Post by D'Kali Hegemony on Apr 12, 2014 16:54:56 GMT
A jet of oil and fluid sprayed across Lord Xova’s breastplate as he brought the huge, curved two-handed sword around, bellowing even as the automaton droid fell in a heap. Shifting his arm, the momentum of the stroke carried his next swing clean through two more droids. The plating of the battle droids screeched as metal was shorn by metal, adding to the cacophony of battle all around.
For three standard months, Lord Xova had lead the defence of Bo’ra Qor. For three months, the machines had been almost unrelenting. The central cores of the Boratis Core had been disconnected safely from the Master System and pressurized to house the garrison after his forces had taken the colony. Now, Xova was glad he had taken steps to fortify those same central structures.
Knowing a strike could come at any time, Archon Rakx had ordered his fleets and armies to hold Bo’ra Qor, and held they had, but a single automaton transport had managed to slip through. One transport that had rained down more drop pods and battle droids then Xova thought possible. Unable to punch through the outer dome, the automatons had assembled their host in the airless plains and been forced to advance in close, and for three standard months Xova and pulled his men back chamber by chamber, keeping the droids from reaching the central core and re-establishing the link to their Master.
“Close up that left side! Keep your damn ranks!” he bellowed, watching another wave of droids cresting the barricades. The lines of troops behind him fired another deafening volley of rifle fire, the large-caliber shells blasting apart dozens of the droids before the next automaton wave streamed right behind the first. “Don’t you machines know when to quit?!” Xova growled as he raised his sword again, cleaving through an automaton before it could raise its blaster then reared up, feeling another meson bolt sear into his armour as he let his own bulk drop down on a pair of attackers, crushing them under his claws.
“My Lord!! Runner from the south walls!” He heard from behind him, Xova turning his crested head for a moment to look at his lieutenant, the distraction nearly costing him as another droid tried to gut him with a bladed arm.
Snarling as he caught the droid’s limb at the elbow and pulled it from its socket, Xova dropped back from his position at the barricades, tossing the broken droid to the side as his soldiers fought around him “Speak quickly!” he growled to the lithe and lightly-armoured D’Kali runner.
Still panting slightly from sprinting forth and back across the fortified complex, the smaller drake bowed quickly. “South barricade was overrun, Tekal was killed and his second was forced to pull back to the rearguard line.” It was grim news, but Xova tried not to show it. If Lord Texal’s position had collapsed, then the machines were closer then ever to the central core.
“You tell Tekal’s second to fight like Roxal himself, I’ll send who I can” Lord Xova told the runner, who immediately bowed his horned head and took off at a quick gait back down the hall. Xova knew there was no-drake to send though, reminded of it as he glanced back at the bodies of the soldiers who had fallen. Unceremoniously pulled to the side for lack of time or a place to perform the funerary rights, it was a content reminder of how dear each lost warrior was at this point.
He had little time to muse anymore though, as a below of rage and pain snapped him back to the reality of battle. Looking up, he saw a D’Kali warrior being dragged down by a trio of droids, their bladed arms stabbing into him over and over with mechanical efficiency. Bellowing out, Xova broke into a charge and crashed into them, his sword forgotten as he pulled the attackers free from his comrade and pulled them apart with his bare claws. It was then that he saw the fallen D’Kali was the same lieutenant who had, moments before, told him of the runner. Taking a grip of his tail and one of his back legs, Xova pulled the fallen soldier back from the line, leaving trails of fresh blood streaking across the deck plating. His lieutenant was reaching for something and trying to speak, but only blood was bubbling out from his mouth, any words lost in sanguine gurgles. Looking back at the line, Xova saw the soldier’s spear, still stuck in the chest of a droid.
Rearing back up, the D’Kali Lord pushed back into the melee still swirling at the top of the barricade to retrieve the weapon, oil and fluids dripping from the blade as he brought it back to his fallen soldier. As he kneeled on his front legs and pressed the shaft of the spear into the dying drake’s hands, he grinned a little. “You fool, Urix…I told you a spear was terrible for close quarters,”
Urix tried to laugh back, but only managed to cough and choke, nodding weakly before he could no longer hold up his head and then lay still, clutching his spear. His smile dropping, Lord Xova nodded towards his lieutenant’s body. “You earned a place with the Gods today,” he muttered, before picking up his sword again.
