Chapter 36

(Tapani Sector, Tallaan)

"Alright, Veers, you mount that AT-ST, and take your brigade up the right street, past the divergence up the road." Exar directed his Colonel up toward a nearby road that led deeper into the capital city of Tallaan. It was a central leading road that would lead up the city-center and the military headquarters along the outer sectors of the main plaza. However the road had a divergence that split into left and right. And created a dual road toward the center, and Moff forces had set up dug in positions all along the central and outer city centers that lined both roads. The only practical means of moving up the road system was to split their forces in two and crawl along both roadways, or level the entire city region but that was not practical nor desired by Kun.

"As you will lord Kun. What, if I may ask will you be taking with you?"
"My Massassi forces followed up and covered by our AT-AT here," Exar said pointing up to the overshadowing behemoth of a war vehicle as it fired its main cannon into a nearby building.

"AT our front will be another brigades worth of troopers. You shall take the AT-ST squad with you, while colonel, by the name of Yunri, will be advancing along the main road to the west of our position. Hopefully, we'll soften up the other brigades still having issue breaching the outer-city perimeters on the other side of the capital." Exar included as he pointed off toward the opposite end of the city and Veers nodded along.

"Very good my lord. I shall rendezvous with you then as both our detachments enter the main plaza. What will our goal be from there?"
"Good question. I have a feeling we will need to take the main square, and from there form up on the Moff military command center here." Exar pointed to a holo-schematic of the city that they had pulled up, and pointed to a large and imposing building of obvious Imperial design in the central plaza. Surrounding it were four massive AA turbolaser cannons and what appeared to be three AT-ST and six repulsortank units.

"My AT-AT will be our primary support on this operation. Once we breach the central plaza, or main square as you may call it, it doesn't matter really, I'll send in my AT-AT and it will mop up the tanks. You and your AT-ST's will need to manage ground control. Get all ground units out of my hair, and take out all heavy-repeater blaster nests, and be on the lookout for all anti-armor squads. Their AT-ST's are the only issue."

Exar intoned as he folded his arms and the city erupted elsewhere in a succession of blasts that caused him t look around and catch what appeared to be an entire city block go tumbling down some ten kilometers away.

"Veers," Exar called and the colonel looked up from the holo as he seemed to be deep in thought. "Yes my lord?"

"What do you think just leveled that whole block over there to the east?" Exar pointed behind the man who turned and pulled up his binoculars hanging around his neck, and made a 'hmm,' sound as he thought and looked over the debris pile that billowed dark black and choking smoke from the rubble.

"Looks to me that a line of SPMA-T artillery units just leveled the area my lord. Someone must have really needed that whole block taken out. Perhaps too many repeater nests in the buildings. Or too many levels needed clearing out of Moff hold-out positions. The cost may not have been worth the end result to send an entire army unit inside each building, but this is mere conjecture my lord." Exar nodded but brought a hand to his chin in thought as the massive use of artillery gave him a thought regarding his At-ST predicament in the central plaza, and when a thought indeed hit him he smiled another of his devious grins and caught the colonel's attention in doing so.

"I see, then the Force has been kind today indeed." Exar mumbled and Veers furrowed his brow in confusion. "Just as I was looking for a means of getting rid of those Moff walkers I get a sign literally from above!" Exar laughed, and then noticed Veers looking even more confused, and as such straightened himself and sighed as he explained what he meant to the Imperial colonel.

"The artillery colonel. We order a precision artillery barrage of the Moff walker positions once one of us has a clear line-of-sight on them. Cuts down on our armor losses, at least we can hope as much, and we can maybe level some Moff ground positions as well."
"Ah, very good my lord." Veers complimented as he finally realized what Exar was rambling on about, and looked a bit flushed with embarrassment at that, but Kun didn't seem to notice or care.

