Walter Leland Cronkite, Junior - CBS News
CBS Broadcast Center - 524 West 57th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 18:00/6:00 PM
"Good evening America."
Although the Fourth of July was commemorated yearly as a holiday and was commonly celebrated as more of a weekend instead of a single day, throughout the United States of America there were hardly any fireworks for this Independence Day with the gunpowder needed for the war effort and the manufacturers were instead producing munitions but it was a sacrifice that the American public could endure as they were engaged in a third war of independence, with the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 being the first and second of course but still millions of viewers in the United States tuned in to watch the special report from CBS regarding the war effort with dread. Many Americans and Earthlings, in general, knew that the Sith Empire was a technologically advanced civilization. Thoughts of disaster rang throughout the living rooms across the land, yet they were in for a surprise.
"I can hereby report that we have dealt two strategic blows against the Empire with relatively light casualties."
Walter took off his glasses and wiped away the sweat from his forehead before putting his spectacles back on. "Even our Republic allies were amazed at our might against the Imperial onslaught and quoting Supreme Chancellor Saresh 'Your people have the gratitude of the Republic'."
Footage of Imperial prisoners and scenes of battle played out in the households courtesy of Uncle Sam. The citizens watched as American Marines and paratroopers captured a formidable fortress and witnessed the armored columns duking it out with their Imperial counterparts. There were even a few dogfights here and there with the alien craft dropping like flies as they attempted to avoid the F-105 Thunderchiefs and F-110 Spectres.
"Of course, there are still dead and injured amongst our troops over there, but the Empire has taken heavy losses on Korriban and Tython...Please keep our boys in mind as they fight for our liberty and independence. God Bless America and this is Cronkite signing off."
Natthrrya Therin-Palatine - Darth Avarice / Empire's Wrath
I.N.S. Accuser - BSX-5 Dreadnought
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 18:00/6:00 PM
"Master, are you alright?" Jaesa asked.
The two Sith were in Nathrrya's quarters aboard the Accuser. The older woman stood, arms folded across her chest looking out the viewport. She'd been like this for the past half hour.
"Nat?" Jaesa sounded worried.
The senior Sith turned to face her apprentice and friend. "Just thinking. I've got a meeting with the Dark Council to attend; it's not going to be pleasant."
"Nothing about what happened is pleasant. I can't believe the Earthlings could be so... barbaric." The younger woman said. She'd seen the evidence but didn't want to believe it.
Nathrrya sighed. "That's war, Jaesa." What she saw took place there was no stranger to their war and even Nat will admit the atrocities committed by the Soviets had been done the same before by the Empire even when it's something she was disgusted with herself. "I'm going to recommend to the Council that from now on when the Empire encounters Warsaw Pact forces we wipe them out to the last man, Korriban will not be forgotten. They shall reap what they have sown. As for the N.A.T.O. forces they have honor and will be taken prisoner and treated accordingly to the Earthlings' Convention on POWs."
Jaesa nodded in understanding but the Sith apprentice knew that it would not be without controversy. "The Council won't like that."
"No, but it's clear we're dealing with two very different military organizations even if they do come from the same planet and there are others of course but we should treat them accordingly." Nathrrya massaged her forehead. "Then we've got their tactics to deal with."
"Some of the galaxy has been fighting using the same basic tactics for thousands of years." Jaesa said, frowning.
"I know, and that's the problem. The Republic and Empire become so focused on each other in our war that we've allowed ourselves to be stretched thinner with the more we keep destroying ourselves. We only have a doctrine specifically tailored for fighting the Pubs and it is not necessarily adaptable for third parties." Nathrrya replied though while the definition of third parties was broad as pirates and other criminals if encountered were usually killed on sight anyways, it was specifically the fact that the Empire's conventional doctrine was exclusively devised for their ancient enemy, something ingrained in the minds of every Imperial since Grand Moff Odile Vaiken was commissioned to form their forces as part of the revenge plotted for centuries since the aftermath of the Great Hyperspace War. "The scary part is that Earth once fought their wars similar to us but they have evolved and the way they wage war is so vastly different. If the Empire wants to survive we have to adapt to dealing with the Republic's newfound allies while still dealing with our ancient enemies."
Both Sith women looked at each other with equally somber expressions. The Dark Council would undeniably not like that, no less the usual reasonable Vowrawn as production and logistics could not be changed overnight. Nor much of the Wrath's other findings.
Private First Class Jake Gregory Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
R.N.S. Tranquility - Valor-class Cruiser
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 18:00/6:00 PM
"Yo Jake!" Corporal Jackson Cartwright shouted. "You want to join in, birthday boy!?"
Meyer was in the barracks onboard the Integrity cleaning his M14 Service Rifle and many of his comrades were out celebrating the victories over Imperial forces not just once but twice at Korriban and Tython. It was strange how two sacred worlds were attacked in the same week, but the archconservative Hoosier shrugged it off as just a mere coincidence.
"Nah, I'm good there man." The Hoosier smiled. "We can't have our Sergeant gripe after noticing that our weapons are still dirty from sand now, especially if Ike himself is inspecting us later."
"Oh, come on."
"Usually I would but inspections don't wait for birthdays." The Hoosier countered, not that he didn't want to hang out with the guys but the former MOS 2111 Small Arms Repairman in the Marine Forces Reserve until laterally transferring to the regular Marine Corps and being retrained as a Military Policeman, the grandson of a gun store owner, not to mention a competitive rifleman as well as an ardent hunter and woodsman knew the fundamental importance of keeping weapons clean and functioning and in the military of course also presentable as well in addition to being well-maintained.
"I suppose you're right, Jake." Jackson sighed as he raised a fair point. "I'll see you later."
The farmboy gave the New Yorker a mock salute as he scrubbed his rifle in an attempt to get rid of the stubborn red sand.
'This is going to take a while.' He thought. Placing the firearm off to the side, Meyer decided to take a break. Getting up from the locker that he was sitting on, Jake opened the chest up and retrieved a photograph. On one side was Jake himself in the standard-issued dark forest green service uniform and next to the Marine was a redheaded, slightly tanned Republic trooper wearing her equivalent. Or at least he thought she was a part of the Republic Military at the time. Flipping the picture over, Jake begins to read the distinctive 'High Galactic alphabet' handwriting:
Larel,
I still have six months left in my enlistment and I have to say that Earth is truly unique in the galaxy.
This world is like no other and I would enjoy spending the rest of my days here on this planet with you by my side.
I have learned to love this land dearest and I hope that you loverboy can show me why I have made the correct choice.
You are my one and only Jake and I don't want you to change.
Be well, my beloved.
Love, Sara
'And even now I'm still unsure what to think.'
Second Lieutenant Paul Baltasar Meyer - Third Platoon, D/ Delta Company, Second Battalion, 324th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, United States Army
R.N.S. Tranquility - Valor-class Cruiser
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 19:00/7:00 PM
Paul still couldn't believe it. The paratrooper who survived Husky and Market Garden, the man who had dropped into Normandy, and the soldier who had held the line at the Bulge were denying that the recent victories were this easy, yet they were.
Still, the 82nd Airborne Division had lost an eighth of its men, but proportionately, the Empire suffered worse. A combination of surprise and arrogance along with luck and the ridiculousness of some tactics from the enemy had carried out the day in their favor as did outfitting armor and equipping infantry with ceramic heat plates, similiar to the ones used in rockets and space capsules as they withstood extreme heat and force yet NATO wasn't the only one issuing them as the Kremlin apparently had the same idea and issued them to units across the Warsaw Pact.
'But at what cost?' Paul thought to himself. 'The Empire will not forget that we were on that sacred ground of theirs.'
As the Lieutenant pondered, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
It was his eldest son Jake. Smiling, the soldier stopped working on the after-action reports and focused all his attention on his firstborn.
