nothing else, unfortunately. Do you folks want to find a third-party internet chat area we can all arrange to meet at without having to download anything

OOC: Wait... what?.. when did Q-branch get Gmail??? wait... huh?... oh.. thats not your character talking? I thought that characters talked in white.. and we talked in yellow when OOC?

Side Note: Woohoo! Major again!... getting back to my once glory.. lol

[Defender_16]

Side Note: Woohoo! Major again!... getting back to my once glory.. lol

OOC: Means you're posting too often.

 

But back to the chat thing, I have MSN. I dont have any clue as to where else we could find a free chat room for this.

[dinochick]

(This reminded me of Zoot- I have no idea what you all are talking about right now, thought it could be fun to work in)

 

http://www.stuffonmycat.com/media/3/20061003-Nemo.jpg

[JediHunter]

OOC: hahahaha.. ive been meaning to post a couple pics to that site... i havent got them off my newly acquired digital camera yet though... I got tricked into buying some.. uh.. costumes for my cats... i know... shameful... anyways, some other time.. some other thread..

[Krytos]

OOC: Haahaa, great find DC!

 

Looks like Zoot has a hacker spying on us

[Paul]

Guys I will post my first segment/flashback as soon as I can. Right now I am busy with health problems but will do my best to get this done soon. _Paul

[DarthTofu]

Don't worry about Zoot Wars right now, Paul. Concentrate on getting better. We can always postpone this RP for as long as it takes for you to heal.

[Mitth_raw_nuruodo]

OOC:I've been gone a little while.

 

@Paul: Just let us know when you're healthy again. That needs to be your primary concern. The RP can wait.