"That settles it then! Mount-up your AT-ST colonel and let's get to work."
"Yes sir, my lord." Veers responded and made a quick dash for the awaiting walker behind him and ordered his trooper brigade to get into assault position and line up along the main road, as Kun smirked and turned toward his massive AT-AT. He walked under the belly of the beast where further towards it's side was a lowered lift. That was descended and awaiting the troops needed to get onboard so it could pull them and its lift back up and fully close into the side of the walker and begin moving forward. On the metal lift was a ready platoon of thirty Stormtroopers and ten of his Massassi. Who were smeared and coated in the blood of their enemies, and making the troopers noticeably uncomfortable as Mattizz more than all the other was doubly red from his natural skin and the blood of the Moff troopers from the hours beforehand.

"Mattizz, you take your kin here I have selected and wait until I give the order, and then you descend from the walker using these cables." Exar pointed out as he stepped onboard and ordered the lift to take he and everyone else into the belly of the AT-AT.

"These cables will allow you to rappel down and get into action. I want you and your fellow Massassi to enter into the building I mark for you once we breach the central plaza. You will have this good platoon here backing you up, but I want the Moff general in command before me by sundown tonight. Do you understand me commander?"

"Perfectly and clearly my lord." Mattizz bowed his head low and prompted the other Massassi to follow suit.

"Until then strap in and get ready for a bumpy ride my loyal servant." Kun ordered and left his Massassi to strap themselves into safety cables as he came up into the cockpit of the AT-AT where two white uniformed pilots began pressing all manner of console buttons and switches.

"Begin moving up and take a left followed up by a right and follow that main road until we reach the city center. Use this," Exar pulled out a communication frequency for his detachment, and handed it to the second pilot. ",and use it to order our ground units to follow us. You have authorization to fire on and kill all enemies, and if a whole building must go then so be it." The lead pilot nodded. "Yes my lord!" While the second one began keying in the communications code and sent out Kun's command to follow the AT-AT up the main road.

Exar pulled out his comlink and set it for pure voice communications and keyed in the channel for Veers.

"Colonel, you have a go! Get moving now, and we'll try to keep in synchronous movement, but no promises and none needed."

"Understood milord." Veers responded and Kun nodded to himself and pocketed his comlink and began watching intently out the viewport of the AT-AT as it began moving forward with planet-shaking stomps that shook the city around them.

Overhead TIE's once more flew in low and dropped their payloads along seemingly random sectors of the city, but were more than likely called in by ground commanders, as the AT-AT began its slow trek up the main road and then took its left and proceeding right when the main road to the city center came into view and building now surrounded them on either side and cut them off from the other half of the main road where Veers was beginning his own assault. The brigades worth of four-thousand troops were no doubt following Kun's AT-AT in AT-TE cargo transports that were designated for troop transport planet side, and now had dozens of Stormtroopers packed inside the walkers that now formed up a line of walkers following the AT-AT.

"My lord we are moving up the main road now." The pilot reported though it was obvious to Kun. The main street was in view and beyond the simple dull white roadway lined with cosmetic trees along the central path, and the lined up buildings it was nothing special. Well, save for the billowing clouds of smoke in the distance and heavy AA blasts forming up from Moff emplacements up nearer to the main plaza of the city.

"I am aware captain. Signal the walker to our caravans very end to unload its troopers here and secure the initial buildings for future reinforcements."
"Yes my lord." The second pilot was however the one to relay the commands and all seemed oddly quiet and fine save for the distant sounds of battle, but then all hell broke loose.

The AT-AT jerked with a violent shutter and Exar grabbed hold of the side of the cockpit and the pilots shook around before flying into bouts of control managing and the coms suddenly came on with wild chatter and reports.

"What hit us?!"

"Simple anti-armor rockets, my lord." The main pilot replied through his mask, and continued managing the walker. "It came from our left...fourth floor on the fifth building down...acquiring target-" The main pilot said and before Kun could speak the second pilot interjected.

"Target is good, acquirement is solid, fire main cannons at will." The pilot held down the simple trigger within his hands and suddenly massive bursts of red laser energy flew from under the viewport and slammed into the building the pilot had pointed out and massive chunks came flying forth like projectiles and the entire area rumbled.

