The following story takes place six months after the events in Prince of Darkness...

Chapter 1

Imperial Command Ship Terminator, orbiting planet Eriadu

Eriadu, a world once known for its beauty, was now an industrial wasteland. All across the planet dense smog shrouded the atmosphere, fed by the hundreds of thousands of factories dotted across its surface. The land was barren, the forests cut, and the water black from the constant dumping of chemicals from manufacturing centers. Sitting in the junction of the Rimma Trade Route, Lipsec Run, Yankirk Route, and the Hydian Way, Eriadu had slowly converted itself from a farming planet to a rising industrial powerhouse in the region. The legislators, whose pockets were overflowing with money, pushed for more factories and star ports. Farmers, who saw an opportunity in those factories, sent population skyrocketing in cities. The industrial boom provided much income for the planet, but health and life expectancy plummeted. Nonetheless trade continued to flourish here and the planet's export of textiles, technology, and droids fueled the Republic war machine. Until now.

Darth Dalfarus, Sith Lord and head of the Imperial Inquisitors, stood on the bridge of the command ship Terminator. Originally built for Darth Radyk, the ship now served as Dalfarus's personal flagship. Ahead of him lay the planet of Eriadu, black smoke spewing from the massive fires that raged on the surface resulting from months of sieges and battles. Eridau, the Coruscant of the Outer Rim, was now host to one of the largest battles of the war. Five months ago, two Imperial Fleets bypassed Republic defenses at Sluis Van and began a massive invasion of Eriadu. Caught off guard, the Republic garrison on the planet was decimated as the Imperial Army marched into Eriadu City. The Jedi, fearing that the news of another defeat could spark riots, led reinforcements that destroyed the orbiting Imperial fleet and drove the Sith to the south. Not wanting to be outmatched by the Jedi, the Emperor ordered Dalfarus to personally oversee the Second Battle of Eriadu, an order the Sith Lord happily obliged. Dalfarus was tired of politics in the capital and a major victory could only bolster his support. And so Dalfarus led a combined five fleets from Utapau and counter-blockaded the Republic fleet surrounding the planet, landing much needed supplies and reinforcements to the troops on the planet.

So far, his operation was proceeding as planned. In a series of brilliant maneuvers and strange tactics, Dalfarus captured the Republic held planets of Sevarcos II and Clak'dor VIII and completely decimated the planet of Sluis Van, home to a large Republic bastion and the largest network of shipyards in the region. The massive size of the Sith fleet and the loss of Sluis Van dealt a major blow to the morale of Republic troops, something Dalfarus exploited as he ordered attacks on the surface that overran several Republic forts. So far, his plans are working but Dalfarus knows this is only the beginning. There are many Jedi Knights on the surface and just as many Masters. Even with his assassins, Inquisitors, and Sith warriors, Dalfarus knows the battle will be fierce. But he was planning to do whatever it takes to capture Eriadu and bring it into the Sith Empire.

But Dalfarus also had another objective. Ever since the death of Radyk he had been secretly monitoring Zen and Kristina, using his power and influence to plan the assassin's every step. Every planet Zen went to, every mission he accepted, was the direct result of Dalfarus's manipulation. Someone with Zen's talent is one in a million and the Sith Lord won't be giving him up that easily. Zen is a valuable asset and a powerful weapon and with him Dalfarus can destroy all his enemies in the court. And Dalfarus would've had Zen already if it wasn't for Radyk, who thwarted his plans. Even though Radyk returned to his service, the damage had already been done. Not wanting anymore interference from someone who had fallen out of his favor, Dalfarus sent Radyk on a suicide mission to make sure the latter died.

No, Dalfarus won't make the same mistake twice. He had a new agent to do his bidding; one he was sure is absolutely loyal to him and won't fail. He felt foolish putting his hopes on one person but with Zen it is a special case. Sometimes Dalfarus wondered if Zen was worth all this trouble and time but in the end his desire to destroy his enemies prevailed. In due time they will all die, there is just the matter of when. Dalfarus considered himself patient but even his patience was wearing thin. He needed to speed up his operation and proceed with the invasion. Turning away from the view port, Dalfarus walked over Admiral Garruk, a native of Sluis Van who had defected and lead to fall of the planet. The admiral was going over logistics of the fleet with some subordinates but turned to face the Sith Lord and bowed.

"You will be pleased to know," the Sluissi began, "that our operation is on schedule. Our ships are in position for an attack and all troops are ready for landing."

"We must act now," Dalfarus replied. "Too much delaying will give our enemy more time to bolster their defenses."

"But my lord we are not ready!" the admiral protested. "Attacking prematurely would cause massive casualties and we will be weakened!"