"Hey, Dad."
"That's sir to you, Jarhead." Paul deadpanned to the Leatherneck as he poured some coffee into a mug.
"You want any, sir?"
"Actually, some joe does sound nice." He admitted before regretting his previous order. "And never mind about the sir business."
"Yes, sir." The Marine declared with a cheeky grin, to which the army officer groaned as Jake handed him his cup of steaming hot liquid. "Your usual. Two creams, two sugars."
"Thanks."
Although today was his son's birthday of all days, there was a moment of silence between father and son as neither of them spoke until Jake brought up a subject.
"So I guess we had a surprise back on Korriban in the form of Sara."
"I guess so..." Paul confessed. The paratrooper and his wife Rebecca initially thought that Kelrein was an excellent match for Jake yet when the truth came out, betrayal was a total understatement. Becky was devastated after the news was revealed since the Corellian was a good friend to her. However, the Lieutenant wasn't completely sure if they were used even though Jake was thoroughly interrogated by the G-Men over the incident that occurred at the United Nations building.
Jake shook his head. "Well, regardless if she holds regrets or not, I hope that Harkun is rotting in Hell. No one should be choked like she was."
"That we can agree on." Paul said with bitterness. "If he's an example of what the Sith are like, then they should be put down like the disgusting pigs they are. I can't believe that a supposedly advanced civilization is utterly barbaric and openly practices slavery."
Two Days earlier...
Paul gazed at the aliens behind the energy barrier, discerning that they were of various species yet they also all had one thing in common:
They were slaves.
The mixed group of paratroopers and Jarheads had captured the complex hours earlier but this energy shield should have been taken down after the main generator was knocked out. However, Intel was right on this one too since it seemed like the Empire feared internal revolts more than the Republic, which explains the idiotic defense system and one which the Earthlings have exploited yet regardless of their engineering Paul felt sick as staring in front of him was a barbarity that back home Brazil only abolished on May 13th, 1888 and it was still being practiced in some nations such as South Yemen, Oman, and Mauritania.
"Should we free them?" One of his men asked as the forced laborers grabbed their attention.
"Please! I was a soldier in the Republic Army!" One of the Zabraks, if Paul remembered the name of the sentient species correctly, declared.
The Lieutenant made a choice. "Damn right we are freeing them!" If he was telling the truth, then that meant that this was the fate of the Empire's prisoners of war.
Paul watched as his son Jake, Sam, and a few others assisted the former captives in making a break for it. The same Zabrak that called out to him moments ago approached the American officer and saluted.
"Sir! I'm Corporal Anvo Wod, 81st Assault Regiment, Republic Army."
"Second Lieutenant Paul Meyer, United States Army." Paul stated as he pulled out his sidearm and racked the slide before handing it to Wod. "Here's something you can use until you find yourself a rifle."
"A slugthrower?" The extraterrestrial questioned curiously as he pulled out the magazine.
"Extremely effective against both Imps and Sith." Paul smirked. "Even if there's only seven rounds."
"If you say so, it's better than nothing and I won't refuse a weapon all the same…"
Present…
"Well, at least we know that the Republic wasn't exaggerating." Jake is determined. "I would have thought that their subjects would have overthrown their Sith overlords by now since even the Imperial military outnumbers them."
"Not to mention their naval ships." Paul agreed. "Nothing about this galaxy makes sense."
"Yeah..." His son trails. "Tell me about it. It seems like we have Space Magicians fighting over this 'Lightside/Darkside, keep this Force in balance' nonsense"
'We can all agree on that as well.' Paul thought before speaking up. "Well kiddo, I got to finish working on my paperwork."
"Talk to you later, Dad."
'Space Magicians.' Paul snorted. 'That precious Farce of theirs can kiss my ass.'
Sergeant Samuel David "Sam" Westbrook - First Squad, Third Platoon, D/Delta Company, Second Battalion, 324th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, United States Army
R.N.S. Tranquility - Valor-class Cruiser
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 20:00/8:00 PM
Sam watched as 'Ike' himself stepped right in front of him! The paratrooper and his comrades along with the other multinational contingents aboard the Integrity watched as the supervisor of the Coalesced Forces from Earth inspected the troops while orderlies as well as reporters from Planet Earth and across the Galactic Republic alike followed the legend like bees to honey.
"How are you doing, son?" The famed General asked.
"I'm doing well, sir!" Westbrook declared. "The boys and I are ready to push the thaumaturges and their boorish hirelings back to the outskirts of Kaas City itself!"
Eisenhower smirked at the Sergeant's enthusiasm. "A bit confident, I see?" He questioned rhetorically as the man stopped his inspection to face every one of his men directly.
"Gentlemen, for the past week we have learned a valuable lesson. The mighty Sith Empire had utilized tactics not seen since early in the Great War when the Germans in 1914 marched across Belgium. The Imperial Army has recklessly attacked our men in two engagements but the enemy has been repelled."
The man who has gone down in history as the figurehead of the Western Allies in the European Theater of Operations and oversaw the breakthrough from the West came to a halt with his pacing for a moment to stare at every soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine in the eyes, perhaps even their soul.
"Their aircraft are subsonic and the only significant threat they have are their warships and a few armored vehicles, yet these walkers of theirs-and our allies of the Republics I'll admit- are of a flawed design that can be countered. Even these magicians of the Sith Order are no match against our firepower since they need to get up close and personal to engage us."
The men knew in their minds that the Sith weren't to be underestimated, yet they still could be killed and the Earthlings had thoughts of various ways to kill them after the two encounters with the wizards.
"If the Imps desire to conquer our world, I say we'll show their overlords of the Dark Council that they have chosen the wrong enemy and they shall be granted even more black eyes in the days to come if their mindless drones continue to operate the way they currently do on the frontlines."
Dwight waited for the information to sink in before finishing his impromptu speech.
"Today the totalitarian regime known to the galaxy as the 'pathetic Sith Empire' shall tremble in fear as the armies of a lone world, an all-powerful ant, will crush the bully and drive the nail into the hearts and minds of every Imperial citizen. We will crush any and all Imperial resistance before us, and as a result, Earth will remain free."
Dark Council Chamber - The Imperial Citadel, Kaas City, Dromund Kaas, Dromund System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 20:15/8:15 PM
Darth Marr and his peers along with the Wrath and the Minister of Intelligence watched the live speech that was being transmitted across the Holonet, one by this 'Dwight Eisenhower' who was the head of this 'Coalesced Forces from Earth', more like a disunited body whose only commonality was because they presently shared the same enemy and it was an obvious weakness which could be exploited.
"Today the totalitarian regime known to the galaxy as the 'pathetic Sith Empire' shall tremble in fear as the armies of a lone world, an all-powerful ant, will crush the bully and drive the nail into the hearts and minds of every Imperial citizen. We will crush any and all Imperial resistance before us, and as a result, Earth will remain free."
But it was not the only address that had infuriated the Dark Council as there was another articulated by this 'Winston Churchill' only two days previously on the Holonet, concurrent with the incursion on the sacred world of Korriban, and they couldn't refrain from watching it again as the fact that this society exist was confounding to them.
"Good evening, at this very hour, our fighting men in lockstep with our allies from here and those abroad have commenced an operation against our unprecedented common enemy…Although little is still known of the extent of their galaxy, the mores of the Galactic Republic, and of those independent worlds, we are still embroiled in a grand confrontation against not an alien adversary but rather a familiar enemy, one who dares burlesque us and had evolved into an amalgamation of our society with those of old Hitler's…It is truly most unfortunate how this peculiarity has transpired, why this travesty has arisen in a land of uncouth barbarians yet despite this enigma it is not a quandary as our response is and ought to remain the same: Never surrender. We must never surrender! Nevermore, I say, nevermore! We must oppose this Nazistic yoke and aid in the liberation of tyrannized civilizations! The men who had perished on the shores of Dunkirk and Normandy must know that their sacrifices were not in vain and under the phenomenal leadership of General Eisenhower, a man who had administered our forces to victory against the Third Reich I express confidence that we shall perpetuate our resolve and that this Sith Empire, these Dark Lords shall tremble before us whilst we shine the light as 'Britons never will be slaves'!"