“My Lord! My Lord!” It was the runner again, scattering his claws as he stopped. “More ships incoming…drop pods are landing behind the automaton lines…they’re D’Kali!!” Lord Xova looked back at the battle line, watching as the automatons suddenly started to pull back from the barricades, pursued by his warriors.
The Siege of Bo’ra Qor was broken.
For three standard months, Lord Xova had lead the defence of Bo’ra Qor. For three months, the machines had been almost unrelenting. The central cores of the Boratis Core had been disconnected safely from the Master System and pressurized to house the garrison after his forces had taken the colony. Now, Xova was glad he had taken steps to fortify those same central structures.
Knowing a strike could come at any time, Archon Rakx had ordered his fleets and armies to hold Bo’ra Qor, and held they had, but a single automaton transport had managed to slip through. One transport that had rained down more drop pods and battle droids then Xova thought possible. Unable to punch through the outer dome, the automatons had assembled their host in the airless plains and been forced to advance in close, and for three standard months Xova and pulled his men back chamber by chamber, keeping the droids from reaching the central core and re-establishing the link to their Master.
“Close up that left side! Keep your damn ranks!” he bellowed, watching another wave of droids cresting the barricades. The lines of troops behind him fired another deafening volley of rifle fire, the large-caliber shells blasting apart dozens of the droids before the next automaton wave streamed right behind the first. “Don’t you machines know when to quit?!” Xova growled as he raised his sword again, cleaving through an automaton before it could raise its blaster then reared up, feeling another meson bolt sear into his armour as he let his own bulk drop down on a pair of attackers, crushing them under his claws.
“My Lord!! Runner from the south walls!” He heard from behind him, Xova turning his crested head for a moment to look at his lieutenant, the distraction nearly costing him as another droid tried to gut him with a bladed arm.
Snarling as he caught the droid’s limb at the elbow and pulled it from its socket, Xova dropped back from his position at the barricades, tossing the broken droid to the side as his soldiers fought around him “Speak quickly!” he growled to the lithe and lightly-armoured D’Kali runner.
Still panting slightly from sprinting forth and back across the fortified complex, the smaller drake bowed quickly. “South barricade was overrun, Tekal was killed and his second was forced to pull back to the rearguard line.” It was grim news, but Xova tried not to show it. If Lord Texal’s position had collapsed, then the machines were closer then ever to the central core.
“You tell Tekal’s second to fight like Roxal himself, I’ll send who I can” Lord Xova told the runner, who immediately bowed his horned head and took off at a quick gait back down the hall. Xova knew there was no-drake to send though, reminded of it as he glanced back at the bodies of the soldiers who had fallen. Unceremoniously pulled to the side for lack of time or a place to perform the funerary rights, it was a content reminder of how dear each lost warrior was at this point.
He had little time to muse anymore though, as a below of rage and pain snapped him back to the reality of battle. Looking up, he saw a D’Kali warrior being dragged down by a trio of droids, their bladed arms stabbing into him over and over with mechanical efficiency. Bellowing out, Xova broke into a charge and crashed into them, his sword forgotten as he pulled the attackers free from his comrade and pulled them apart with his bare claws. It was then that he saw the fallen D’Kali was the same lieutenant who had, moments before, told him of the runner. Taking a grip of his tail and one of his back legs, Xova pulled the fallen soldier back from the line, leaving trails of fresh blood streaking across the deck plating. His lieutenant was reaching for something and trying to speak, but only blood was bubbling out from his mouth, any words lost in sanguine gurgles. Looking back at the line, Xova saw the soldier’s spear, still stuck in the chest of a droid.
Rearing back up, the D’Kali Lord pushed back into the melee still swirling at the top of the barricade to retrieve the weapon, oil and fluids dripping from the blade as he brought it back to his fallen soldier. As he kneeled on his front legs and pressed the shaft of the spear into the dying drake’s hands, he grinned a little. “You fool, Urix…I told you a spear was terrible for close quarters,”
Urix tried to laugh back, but only managed to cough and choke, nodding weakly before he could no longer hold up his head and then lay still, clutching his spear. His smile dropping, Lord Xova nodded towards his lieutenant’s body. “You earned a place with the Gods today,” he muttered, before picking up his sword again.
“My Lord! My Lord!” It was the runner again, scattering his claws as he stopped. “More ships incoming…drop pods are landing behind the automaton lines…they’re D’Kali!!” Lord Xova looked back at the battle line, watching as the automatons suddenly started to pull back from the barricades, pursued by his warriors.
The Siege of Bo’ra Qor was broken.