"We have troops and we have ships Admiral," Dalfarus replied. "Ships can be rebuilt, men be replaced."

"But it takes time to build ships and even more time training soldiers," Garruk countered. It was obvious the Admiral cared for his men but his resistance was futile, Dalfarus easily outrank him. "We are going to deplete our resources and population if we keep going like this."

"Do not question your orders Admiral," Dalfarus said threateningly. "You know what to do, prepare your ships for battle. We attack in an hour."

XXXXXX

Surface of Planet Eriadu

Shells exploded around him as he ran down the crater filled street. Rubble, dropped blasters, and dead bodies littered the streets around him as tanks and crashed aircrafts burned. The man dived and took cover behind a large slab of steel moments before a shell blew up the spot he had stood, showering him with dust. He checked the body next to him for a pulse but found none. He sighed as he took the dead man's helmet and held it up over the piece of steel. A shot sounded in the air and blew a hole in the helmet. Snipers. Without any hesitation the man bolted, zig zagging down the street to avoid debris and to make sure the sniper doesn't get a clear aim. He wasn't sure whose side the sniper belonged to but whoever the person is, he or she is hostile. The droning of tanks was growing louder and shells began exploding more frequently. The enemy was drawing nearer and the man knew he had to evacuate.

He ran towards the burnt wreckage of a Republic gunship, where he was greeting by two large men holding blasters. The men led him down a small alleyway and into a park, or what once was a park. The grass had long been burnt and blood stained the dirt. There were abandoned tents and crates of empty medial supplies laying everywhere. Blood stained sheets and towels were being dumped into a huge pile. The park had played host to a field hospital but it seemed most of the patients were gone, leaving only a handful of soldiers to guard the area.

"Zen!" a woman cried out as the man entered the park. The man turned out and smiled as the woman ran towards him. The two embraced. "I was so worried about you! I thought something happened to you."

"Relax Kristina," Zen smiled. "I'm still in one peace."

"And now we have business to discuss," a third man said, walking up to the two of them. He was about the same height as Zen, although more heavily built. He was wearing a stolen Republic combat uniform and carrying a large blaster. His eyes were green and he has a long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail. He is Neo Liin, the leader of a supposed terrorist organization called Green Front. In reality the Green Front were simply resistance fighters, pushing for workers rights, fair laws, less corruption, and a better environment. Many workers and members of the middle class supported their agenda and the government, feeling threatened, branded the group as a terrorist. With no other option, the organization had been driven underground, forced to wage constant guerrilla warfare against the government. With the invasion however, the government and Green Front signed a ceasefire agreement and promised to fight together but when the Republic intervened, the governor saw this as an opportunity to wipe out the rebels and massacred thousands of Green Front and suspected Green Front members.

Zen and Kristina, both driven away from the organizations they worked for, had now become soldiers for hire. For the past six months, they had accepted a dozen missions, working for the highest bidder butalways sticking to their moral code of only doing missions to help others. They had caught wind of the Green Front movement while on Arkanis and slipped past the Sith and Republic blockade to help the group. Their help has been much appreciated too, saving the lives of countless soldiers that would otherwise been killed in the battle. Their goal was simple: to drive both the morally corrupt Republic and the evil Sith Empire off Eriadu. And their plan was to have both sides exhaust themselves with fighting.

"We were ambushed," Zen said. "I took four men on a routine reconnaissance mission but as he rounded the West End, we were attacked by a dozen Sith droids. I managed to make it out alive but the others weren't so lucky. As soon as I made it out of the West End the Sith began their offensive."

"Then we must leave," Neo said. "The Republic has already evacuated and so should we. I've moved the wounded and the refugees to the hills. They'll be safe there for the time being. Now we need to figure out where we're going to go."

"We can't hide downtown that's for sure," Zen replied, thinking to himself. "If we aren't killed by the Republic garrison then the Sith will kill us. Eriadu City is a lost cause; it will fall and most of the defenders will die."

"We can head to the hills as well?" Kristina suggested but Neo pointed out that the caves located up there barely have any more room to accommodate the refugees let along them.

"Our best option is to head east," Zen said, "and go to the Bluebelt Seas. We can sneak onboard a Republic barge and go to forests to regroup."

"That's right," Neo nodded. "The town of Freeville has always been supportive of us. In fact we can even recruit more members."

"If you take your men and leave now, you'll probably reach there by the end of the week," Kristina added.

"What about you?"

Zen smiled. "Kristina and I are breaking into the Governor's Palace in the city and try to steal some logistical data. You know warehouses, armories, and that kind of stuff. If we make it out alive, we'll join you in Freeville."

Neo frowned. "Are you telling me that you two are doing this without me? So I'm not part of this fun?"

Both Zen and Kristina laughed. "Sorry mate," the assassin said, patting Neo on the back. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to come."