"How quaint." Exar intoned as he didn't find being in a walker as exhilarating as being in battle himself but it was still an interesting experience. However, outside of the walker the distinct sound of exchanging blaster fire was resounding throughout the area. Even beyond the central row of buildings the sound of fire and explosions shook forth and Kun immediately knew Veers had begun to come under attack as well.

"Moff emplacements along both our flanks are firing on us sir. What is our directive? Move forward and take the hits or wipe out enemy forces and destroy emplacements?"
The pilot asked and Exar sneered before mulling the decision over.

"Order two further AT-TE transports to drop their company's and commit themselves to drawing off enemy fire and go building to building if necessary! We, and the rest of the caravan move up and push this thing as hard as you can! Provide support if necessary and at your discretion, but the main and top priority is to breach the main plaza." Exar commanded and the pilot acknowledged before gripping his steering mechanism and pushed the AT-AT once more forward as the copilot relayed the orders to the transports, and they once more moved forward.

"Firing on building to our left, two down, third floor." The pilot monotonously declared and the AT-AT slowly jerked toward the floor and building and unleashed another torrent of red blaster bolts that shredded through what had been another heavy-repeater nest that was no more.

"Clean kill." The pilot declared in his apparently usual monotone and moved the walker back into its regular position, and once more moved up the road, and Kun had to admit he was unused to this type of cold and calculating target acquirement and destruction act that the pilots had, but he did indeed like it. It was befitting of walker pilots of the Galactic Empire.

"My lord, Colonel Veers has reported a roadblock has been positioned on his route into the main plaza and it will require heavy ordnance to destroy. He requests permission to call in artillery shelling to his specified coordinates."
"Of course!" Exar retorted and found the request almost silly in how much care the colonel was taking to not overstep his bounds of authority.

"Issue a command that he may order artillery at his will. Anything he may need to destroy enemy positions blocking his way is authorized."
"Yes my lord." The copilot replied and relayed the orders again as the AT-AT continued up the main road and fired down into the center of the road where a small line of Moff troopers had formed along a pile of debris and used it to fire at the imperial loyalists now freely moving on the ground level.

From outside the viewport Exar ducked down to watch as several dozen massive green energy bolts flew in an arch from outside the city and slammed just beyond his road and near where Veers was. His AT-AT and he himself rocked backward and off balance when the artillery rounds hit the ground and shook the entire block, and outside forces from both sides flew around and fell or were flung aside. It was after this that Kun watched the buildings cutting his unit and colonels collapse and blow into ruble piles with smoke, dust, and metal shrapnel fly out in all directions.

"Ha ha! Wondrous sight!" Exar cried and leaned in to see the damage as the main pilot moved the walker back into forward attack position and fired into another line of infantry units set up behind rubble piles with anti-armor weapons.

"My lord, we have three AT-TE transports still trailing us, however the further back troops deployed are reporting a heavy amount of Moff reinforcements flooding into the area." The main pilot informed with a very slight turn of his head and Kun nodded, but wasn't able to speak as the co-pilot interjected.

"Sir, Colonel Veers reports similar activity. He too unloaded two of his troop transports but those company's are now under attack from heavy Moff reinforcements. Anti-armor units are being led in by Stormtrooper infantry, and we have TIE maulers not transmitting any of our new security codes rolling in and attacking the colonels ground troops...Or rather, running them over, my lord." Exar's eyes narrowed as he felt the distinct prickling of the Force just beyond his senses.

'Now something is not right here...what is it?' Exar thought and his eyes visibly went from side to side as he thought on what to do and the walker pilot fired down into more Moff troops running in from their front. Then, it hit the Sith lord like a Force blast to the face and he noticeably snarled a harsh sneer.

"Moff ambush! They wanted us to commit this two pronged attack! Kriffing, Sith hells!" He howled in rage and balled his hands into fists as his gray eyes flared in rage and the dark side swirled about him.

"Unload ALL troopers at once and form a ring-defensive line and link up with Colonel Veers and his brigade forces and create the defense in coordination with his forces and hold back this onslaught! Use this walker and all armor pieces to hold the line, but focus all firepower on enemy armor pieces and large concentrations of Moff ground units and keep your wits about you!" The pilot nodded and quickly snapped back to firing a massive bout of red bolts into a nearby building and sheered off the entire wall facing the walker in the process.

