"Quoolbar! Down!" The Aqualish hurls himself to the ground a heartbeat before a blaster bolt sails overhead. With a grunt he rolls into a shell hole and raises his rifle, firing back down the street at the advancing Mandalorians. His new gun, a gift from some of those helpful Hopers roars, the hail of fire forcing the Crusaders to dive for cover themselves.
"Thank you sir! Think that bolt might have let left me a few pounds lighter." Bevin grins before coming around a partially shattered column to add his own fire to the Aqualish's. "Well I couldn't let that happen, you still owe me 50 credits from last night's sabacc." Quoolbar grumbles, the commander's card skills were nearly supernatural. "Right you are sir."
Behind them a battered squad of guard rushes up to add their own fire, one of them carrying a bulky launcher. Bevin points down the street. "Parking lot, left side! Bring it down!" The trooper nods, lowering himself to one knee before firing, the rocket streaks down the road before hitting the concrete building with a thunderous explosion, blowing out panes of glass. Slowly, the whole structure starts to collapse as a panicked squad of crusaders race out only to be cut down by Obroan fire. Soon, the street is quiet then. Although the city itself still shakes with the rumble of vibrations overhead.
Quoolbar levels himself up and heads over to his commander, checking Commander Connors for any injury despite the younger man's protests. "Don't know how you do it sir, hardly a scratch on you."
Bevin blushes and bats the sergeants hands away. "My dad taught me some fighting skills when I was young, he hoped I'd never have to use them but...well, good thing for me I guess?"
In the months since he took up command Bevin's face has gained new lines, and his eyes have that curious hollow quality of a man getting by adrenaline and snatched nights of rest. The Council Guard had had to give ground, slowly but surely they'd been pushed in from the edge of the energy shield. But they'd given as good as they'd got. The soldiers and militia who survived had become hardened veterans. Still, the work was never done. There were reports of an attempted Crusader break through on the east side and-
"Sir!" Bevin starts, looking up to follow the Aqualish's signal. The steady rain of fire from the Mandalorian positions had exploded into a crimson glow across the entire horizon, every gun firing as rapidly as it could. The sky turns red as the bolts streak towards the city. There's simply no way the shield will hold for long.
"Back! Back to headquarters! Rouse everyone!"
His voice was loud and confident...but with just one gaze at the horizon he could tell this was the end.