"Why the audacity! The insolence of that short, paunchy cigar-smoking Dianoga!" Darth Nox vociferated. "That Earthling has got some nerve to declare that he and his imitators are more civilized than us!"
Darth Marr ignored the woman and her understandable rant at this 'Winston Churchill' but even he was incensed that Korriban was raided by not just the Republic but the forces of Earth as well. Obviously, there has been a leak somewhere but that matter can wait as the de facto ruler of the Empire turned his attention to Arkous's blonde advisor.
"Lord Beniko, is there anything you wish to report?"
The towhead instantly stepped forward to outline what she had found out. "Apparently, Earth has sent some of their finest strategists to Korriban." Lana Beniko declared as she typed away. Three images popped up and the woman began outlining her summary. "My lords, the individual to your left is Dwight Eisenhower. He was born and raised in America and has led combined arms against the forces of Germany during Earth's Second World War and also served two terms as the American head of state."
Each council member glanced at one another since they'd researched the history of Earth months earlier. The similarities between the planet's conflicts and those of this galaxy were just too coincidental to ignore, yet they haven't learned quite enough.
"The individual in the center is Ivan Konev." Beniko's eyes went from amber to red as thoughts of the destruction caused by this monster consumed her.
The reports of the Soviets ransacking Korriban were unexpected to say the least, but rage was boiling throughout the room.
Lana exhaled deeply as she moved on to the final subject of her presentation. "And finally, the men to your right are Gotthard Heinrici and Franz Bäke, both 'Germans' with Heinrici noted as an expert in defensive warfare while Bäke is a 'tank ace'. Bäke was also responsible for killing Rakton in a duel."
News of their top general's death has spread like wildfire throughout the Empire and the Dark Council felt the loss, but he will be avenged just like the desecration of Korriban by the interlopers!
"Clearly they all pose a significant threat." Darth Marr is determined. "Have the Ciphers on standby to assassinate them when the opportunity presents itself."
'All of them?' Avarice thought as she waited for her turn.
"As you wish, my lord."
As on cue, it was Nat's turn to face the council and Lana gave her a look of sympathy as her friend left the room to plan the assassination attempts on the enemy's leadership. But Nathrrya had a feeling that the men would not be killed easily depending upon the exact precautions taken.
"Lord Avarice." Darth Nox began. "Apparently you have disregarded orders to invade Earth and instead you've decided to reinforce Korriban. Do you care to explain yourself?"
'Dammit Nox!' Her rival literally hated her guts, but Nat was prepared to defend herself. "I've received a distress call from Tremel."
"And?"
'What are you kriffing on?!' Nat had enough and she snapped. "Listen Nox! Korriban was under assault and the homeworld is more important than conquering a peaceful planet that has done no harm to the Empire other than to just exist because a race of humans weren't connected to the Force!?"
Realization struck the room as a thought occurred to one of the councilmen regarding what Avarice was hinting at.
"Perhaps that is why the Earthlings struck? To send us a message on how much they value their world?"
"Are you mad!" Ravage shouted at Vowrawn. "You may be a Pureblood, but you are betraying your heritage."
"ENOUGH!" Darth Marr roared, silencing the two. "Bickering amongst ourselves is not going to solve the matter. We have a new enemy and we must deal with them."
'This is going to take a while.' The Wrath thought as the Council began to argue amongst themselves.
_
"Nat? Can I speak to you for a minute?"
"Sure, Lana."
"Look, I believe that Korriban and Tython are more than just a coincidence and something is off. I'm going to meet a contact in Manaan."
'Agent Shan.' Avarice quickly determined. "Just let me know if you need backup."
"Thanks...But I already got that taken care of."
Corporal Hanzo Nilsson- - Weapons Section, Second Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia Light Infantry, 1st Commonwealth Division
Carrick Station - Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 20:15/8:15 PM
"Whoa, the Pubs weren't exaggerating, eh?"
Hanzo and his friend Alex were granted leave and the Canadians were offered a chance to experience something that they may likely only see once in their lives, namely visiting this 'Carrick Station'.
"No, they weren't." Hanzo replied as he and Alex made their way through the pathways that lead to divergent spots of activity from bars and cafeterias to kiosks and arcades but all around them was just something new for the Earthling.
Whatever it was the various exotic and unique aliens they saw moving by them in crowds, or the bright shining lights displaying advertisers, taking note of a cantina making up the center of this area and what appeared to be an elevator lift leading up to what Hanzo could only assume was a VIP room and glancing around Hanzo noticed what appeared to be lockers on each side of the stairways and observed a Weeguay Jedi in traditional robes taking out items that were being handled over to who he surmised was the Jedi's Padawan, a young Mon Calamari judging by his shorter height and youthful features.
Hanzo then felt a tap on his shoulder and recognized that it was Alex. "Let's head down to the supply trade there, we might find something interesting." Alex reasoned as he pointed down to their left which led to a separate stairway. Hanzo knew that Alex, although he did hold differences of opinion with his friend regarding the galaxy, also couldn't help but admire the exotic, anything and everything from new items to new worlds to learn, even amid a whole Galactic War and Alex's curiosity about the unknown intrigued him. "Sure, we might as well use the credits we got." After being granted leave they were given the particular currency in the galaxy known as 'Credits' as dollars weren't going to be acceptable within the galactic scale until an exchange rate was properly sorted out.
The duo watched as Republic troops, freight haulers, mercenaries, Jedi, merchants, and whoever else happened to be on the station wandered about and talked to various merchants regarding their wares, servicemen and mercenaries were drinking away at the available tables, and longshoremen who were unloading cargo from space freighters.
As Hanzo listened to some of the ongoing conversations he mentally took notes of languages he overheard - some indecipherable and others being similar to the ones he had now come to know. 'There are things to learn and it should be interesting.' Although his stay was unfortunately short and he arrived to the galaxy only recently, Hanzo's time on Tython had opened him to new knowledge in his curiosity of the galaxy, whatever it was to try to understand the Force or pick up languages just in case if needed. It was a hobby of his and one that he felt helped him in the long run.
They turned to their right and made their way down the stairs that led two separate ways and in the middle was an elevator but the duo stopped after spotting a large floating device with some kind of glass sphere that projected a hologram of what appeared to be a news channel giving out reports but Hanzo frowned as he overheard the reporters mentioning Korriban and what the Soviets did. "Of course, the fucking Reds would go that far. The Imps have done terrible things, but I don't want to imagine what the Soviets did in depth." Alexander muttered beside him as he glared at a very clearly fellow Earthling in a gray and black suit talking to the galactic news people, they didn't recognize who he was but the Canadians could tell by the accent that he was definitely from one of the Eastern Bloc nations and he was 'justifying' the atrocities inflicted upon the Sith by the Soviets and the member-nations of the Warsaw Pact, his tone was self-centered and he tried to divert the matter.
The two soldiers chose to keep on walking, not wanting to keep listening to the Communist pencil-pusher who kept rambling on and caused some Republic troopers to wince.
"Well, that sorta killed my mood."
Hanzo nodded in agreement and they walked down into a new section that contained several shops where they decided to look at the displayed merchandise such as weapons or armor with their mods and something caught Hanzo's eye as he looked up from the TT-16A Powered Assault armor set, more like who.