"Come on man, you know I can't pass an opportunity like this," Neo smiled. "I've been dreaming about killing that pig governor for years now, especially since what he did to my men."

"So it's decided then, Neo will come with us," Kristina said happily.

"Wait," the Green Force command said. He ran off and came back with a large, bald black man in tow. The man had two pistols on his belt and a large vibrosword behind his back. "This is Marcus. He knows the city best and we'll need him."

Zen and Kristina nodded their approval. One more hand was always better and they would need all the help they can get to sneak past Republic checkpoints and defenses. And so after a quick exchange of greetings (and after Neo ordered his men to evacuate), the four of them began plotting. Zen pulled out a small holoprojector that displayed the layouts of the palace and the sewer systems of the city. The plan was simple; the four of them would sneak into the sewers and would lead them directly into the city, right under the palace. Then they would proceed up and split into groups of two; with Zen and Kristina going after logistics and Neo and Marcus going after the governor. With everything all said and done, the four of them jumped into the sewer and began navigating the smelly and junk ridden tunnels towards downtown.

XXXXXX

Republic Cruiser Fortitude, orbiting planet Eriadu

Akku Tejji stared out at the vast expanse of ships that formed the Imperial Eriadu Task Force and he was worried. They were preparing for an attack and Akku knew it. Yet despite being outnumbered three to one, Akku knew the Republic was still a formidable opponent because they had the support of several large planetary based anti-ship guns. Yet Eriadu was a lost cause, it has been a lost cause since the Republic couldn't send the reinforcements he requested days ago. And so his primary mission changed with that fact. He was no longer to beat back the Sith invasion but rather to hold them off long enough for Republic forces on the surfaces to destroy the factories and warehouses. Then he was to supervise the evacuation of personnel and civilians, which meant he needed to break the tight blockade around the planet. There will be a great loss of life that is for sure but the question is how much. As the Master of the Order, he is without doubt one of the most powerful Jedi in the Order but even his power has its limits. Akku had flirted with the idea of immortality (so he can keep others alive) but he has always beaten that idea down for he knows it will make him fall to the dark side.

"Captain what is our status?" Akku asked Captain Freedo, skipper of the Fortitude and the commander of the Republic fleet.

Freedo was in his mid sixties and was a very short man. No taller than 5'6", he was known for his bold maneuvers, aggressive tactics, and unpredictable strikes. He was a veteran against pirates in the Outer Rim and retired years earlier to become a teacher at the Republic Naval Academy on Coruscant. When the war started, Freedo was re-commissioned along with many other naval commanders yet he turned down the post of Admiral, instead opting to become the captain of just a cruiser. Such humility won the admiration of Akku, who specifically chose Freedo as the leader of the Republic task force.

"Our ships are ready for battle. All star fighter squadrons reporting green," Freedo announced. "Planetary guns in full order."

"Good," Akku replied, "and our ground forces?"

"The Imperial Army began an offensive in the West End district of Eriadu City," Freedo said. "But our troops in the downtown area report no fighting."

Akku sighed. The Republic had thousands of troops in Eriadu City and thousands more of local militia were helping them fight. The Sith had encircled the whole entire city with three times the number of troops and twice as much armor. The Republic can spare no reinforcements and as a result, the troops in the city were left to fend for themselves. Akku knew leaving them there was an order but morally he couldn't do so. He had already watched many of his friends and colleagues fall and he will not tolerate the deaths of thousands of young men. If he can't save all of them, he might as well save some of them. "Prepare a gunship for me."

"Where are you going?" Freedo asked. "Not to the surface I hope."

"That is exactly where I am going," Akku replied.

"That is suicide," Freedo said. "I hope how you feel general, but you can't win the battle. Eriadu City is a lost cause. We can't afford to lose anymore Jedi."

"I understand Captain, but I am not going down there to win a battle. Someone needs to coordinate an orderly withdrawal."

"Withdrawal? Withdrawal to where? Even if you manage to get past the encirclement, where will you go? Every single city, town, and settlement within a twenty mile radius is controlled by the Sith."

"Someone has to try Freedo. If I don't do this hundreds of thousands will die. Can you sleep at night knowing you could've done something? Knowing you could've saved even one person?"

The old Captain sighed. "I still don't agree with this."

"Your concern means a lot to me Freedo but I outrank you and I just gave you a direct order. Don't worry; I will make it out alive."

And with that the Grand Master of the Order departed the bridge and headed down to the hangars.

Enjoy and review please. :)

Just some teasers but this story will go into detail about space and ground battles. Also don't expect quick updates like the last story. The plot is way deeper in this and the chapters longer so it will take time to write them. But I hope you this more than PoD. :)