"What of you milord? What are you to do until the situation is resolved?" The co-pilot boldly asked, and Kun sighed and looked more annoyed than worried by this point.

"Unload me and I'll take my Massassi with me, but keep your trooper platoon. I'll deal with these Moff fools up-close once more." The Sith lord whipped around and made out of the cockpit and found all the Massassi strapped in and waiting for their orders, and they stiffened as they believed their mission was about to begin.

"We are diverted. Moff forces are surrounding both my, and the colonels brigades. We, and you my loyal Massassi, are to depart and aid our Imperial allies and spill a bit more blood. What do you say?" Exar asked with a devious grin on his face once more and the Massassi all erupted in guttural grunts and cries of joy, and Exar laughed as they unstrapped and he slammed his fist into the lowering mechanism for one of the boarding ramps on the side of the walker and the hatch lowered and exposed a smoke riddled, blaster flying and TIE filled sky with the sounds of fire, and death.

"As I instructed earlier, take these straps and lower yourselves down, and make it quick! Don't become a free-floating target for Force-sakes!"
"Yes lord!" Mattizz replied and ordered his kin to do as told. They all attached their own cables and Exar merely smirked and stepped onto the lowered hatch and proceeded jump off, allowing the Force to make his fall seem like nothing as he hit the metal roadwork of the city beneath, and pulled his saber forth and activated one side, and immediately began deflecting blaster bolts from his person and began whipping his body all around as the bolts seemed endless. However the Sith lord once more felt the thrill of battle rush through him and his eyes widened in eagerness and his blood pumped, and the dark side danced around him.

Exar swung around and allowed a bolt to go flying back up into a buildings fifth floor and hit its shooter in the chest and killed him instantly, as Stormtroopers began flooding out of the remaining AT-TE walker transport units and they filed behind their legs or fallen rubble and exchanged blaster fire with the constricting Moff forces. Exar laughed like a mad man when he flipped through the air and dodged blaster bolts in a greatly acrobatic fashion and neared a building with Moff troopers firing randomly down into his position, as the AT-AT began firing into more reinforcements for the Moffs from their forward. Kun neared this building off to the left of his forces and sensed his Massassi near. The entrance was covered in rubble and makeshift gunnery position with heavy repeaters, and there were three troopers at this position. Two committing themselves to covering fire, and taking pot-shots while the gunner himself sprayed endless bolts into the Imperial loyalists still running off their transports and running into more secure positions.

Exar flipped once more, but this time he used his momentum and flung his saber toward the position in a vertical manner and watched it scrape the metallic floor and fly through the air before slamming into the helmeted head of the gunner, and threw the man back some feet and causing his friends to stumble and snap to look at their friends maimed corpse.

"Take that position Mattizz!" Exar smilingly commanded as he stood tall once more and lazily recalled his saber and allowed his vibroblade wielding fiends to rush forward with great roars. Seeing this the other two troopers frantically lifted their blasters and fired back at the Massassi who dodged or were hit but pushed forward with scalding blaster scorch marks and all, as Mattizz was the first to reach the barricade he flung himself over and directed his spear down and impaled one trooper who fell back limply and his friend turned to shoot Mattizz, who flung the corpse around and knocked the final trooper off his feet. Three more Massassi ran over the barricade and the trooper cried in terror from behind his mask as they fell upon him and brutally stabbed the trooper to death and allowed the blood to run free and permeate the air with the smell of iron and death, as Kun reached the barricade and hopped over the barricade himself and flung the repeater off into the battlefield to not be used by the Moffs again.

"Join me inside my servants. This building will give us a better position on the closing in Moff forces." The Massassi all gripped their weapons even harder and Exar sent a massive kinetic blast of dark side energy into the door and didn't bother simply opening it and grinned as he did so, and watched the door slam open with great force, and watched the Massassi rush in. Exar sensed and watched as troopers inside turned and fired on he and his servants and he sent another blast through the room and they all flew into the wall allowing the Massassi to rampage through the room and gut the Moff troopers who howled in pain and fear. Exar would only laugh as the battle outside flared once more, and he made for a stairway and sensed several dozen troopers on the upper levels.