Walking around the various kiosks displaying their wares was a gray and black female catlike alien, a Cathar, he recognized the name of the species from those he had talked to back on Tython who were Jedi but this one was a Republic soldier, one who was wearing armor painted in brown and white. He noted her quite beautiful, soft yet defined features, noting what appeared to be black markings running down from her eyes, or perhaps they were also possessed stunning green catlike eyes and kept her black hair in a ponytail, not to mention tall as she stood at least six feet he wagered, certainly standing taller than him and even his friend Alex.
Needless to say, Hanzo couldn't help but to admire her curvaceous figure with wide and round hips, and the Cathar had an athleticism that maintained it.
'Someone's certainly keeping in shape.' He thought to himself while the woman browsed over some items and Hanzo had the feeling that this woman could give one hell of a kick judging from her well-formed legs.
But there was something that drew Hanzo to her. It was those light green cat-like eyes that got his attention as they were not only stunning, he also saw in them… It was the same thing he sees when he looks at himself in the mirror. 'She has seen war alright.' The things he could still remember from Vietnam. There had been so much blood and death as he thought back to the day, the ambush that resulted in the death of most of his platoon. Looking into her eyes, he could see they were hardened eyes from war, the same as many other veterans after coming back home only to find themselves having a hard time adjusting yet he could only guess what she had seen and endured. He tried shrugging it off, but his actions did not go unnoticed.
"So Hanzo?" Alex smirked in amusement as he withdrew the cigarette from his mouth. "I assume that you are being smitten by that kitten over there?" He then blew out smoke, the smell making Hanzo grimace in distaste.
"You're overthinking things, Alex. And quit fucking blowing that shit at my face." While no stranger to smoking himself, he loathed cigarettes and he disliked the smell alone. Though much to his cringe, he could feel redness on his cheeks that told McAllen all he needed to know. 'Thank God the boys from the 'Platoon' aren't here to see this.' The thought of it made him more glad now as he thought back to some in particular.
"Right." Alex simpered as the feline finally noticed her admirer, her eyes locking onto Hanzo's hazel-green eyes. For a moment Hanzo thought of breaking off, not wanting to appear like a creep, but for what reasons beyond him, he couldn't bring himself to and the look she was giving him was not hostility but that of curiosity. Alex noticed that there were a couple of other Republic troopers beside her and they seemed to notice that their feline friend was looking at Hanzo.
Finally, after what seemed like minutes, she made the first move and sauntered towards them, with each step she took her hips almost swayed and Alexander noticed a few of her companions were chuckling while they made what appeared to be an exchange of credits. 'Huh, wonder if I can get in on any of that action.' Alex thought as the cat gracefully approached the two brothers in arms.
Lieutenant Marala Jorgo - SpecForce Squad 149 "Chaos Squad", Special Forces Division, Republic Army
Hutt Bazaar-Carrick Station, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 20:15/8:15 PM
"And so that's why Chaos Squad is second to only Havoc Squad itself. We might not get much as credit or recognition as they do but we've been deployed on missions they don't get assigned to with our skillset. " Major Lane proudly declared to the two women in her squad.
Marala was with two of her comrades -her CO Jessie and - on a shopping spree as the officer put it. The recent addition and first alien to the unit replaced a member who had turned out to be an Imperial spy.
Corporal Kelrein was definitely still a sore subject for the others since from what the Cathar had heard, the redhead was the last person anyone would expect to be an Imp. 'How many of their infiltrators and sleeper agents are truly hidden among us?' Marala frowned with her thoughts, it seemed with the more this war continued, the more of the ugly truth underneath was starting to reveal itself.
She shook her head and focused back on the item that caught her interest. "So how much for the G-56 Projection-X Carbine?" Jorgo inquired as the Cathar soldier inspected the blaster carbine in question, testing its weight and aiming at a predetermined point in the ceiling through the optic. It felt comfortable in her hands and the butt of the carbine didn't bother her grip with the 'length of pull' being perfect as she did not have to shorten or increase the buttpad. Overall she did like the blaster rifle with her only complaint being the fact that the scope was meant more for sniping out to four hundred fifty meters yet the optical sight itself was fine as there were some features she liked such as automatically displaying the range inside as she adjusted it and not needing to glance at the dial before requisitioning her target but in her opinion it would not do for close quarters combat as even at the minimum magnification of ten power with its narrow field of vision it would obscure targets to the left or to the right at close range, a situation where a holographic optic would be more suitable. She also idly thought about adding a bayonet to the carbine but the main change would be the optic.
"How much does it cost?" Marala asked the shopkeeper.
"About five hundred credits, ma'am." The Bothan replied.
"You think that's a little cheap?" Enilly Kovo asked in her Alderaanian accent as she was suspicious as to why the dealer was offering an obviously expensive blaster and it should cost at least one thousand and a half credits easily.
But Marala turned to face the squad's fair-skinned and blue-eyed blonde demolition expert who mostly kept her hair in a ponytail, had a tattoo of the squad's symbol on her neck, and was wearing her customized TH-15A Patrol armor, to reassure the Specialist that it may be legit.
"Trust me." The Cathar responded. "I know a good bargain when I see it."
Jorgo's two comrades shrugged and allowed their sister-in-arms to make the purchase, handed over the credits, and placed the weapon onto her back, hearing the click as the carbine was locked in place. But as she turned around, something caught the Cathar's eyes.
More like someone as she spotted the pair of greenish-hazel eyes and it took a moment for her to focus but she noticed that the irises belonged to what she recognized to be an Earthling in his green military uniform, staring at her in what she could only describe as curiosity and a bit of interest judging from the way he suddenly blushed after hearing what his friend next to him said.
"Is it just me Kovo or does Jorgo have her eyes set on an Earthling?"
The Cathar's cheeks darkened a bit as she overheard her two comrades notice her distraction, coming from behind her and looking over to the Earthlings she was watching.
"I don't know, you ain't smitten with him already are you?" Jessie said as she looked at her admirer, her silver eyes oddly lit up a little as Jessie took in the features that Marala was noticing herself about him and it was now Kovo glancing over at her superior with curiosity. "Are you getting interested yourself, Major?" Her eyes went to Enilly and though there was no hostility, it was a look that made Enilly bring her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I don't blame you, I can see he's attractive, intense but attractive." Jessie didn't say anything in reply but her eyes did drift back to gaze at the Earthling, tracing down in noting his build, Emily had to hold in her urge to comment on the Major's behavior.
"And, you deserve some R&R Marala. I won't be opposed to getting to know his friend there." Enilly's own eyes went to the other Earthling standing near the one they had been eying and a small grin formed on her face.
Marala ignored them and decided to have her curiosity answered, approaching the man that had taken her interest. As she got closer she was able to make out more details about him, while she would be among the first to admit that he was no supermodel or anything, he was still handsome in her eyes, or to what she could tell with humans. He had fair beige skin and was clean-shaven but she could imagine him having a small beard that was thinly haired. There was also a long facial structure and a strong jawline with a bit of narrowness, taking note of his short straight black hair that looked well kept with the way it was combed to the side.
But what drew her attention was what she saw in his green hazel eyes and his stance, how he was almost ready to move at any minute at the first sign of trouble, his wide shoulders pulled back and she believed that he held a guarded presence about him but it didn't deter her curiosity. She was surprised to discern what appeared to be a lightsaber scar on his left eye, 'Looks fresh too.' He must've been one of the soldiers involved in what happened either on Korriban or Tython from what she had heard.
What she saw in those eyes… They were exactly what she had seen in many soldiers in this damned war. So many lost souls who have seen things that others haven't and they were alone in those struggles most of the time.
It reminded her too much of the things she preferred to keep buried in the past, the memories of the burning of her home and slaughter of her family when the Empire had come to her world years ago.
Shaking out of her thoughts and the memories, Marala in her distraction had come a bit closer than she had intended as she met her 'admirer', coming a few feet away from him so that she could have a better look. Noting that he and his friend seemed to be of different races as she noted with humans, his friend had a look that reminded her of a Corellian, or a Balmorran with his brown hair and eyes. Though she couldn't quite pin the man's race in front of her, Marala found herself surprised to see he was younger than she expected.
'He must be in his early twenties at the least.' She thought to herself. Making him at least three years younger than her, though it did nothing to discourage her curiosity. "Couldn't help but notice that you 'vere' giving me the looks there. My name is Marala Jorgo. Yours?" Her mixed Cathar/Coruscanti accent appeared to have caught their attention judging from the slightly surprised expression on their face.
"This is Hanzo. But we sometimes call him Han." The man beside him said. "I'm Alexander. But you can call me Alex."
"Nice to meet you." She gazed at the uniform and noticed the distinct accent. It sounded similar to a typical Republic dialect, yet it was somewhat distinctive at the same time. "You're from Earth, yes?" Her eyes drifted back to Hanzo. He had yet to speak, appearing to prefer to let his friend do the talking.
In fact, much to her amusement he almost appeared to be shy but met her face up and gave her a polite smile with a nod, to which she returned with a smile as their eyes locked with each other. 'Hmm, he doesn't want to appear like a creep I guess. Seems alright though.' She was fine with quiet types, it was something she shared in common.
And oh did she like his smile.
"Specifically Canada. I'm from Grovedale, Alberta." Alex pointed out while Hanzo answered for himself, Marala was surprised a bit that he had a deeper voice than she expected, but found herself liking it. "Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia is where I call home." Marala would have to remember to check about that for her curiosity's sake.
"Hmm…" It was Kovo who came right beside her, eyeing Alex up. "Isn't that the country of beavers, mounties, mooses, and maple?"
Alex sighed in exasperation as unexpectedly the fair maiden referenced some stereotypes regarding their nation. "Yes, we have all of that, but we're not obsessive about it. And we all don't say 'Eh' after each sentence." That pet peeve, 'eh', still got on Alex's nerves every time there were Americans or any others who expected him to say 'eh' all the time. Alex then turned to his friend with clear annoyance on his face. "It seems like the Pubs have already learned about the stereotypes… Sorry, ladies." Hanzo suspected it was their 'friends' to the south that were likely spreading the stereotypes.
"Not to mention the damn geese." Hanzo muttered in thinking of the dreaded angry birds that left no one alone and he remembered Private Aaron back with the unit who was last complaining about geese attacking him before their deployment out on that fateful day in '66. By his claims, the geese was able to sneak aboard the transport and caused trouble while loose on a Republic ship.
The two men watched as Kovo giggled a little while Marala grinned a little, revealing her white sharp teeth. Hanzo was about to say something before he noticed something red caught his eye, glancing over their shoulder and see's whom he assumed was their CO judging her authority stance, watching them with interest. Realizing why she seemed a bit familiar, he recognized her as Major Lane from when he saw her in the news.
She looked even more stunning up close, with chalk-pale skin yet not the unhealthy pallor, sharp silver eyes, a scar not dissimilar of his own being one across her nose, and long red hair with one side shaved off, reminding him somewhat of similar haircuts he'd seen in the military yet different, while the other side was long and passed her left shoulder, and her expression told him she didn't smile or laugh often.
That was alright, neither did he. 'So women in their military are permitted to fight?' Hanzo didn't blink an eye about having women in the military as he was far more concerned if they were capable of performing their duties, having met his share of them in his service in Vietnam and of course his encounters against Viet Cong women. But to see the mass diversity within the Republic military or that of the Imperials was intriguing. As far as he was concerned, he saw no reason for them to be dismissed if they've already proven capable on the battlefield.
Not after seeing many in action back on Tython as he recalled back to the battle what he saw. He would welcome anyone who wished to fight and who could handle it and the look he saw in her stunning yet cold silver eyes and the scar across the bridge of her nose only told him the kind of soldier he was seeing before him.
He was more than impressed. Though that was not to say he was supportive towards certain feminist groups back home such as those to adhere to Valerie Solanas and her infamous SCUM Manifesto.
Alex, on the other hand, recognized the Major from the incident. 'The thought of having a comrade and subordinate you trusted for years must have hit her hard.' McAllen thought. If her cold expression was anything to go, it was probably best not to piss her off.
"So boys?" Enilly questioned. "How would you like to head to the cantina? Drinks are on us."
Khomo Fett - Leader of Clan Fett, Mandalorians
Concord Dawn, Mandalorian Space, "The Galaxy"
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 20:15/8:15 PM
Khomo still couldn't believe that some of his finest warriors were bested by overwhelming numbers. The Mandalorian has found out that the soldiers he and his clan faced were the Soviets of Russia.
The head of Clan Fett was still denying that he made a crucial error and was adamant that fifty of his finest warriors were enough to take on the opposition, yet he had underestimated the determination of their foe.
Even though it wasn't exactly open, a few clansmen were giving Khomo disappointed looks as if his people lost faith in his abilities to lead and he already made examples out of a few warriors who thought it was a good idea to challenge him but like others before them Khomo showed the upstarts why he was the Clan Leader.
But the day was coming when the Soviets would face the wrath of Clan Fett and their allies as no one will insult the honor of the Mando'ade and word was spreading to Mandalorians across the galaxy, that there was a new and powerful foe, one that has even captured the attention of Mandalore the Vindicated once word had reached his ears and if Khomo was right, the Mand'alor was about to call upon the clans about this new foe or even declare Akaan'gaan and seek them out for battle, but that was mostly with the other clans, Mand'alor had something different in mind.
If they were determined to stop fifty warriors of Clan Fett, then what would they do against thousands or even millions if Mand'alor placed the Clans against them?
Either way, Khomo was determined to regain his honor for himself and his Clan. The best way was to engage the so-called Commies by seeking them out. "Still steaming Ba'vodu? You outta visit the training center, give the youngsters some much-needed humbling." Khomo didn't need to turn to see who it was that called him over, feeling the person coming beside to walk with him.
"You would as well, dear Vod'ika, there were many friends I've seen at their funerals and meeting with their families to give the news." He didn't want to think about the cries of agony he heard from the young boy who found out his parents weren't coming home. There was a deep sigh from his nephew and it was only then did Khomo turned to face him.
Walking beside him was a middle-aged, bald man appearing to be in his thirties with fair beige skin that was riddled with scars. He was wearing yellow and green Mandalorian armor with the displays of his 'Al'verde' ranking, a heavy Mandalorian pistol resting in its hostler at his thigh, and this warrior also had cybernetics connected to his face, all the markings for a battle-hardened man as a lone deep blue eye stared back at Khomo while his red cybernetic eye dilated in focus.
It was none other than Vorten Fett, his nephew begotten by Khomo's now long-deceased cousin who had died at the humiliating defeat of the Hydian Way Blockade but Vorten was a highly recognized Mandalorian Commander who had led their armies across multiple worlds in the services to the Sith Empire and was entrusted by even Mandalore the Vindicated himself on military matters when it was needed of him. And here he was back home on Concord Dawn now hearing the news of what had transpired on Korriban.
"Dreadful for the boy, but can only hope it'll give him a fire to become a better warrior. Though speaking of it, I'm guessing you already know why I'm here?" Khomo grunted as they came upon the door leading into the next room, bringing his hand to the side to automatically open the door then gestured for his nephew to follow him in.
"Yeah, it doesn't take much to guess why. I'll tell ya what you need to know about the 'Earthlings' as well as Mand'alor."
Corporal Hanzo Nilsson- Weapons Section, Second Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia Light Infantry, 1st Commonwealth Division
Hutt Bazaar-Carrick Station, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 21:00/9:00 PM
Hanzo shook his head as Marala told him one of her war stories as they sat at the table they claimed for themselves while the others went off to do their own thing besides Alex who stuck with them. The two finally had the chance to talk more after their group had made their way into the section that was known as the Hutt Bazaar.