"Clear out the rooms in full, and leave not a one alive." Exar ordered and cast them all a sideways look as he once more readied his saber and looked menacingly up the stairwell.

Mattizz bowed and he directed the blood soaked Massassi into adjoining rooms, and left Exar alone to climb to the next level alone, or so he thought.

"Allow me to be at your side lord!" Exar snapped around to see a young blooded Massassi, soaked in blood and sweat with two massive blades more akin to machetes than swords in his crimson and equally blood red stained hands a feral sneer upon his face and the yellow within his eyes glowing even brighter than other Massassi, and Exar paused as he felt as if he remembered this Massassi.

"Who are you young servant?"
"Your loyal servant Zar'kai Em'Zollha." Exar's eyes widened with a wave of remembrance passing over him, and he smiled.

"Ah yes, the companion of my apprentice upon Alderaan correct?"
"Yes mighty master." The beast bowed with great awe and reverence about him. Even with the cries and blaster fire, and smoke, and death surrounding them on all sides Exar took a moment to study the young Massassi warrior. "You are destined to replace Mattizz aren't you?"
"He chose me my almighty lord. Now I must prove myself to your greatness!" Zar'kai breathed in great heaves of breath and released them with great growls of anticipation as his youthful desire to spill enemy blood ran strong, and what's more, Exar could feel the dark side bristle within this young Massassi. All Massassi being inherently filled with the dark side was nothing new, but for one to be of enough ability to connect to it, and perhaps use it to greater ability than its brothers was indeed rare. Within this Massassi Kun sensed this potential, and thus smirked down to the future commander of his Massassi armies.

"Come then and prove your worth young blood, and remember," Exar leaned his eyes in to fully level with the beast who met his gaze, "feed your emotions and use all that power and energy building within to break your enemies. The enemies who wish to see your lord dead at their feet." At that the Massassi sneered deeply and howled a roar of rage, and Exar turned to climb the stairs as he could hear the trooper above firing their blasters into the road beneath and killing, or trying at least, to kill his troops.

He rounded the top of the next floor and activated his blazing blue saber and two of what appeared to be twenty trooper noticed him immediately and looked to one another, before turning back and firing at him, and Exar snorted with pride and didn't both raising a hand as he sent a wave through the Force and slammed the two into other trooper and watched them all go tumbling down.

Dashing forward he ran his saber into a staggered trooper who choked out his last breath, before Exar sliced through the torso of the same trooper and swept up and removed half of the head of another trooper and spun around and ran through an oncoming trooper, and twisted back around to deflect several bolts back into a fray of shooting troopers which forced the window mounted ones to turn and aid their comrades.

Ear was not near them, but could easily deflect their pathetic blaster bolts back, but instead of that a red beast came roaring onto the floor, and rammed its full body into three troopers facing Kun and had their flanks fully exposed to Zar'kai. The beast rammed his two blades into the side of one trooper whose shrill cry rang through the air, as Zar'kai ripped his blades back out and bought both sweeping from overhead down into the next two in wild swings that used and focused his great weight and strength into hacks that left gashes so deep one could see their very organs fall from their bodies, and the room soon became splattered and smeared in crimson blood as the beast known as Zar'kai let loose all his internal hatred and rage for these men loose. These men who would see his lord hurt, needed and would die most brutal deaths as his yellow eyes stared in awe and wonder as they did. Those glowing eyes would be the last thing they saw.

Exar laughed high and proud into the air as he sent blasts through the Force that ripped the troopers off their feet and slammed them into the wall, breaking bones and rupturing organs, and then he would fly back through the air and swing his saber up and through or across his enemies, as troopers fell one by one, and the Sith lord numbly noted that the battle outside became even more intense as he hard the distinct sound of walkers approaching his position, and he knew they were of Moff allegiance.