From what Hanzo could tell it was a large section of the station down by elevator and the level was bustling with much more activity than they had encountered on the space station thus far with even more mercenaries, smugglers, droids, and aliens around, aliens that included two massive Hutts on each side of the docking room that Hanzo learned both oversaw their 'operations' here.
He wasn't sure how to feel about that after what he had heard and read about their race, particularly how they were for the most part innately predestined for criminal activities and by and large led gangs. The two Hutt mobsters were presenting themselves openly with their bodyguards close by, on guard for anyone who got too close to their employers but he couldn't say how many with all the shining lights and loud music that bugged his senses but talking to Marala did help make the stay more enjoyable as he and Alex got to know her and her squad better.
"And so these Imperial Troopers just happened to come across our paths in the mission, about two squads led by one Sith warrior. Rueen laid out a burst from his D-313 Repeating Striker to strike the incoming attackers."
"And?" Alex pressed as he drank his brandy.
"And we slaughtered a platoon worth of Imps that won't fight for the Empire any longer." Marala finished up her story, taking a slip of her drink before reassessing to another story. Through her eyes would drift to Hanzo even while telling the duo how Chaos Squad took on a group of Mandalorian mercenaries on Corellia in the retaking of what was known as 'Axel Park' and something about a memorial site dedicated to not only that of Republic Heroes but also one of the most intriguing parts of galactic history Hanzo had stumble upon his research in the temple back on Tython before the Imperial attack had happened.
Hanzo couldn't help but find it somewhat depressing that there was still not enough known about whatever happened to Revan and also the final fates of some of his companions which were still lost to history but there was another subject he wished to discuss and he waited patiently to ask additional questions about these Mandalorians. The Canadian of Swedish and Japanese descent did not know why but he was intrigued by these skilled warriors and his respect grew for Jessie upon hearing the decisions called while leading Chaos Squad and how she cleverly used the Mandalorians' sense of honor against them by challenging their leader to an honorable duel, striking not only hard at the strong rivalry between the Echani and the Mandos but also the fact that one of their greatest Mand'alors was dedicated onto that site.
That very leader was called the Mandalore the Preserver but he was also known as Canderous Ordo, a name that he stumbled upon during his research on Revan.
But on that fateful day, that duel ended with the clan leader receiving a fair death at the hands of a bloodied Jessie and the other Mandalorians bound by honor agreed to respect the memorial and took their fighting elsewhere, that Clan anyhow as Hanzo suspected others working for the Empire would've had a different opinion to it.
After taking a sip of his beverage, Hanzo glanced back to observe the rest of their surroundings and noticed people either enjoying their drinks or were on the dancing floor where bright lights shined as music buzzed, noting attractive dancers or waitresses, regardless if they were human or alien as there were Twi'lek women serving drinks at other tables and there was also a Mirialan in a revealing dancer outfit who was coming over to their table.
"I hope you all are having a great time, is there anything I can get you fine soldiers?" Her outfit was indeed very revealing and didn't hide much, noting the black bra strap that held her rather large chest but still bounced a bit and the lace silk that clung to her thighs. And the underwear that seemed very thin for her as Hanzo couldn't help, but note how her well-shaped backside was very showing.
Her black hair was in a ponytail and her pretty brown eyes looked over to Hanzo, a grin forming on her face when she took in his handsome features. "Hmm, I can also provide 'entertainment' if that fancies you?" She seemed to point at that to Hanzo in particular, leaning down a bit to give him a view of her cleavage. Hanzo himself chose not to stare and he couldn't help but look over to Marala, the Cathar was raising her brow and seemed to be growing amused as she took in that he was uncomfortable by the attention.
"That's alright, we're good here. Thank you, though." He gave her a nod with a small smile as he was at least flattered by the offer, but she seemed a bit disappointed though not deterred as she drew back with her own smile. "Call me if you need anything and we'll take care of your needs." She winked at him and walked away, though swaying her hips as she did.
Hanzo heard chuckling from Alex as he threw his friend a look, even seeing that Marala was eyeing him with interest. "You weren't interested? Nothing's stopping you if you want to have some fun Han." She seemed to be curious about his reasoning for refusing the waitress's offer, seeing that he was eyeing her figure and knowing how universal it was that most men would stare at a pair of large breasts. But she did notice there wasn't a lust in his eyes and it seemed he was just noticing, Marala wouldn't have been discouraged by it either way as it wasn't something she saw worth criticizing him on when she's seen more than one Republic soldier take up such offers in a heartbeat, though she would have been mildly disappointed if he left the table.
He looked at her and gave a small smile. "Could, but I'm already having fun with you." That made Marala pause for a moment, before humming in response as she took a sip from her drink, her gaze not leaving his. Hanzo couldn't help, but feel her look stirring something within him. It wasn't missed by Alex as he looked at the two in their gaze, before going back to his drink, feeling that things were going quite well.
'Well, this should be interesting to see. While I think you could've done well with Serena, shame the Jedi Council doesn't allow open relationships without permission. Marala's treating him well at least and Hanzo's opening up more than I normally see him do.' Alexander hoped this would lead to something really good for his friend. They continued talking, Hanzo finding himself engaging more talk with Marala, and the more that he felt a growing comfort being around her, Alex occasionally pitching in but seemed content in letting them engage in their own talk.
He then caught sight of a particular droid model he didn't recognize from any of the Republic ones he had seen, wearing an orange scarf and a single red eye, it was just outside the bar, over by where the massive ugly Hutt was with several armed individuals what he can only assume were bounty hunters or mercenaries. It was used by what was known as the Bounty Brokers Association, a group that helped assign bounties on wanted criminals in the galaxy for both the Republic and Sith Empire.
Major Lane had shown them how the concept worked earlier and he'll admit that it did catch his interest.
Once she was done talking to the droid, she made her way over to their table, grabbing the attention of others. "So it seems like it's getting late." Jessie glances down at her chrono before looking up to meet Hanzo's eyes, her eyes showing almost a sign of interest. "It was good meeting you two, I'll see you two next time. Hanzo, I expect a sparring match." Her blunt statement caught him off guard though he nodded.
"Sure, I've been hoping to witness how you Echani fight." That brought a surprising grin from the Republic Major, "And I look forward to seeing how you fight, till next time." She turns on her heel and walks away towards the elevator.
Though both Kovo and Marala remained behind and smiled at the Canadians. Admittedly, they all had quite a few drinks, Hanzo could already feel that the Corellian ales were kicking in as he felt the buzz on. Enilly gazed at Alex and her voice was slurry from the alcohol.
"How about we go back to my place and hang out, Alex?" The Alderaanian suggested teasingly. Alex blushed a little but smiled and held his arm out to her to which she more than happily accepted. "I'd be happy to, what are you thinking in mind?" Kovo grinned widely in response to that as she led him away.
Hanzo and Marala themselves appear to be having similar thoughts when the female Cathar moved to cling onto the Canadian's side, leaning her head to his face. "How about it, Hanzo? My team isn't due to deploy till around tomorrow." She'll admit despite being more on the quiet side, Hanzo proved to be a good listener and as she was shown, he was capable of humor after a few stories of a couple of shenanigans his squad had done in the past that left her laughing.
Whatever this nuc-mom was, she wasn't sure if she wanted to taste it to see if it was any good as Hanzo actually claimed or just toss it at the next Imp Squad she encountered to blind them.
The feeling of interest was returned as the two followed along with Alex and Kovo. Hanzo had made no move to separate the embrace while keeping one arm wrapped around her side, the buzz felt nice as alcohol continued its effect. "Sure, where are you staying?" He replied with a small smile but just as the two were about to join Alex and Kovo into the elevator, a voice called out to them.
"Hey! Mind if I join along? My shift's just ended." Hanzo and Marala looked back and saw it was the same Mirialan dancer from before walking towards them, she held a sly grin on her face as she came up towards Han. "I don't have much to do, and I would like to get to know you better." Hanzo was about to give a gentle refusal, but he'd be surprised by Marala's response.
"Alright, follow along. What's your name?" Mirialan's grin widened and she took up to Hanzo's side, leaning herself in. "My name's Lizzy, and I think we're going to have quite a fun time."
Seems this trip was gonna be an enjoyable one after all.
Corporal Hanzo Nilsson- Weapons Section, Second Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia Light Infantry, 1st Commonwealth Division
Carrick Station - Apartment Quarters - Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 06:00/6:00 AM
In a stir haze, Hanzo woke up with a groan, and the Canadian didn't think that the drinks would nail him this bad, yet the hangover was getting to him.
''Those Corellian drinks are quite something.' He thought.'Wait? Something fluffy is on me.' It felt like a cat was sleeping on his chest.
Nilsson opens his eyes, blinking to adjust his eyesight, first making out the ceiling before turning down to see a very clearly naked Marala press up against him underneath the bed sheets covering their bodies. One of her arms was wrapped around his waist while the other over his shoulder, and she was lying firm against him. Her soft breaths brought him recollections of the previous night and a grin to his face as he remembered how the intimacy started as they had entered her apartment with Marala showing him around a bit before they settled on having dinner together.
Then he remembered she wasn't the only one pressed up to him, Hanzo turned to his left to see Lizzy snoring away with a bit of drool much to his amusement, her slender arms wrapped around him while her leg curbed his.
Marala had been surprised by how well he could cook as Hanzo helped with the making of nerfburgers and hubba chips as he discovered they were quite similar to fried potato chips. It got flirty between them with their close positions together as they were cooking with Lizzy showing she could whip one spicy sauce, Hanzo found his face heated up a little while trying to prepare the acid-beet salad as Marala purposely bent down to catch his attention with her very well formed rear when getting bowls from the bottom covers.
It certainly did but so too did he cut himself with the knife.
But he found it worthwhile getting the 'special' treatment from Marala in feeling apologetic while Lizzy took her chance to keep herself against him, Hanzo couldn't find himself to restrain the grin that couldn't escape his face while Marala bandaged his finger as they all bantered a little that had the two joining in his chuckling.
The rest of their dinner went well and stuffed with the burgers, despite already having drinks before, the three cracked open Ebla beers that Marala kept in her fridge and got themselves lost in talk… And reflecting on their military careers, it may have been the beers affecting them, but Hanzo hearing Marala describing her first combat against the Empire eased whatever safeguards he had about going into her apartment, Lizzy got a bit quieter in their discussion though she shared she once had a boyfriend who was a Republic soldier, unfortunately dying in the Battle of Balmorra. An ever-familiar story to the two soldiers.
They started looking each other into their eyes while Marala's music player played a comfortable tune that 'motivated' them into what they did next.
Hanzo didn't know why but it felt truly liberating as their lips met and they slowly began tearing at each other out of their clothing. Marala had the advantage with her claws, but he still got her surprised when Hanzo felt it was only right that he 'treated' her first. It was very well received by the Cathar and she was all too happy to return the kind gesture in return while Lizzy tackled in as she undid his belt. It became a long night between two soldiers and the lone dancer relieving themselves of any stress or tension away from their careers.
Though now having a chance to look upon the state of the room with the scattered torn clothes and armor pieces on the floor… And the dents on the wall from where the bed had been banging on from the rocking by their 'fun'. Hanzo began to wonder how much they had likely kept any neighbors up. His thoughts were however interrupted when he felt the Cathar starting to stir.
"Morning, Marala." He wrapped his one arm around her, feeling the soft fur as he traced his hand down her back, the Cathar purred in contact as she leaned in closer to him, her long black hair now loosening, a few strings over her face. Adding an allure to her stunning green catlike eyes as she looked up at him.
"Heh, I'm surprised to see you're up before me. I'd thought I had you all tired out from last night and your hips must be sore." Marala said as she pressed her lips against his, moaning as she felt him lightly squeezing her right ass cheek. "Still, last night was incredible Marala. I think we may have kept your neighbors up last night." Hanzo quipped, the three of them lost track of how many positions they contentious perform all over her apartment, first on the table, moving to the kitchen counters, Hanzo taking the two over onto the coach in an attempt to get in Marala's bedroom, the bite marks she left on his shoulder during their lovemaking were still sore. The three had finally crashed onto her bed and kept at it, they just couldn't bring themselves to stop until they had finally passed out from exhaustion, trying to beat each other who would last the longest and give in first. Lizzy ended up giving last as the dancer wasn't able to keep up with the soldiers but found that Hanzo wasn't done with her much to the Mirialan aroused as she was dominated.
It had ended up being him, but Hanzo melted in the two's warm embrace and soon fell asleep as he listened to their soft breathing on him.
But what struck Hanzo the very most from last night was the fact that he was able to sleep peacefully for once. There were no dreams of Vietnam, of the jungles, feeling himself back resting beneath the wet ground while rain splattered. The sounds of creatures crackling in the night, the feeling of dread as an enemy approached in the night he would struggle to let go… No dead people to haunt and curse him in his dreams. Long nights spent staring at the ceiling, none were there to cause night terrors, the instincts to grab his few possessions that relieved him from the pain.
It was just him, Lizzy, and Marala, though he wasn't sure if this was gonna be just a one-night stand or if there was going to be more after. But for what it was worth, he certainly had no regrets.
"Well, not my fault someone's got the stamina to keep up with me." She gave a peck to his lips, before letting go of him to get up from the bed, pulling the covers off to which the Canadian took a moment to admire her figure, not bothering to cover himself. Marala flounced her wide round hips as she stretched out to loosen her muscles, Hanzo saw from last night that not only Marala was curvy but physically fit too with her abs and long graceful legs, not to mention being very flexible as he had learned from some of the… Positions that they did last night.
'Are all Cathar women freakin Amazons or is she just this amazing?' Hanzo asked himself as he analyzed her scars, ones he could tell were made from blaster bolts after seeing such familiar plasma scaring bared by Republic Troopers and Jedi, most of her fur covered over it but he could see the outlines more to some of them as he too noted what familiarly looked like wounds sustained from an explosion.
Scars he was all too familiar with.
Hearing a satisfying crack from her back, she took notice of him admiring her and smiled. "Want to join me in the shower?" She turned around before teasing him and Hanzo was incentivized, something that did not go without notice from Marala due to his 'reaction' and the Cathar's eyes gleamed as she did her own ogling.
"How bout room for three." Lizzy had awoken up, stretching herself out with a yawn before she got up from the bed and showed off her own figure.
It didn't take long for him to spring out of bed, picking Marala and Lizzy onto his shoulders, grunting a little to their more considerable weight and Marala's taller height. Smiling a bit when he heard her lightly chuckling and Lizzy's giggling. "Oh no, the big scary Earther has us." And Lizzy clearly enjoyed this dominant side of Hanzo's.
"Didn't have to ask." Marala purred in response and wrapped her arms around Hanzo's neck. And with that, the three stepped into the refresher room, the door closing behind while the new couple enjoyed each other's company.
Lieutenant Marala Jorgo- SpecForce Squad 149 "Chaos Squad", Special Forces Division, Republic Army Carrick Station
- Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 06:15/6:15 AM
"So are you able to stay for breakfast, Han?" Marala asked, with her fur and hair still damp despite the blow dryer, but the three who had enjoyed their nice long shower together were now just getting ready for the day. The room was relatively average, or what based on average in this galaxy as the Cathar hadn't seen for herself what was typical within the Sol System. There was a simple toilet in the corner, and the large glass shower took up most of the space while at the end there was a counter with a mirror facing them.
Hanzo, who was just washing his hair with a towel. thought for a moment before nodding. "I got time, yeah, I imagine Alex is probably still with Kovo. What about you, Lizzy?" The Earthling wondered with an amused expression, presumably over their enjoyable carnal evening. Lizzy herself was drying out her hair with a towel, standing near Hanzo's with their hips touching.
Lizzy made it clear that she enjoyed the contact as she rubbed her leg against him. "Sure, I'm on break today anyway. Some additional fun couldn't hurt." Hanzo wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in, she turned her face towards him to kiss, the sexual tension being released as Lizzy wrapped herself closer to him as they made out.
"Good to hear." Marala placed the dryer down and turned to face him, curbing Hanzo's head away from Lizzy to her disappointment, leaning herself over to wrap her arms around his neck, and grant him a peck on the lips. "How does nerf steak and nuna eggs with Iktotch toast sound?" Her fingers traced some of his scars, her curiosity was peaking to the stories behind them as she had noticed the same with Hanzo to her own scars.
"Sounds good to me. I've been curious about what a nerf tasted like." He gave a quick swat to Marala's large shapely ass that jiggle it, chuckling at the cute yelp she gave made Lizzy give a short laugh, but then wincing when he felt her claws digging into his shoulders. "Ass." Lizzy giggled from the action, "Careful with this one Han, Cathar women can be wild."
Marala smirked at Hanzo even with her piercing glance before starting to make out with him, their tongues battling with each other for control. His hands did not leave her hips as she leaned in closer into him, feeling herself grinding onto him, and Marala believed that she could get used to this.
Private Alexander McAllen - Weapons Section, Second Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia Light Infantry, 1st Commonwealth Division,
Carrick Station - Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
07:02:16 ATC/ Wednesday, July 2nd, 1969 - 08:45/8:45 AM
Alexander waited patiently for his friend outside the apartment he was staying at. Yesterday was truly something else for the two off-duty Canadians since they didn't expect to run into what turned out to be their new female companions.
"Hey, Hanzo!" McAllen shouted in excitement. "I think we both had a lovely night with wonderful ladies, don't you think?"
"Marala is one hell of a woman, a good soldier too. Lizzy is fun to be around with." His friend mutters. "Enilly isn't a bad girl for you."
"No, she's quite nice actually." Alexander admitted. "She and I enjoyed watching what they call a 'Holofilm' together before falling asleep together on the coach." Alexander withdrew the odd dream he would later have about the holofilm displaying an infamous crime lord named Nok Drayen in the Syndicate Wars years ago with Alex picturing that he was there at the gathered table as Nok Drayen talked business with his lieutenants and the planned slaying of half the Hutt Cartel in a single night.
"Good to hear that. As for me… Marala and I made a commitment." There was no doubt as to what he was hinting at and McAllen was shocked.
"You didn't." Alex just couldn't believe his ears. He saw how Marala got Hanzo's attention, but he didn't think it went that far.
Hanzo gave him a look that said how serious he was and Alex shook his head in disbelief. "Hanzo you are just full of fucking surprises. Just be careful, from what Emily told me there, Cathars mate for life… So you might as well put the ring on that finger bud." Taking out another cigarette before lighting it. "What about Lizzy? Don't tell me you're having two girlfriends at once Han." His silence all but confirmed it and Alex found himself shaking his head more at the information.
"Wait till Miller hears about this. He's going to be demanding tips from you Han."
Well, other than the fact that there are additional OCs who have debuted and will be playing a role in the future, the Dark Council may be having some regrets regarding their impulsive decision for reasons that have been presented but of course it is still early and conflicting agendas aside despite a common goal it will be an uphill battle even if there are more advantages than not. I know it seems =whimsical at first glance to have, for example, F-8 Crusaders shooting down Starfighters (not F-104 Starfighters of course:P) in the atmosphere, but after a meticulous comparison the contrast shows that surprisingly and setting aside other factors (i.e. factions with space navies versus the only the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. barely even venturing into outer space, population disparity, etcetera) and, again, meticulously comparing the capabilities, training, equipment, and doctrine of the Imperial Army as well as the Empire's Starfighter Corps with an American GI, Gyrene, or Mosquito Wings circa 1965 as well as his counterpart Ivan in the Soviet Army, Soviet Airborne Forces, Naval Infantry, or Soviet Air Force (and ground combat vehicles, aircraft, so on) while also considering the fact that some nations, such as Djibouti was at this period using the MAS-36 as their principal infantry rifle (which can actually still be useful in the right circumstances and with practice as like the more modern - for the lack of a better word - M14s, G3s, BM-59s, and FN FALs it ballistically speaking outranges blaster rifles and all blaster rifles have a maximum range of 450 meters but a proper semi-automatic or select-fire battle rifle would be much more flexible and are superior at being a general-purpose weapon than a bolt-action), El Salvador was still flying the renown P-51 Mustang of WW2 despite being long in the tooth, and Paraguay even today is still using the M3 Stuart, in regards to ground and aerial warfare specifically it is for the most part, especially for the Western Bloc and the Warsaw Pact in particular, OP.
Of course, the Sith Empire will be adapting and reverse-engineering captured equipment as would be expected but it does go to show that judging a book by its cover can affect anyone and even I have fallen for it.
Also, no offense to anyone who enjoys Nuoc-Mam here but based on what I've read: American, Australian, and New Zealand troops who fought in Vietnam couldn't stand the odor of it and in fact I will quote an exchange from the biography of the literal Chris Kyle of his day, the one and only legendary Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock who is, unfortunately, being overlooked due to the oversaturating SEAL craziness (no harm, no foul for any actual frogmen here or their relatives. I just personally believe that every unit should be portrayed equally even Rear Echelon/POGs/REMFs personnel). This was a conversation Hathcock had with his spotter, Corporal John Roland Burke, and it is quoted word-for-word directly from Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills by Charles Henderson, Pages 242 - 243:
Hathcock wrinkled his nose. The watery slime had a distinct odor that Hathcock associated with a neighbor's outhouse near his grandmother's home in Arkansas.
The monsoon rains of a year ago and the frequent summer showers kept this rocky depression filled with water, warmed by the beams of sunlight that shone between the overhead boughs. Slugs, leeches, worms, algae, and slimy moss made the water look like a puddle of green oatmeal.
Carefully, he brushed the top layer of lumpy slime away until he saw the black water, clear and almost drinkable, in the small opening he had made. Extending his lips, he put his face down to it and took tiny sips.
"Pew!" Hathcock whispered softly. "It tastes exactly like it smells."
"You done?"
"That's all I can stand."
"I hear that a big helping of Nuoc-Mam will get rid of any case of liver flukes you might pick up in the water."
Mack frowned at Hathcock. "I don't care how hungry we get. I'll eat dog shit before you get me to touch a drop of that nasty crap!"
In case you are still stumped, the author of the same biography kindly provided a footnote that mentioned how this Vietnamese staple is traditionally made:
Nuoc-Mam is a Vietnamese staple made from tiny fish (like sardines and anchovies), rice, and a variety of vegetables before being placed in a sealed jar and buried to ferment.
High in protein and carbohydrates, Nuoc-Mam provided the Viet Cong with a rich food supply that they did not have to carry. However, because of its rancid odor and putrefied contents, most Americans considered it a foul substance, not fit to eat.
So there's without doubt justification here and besides, not everyone in the world likes Pickled Herring or Sauerkraut, Spinach, and Broccoli such as myself (but I have to concur with the Anti-Brussel Sprout people: Are they really for human consumption or were they in fact created for the purpose of torture?).