Zar'kai went from room to room upon this floor and slaughtered every unwitting and foolish trooper he came across. He received several blaster shots to his chest and exposed legs, but the dark side flowed through him like a raging river, a torrent uncontrolled or held back by any chains as he took the fire, and maimed his prey apart. A more gruesome scene was when the Massassi took one blade and slammed it directly over the head of a trooper and dug the blade halfway into the troopers torso in a vertical literal tearing of the body apart. Were it not for the body and bones finally resisting his blade the Massassi may well have torn the whole body in half. However the other troopers surrounding him forced him to rip the blade out, throw it into another, and bring his second through the neck of a further trooper.

Exar would climb to the next floor with Zar'kai and leave the mopping up of the last floor to the Massassi squad under Mattizz still slaughtering all as commanded. By the time they reached the roof unit, Exar ripped the doorway away and stepped onto the roof as blaster bolts flew in all directions and he looked over the side to see bolts flying all around, and his AT-AT still where he left it and firing endless round toward the Moff forward defensive barricades From this position Kun could narrow his eyes and smirked as he caught sight of those AT-ST's that would commit 'walk-by's,' and fire toward his AT-AT from the clearing before moving behind a building and out of sight as anti-armor units fired toward Kun's armor, and the colonels off in the distance as the Sith lord noted the several husks of burnt out TIE mauler units and Veers' AT-ST squad firing into Moff trooper moving into pincer positions on top of their encirclement.

"I'll take care of this right now." Exar commented as Zar'kai neared his lord side, and Kun pulled his comlink out, and contacted the other colonel moving in as well called Yunri.

"Hail, lord Kun! How goes your assault?" The helmeted and armored commander no older than Veers greeted with a stiffness common to Imperials and his hands clasped behind his back.

"Very difficultly but exhilarating colonel. However, that is not why I contacted you. I have a good vantage point right now, and I want to call in some artillery strikes. My and colonel Veers' brigades have been tied down by Moff reinforcements enclosing us on all sides. We need to break their attack if we are to reach the main square in decent enough condition to seize the HQ. As such, I shall relay you the coordinates, and you send them to the artillery positions at once, and make damn well sure they're precision shots!"

"Of course my lord. I shall do so at once." The colonel relied and Exar looked toward the AT-ST positions in the central plaza ahead, and more or less guessed their positions, and keyed in the coordinates, before he snapped a pair of binoculars hanging from a pouch on his belt and looked towards Veers to see the position of the Moff pincer-formation units and their two remaining maulers, and what looked to be several repulsortanks firing on Imperial defensive positions and Veers who suppressed them with his walker squad, and Kun quickly keyed those coordinates his binoculars mapped out and sent them to Yunri.

"Take care of these positions at once colonel. I want these Moffs dead so I can begin moving forward once more!"
"As you will my lord, at once. Yunri out." The colonel saluted stiffly and the connection ended and his small visage disappeared. Exar reattached his comlink to his belt and folded his arms across his chest as Zar'kai confusingly looked out onto the expansive battlefield and wondered why his lord did nothing as the thrills passed them by and the slaughter was left to others.

Sensing this Exar smirked. "Patience my loyal servant. You shall learn the power of using modern weapons in time. Sometimes it's best to hold back and let others do the dirty work for you, and save you energy and will for greater and far more important battles." Zar'kai inclined his head, as from afar several massive blasts were sound through the air, and Exar turned to see massive bolts fly in an arch at great speed high into the air before coming back down at great speeds as well, and he followed their path with his eyes. He watched them come falling down into the main plaza and right on top of one AT-ST walker that staggered low from the blow, and then the next, and the next hit it, and finally the right leg blew off and the walker came falling down atop the Moff forward defensive line, and the other walkers were tossed about and destroyed, while a few remained, but were badly scorched by the artillery bolts. Exar grinned as the next bout of fire came bursting from the artillery positions and flew with a suppressed cry through the air of Tallaan and slammed into the forward pincer Moff attackers and he watched one tank blow apart so violently it flew into the air and slammed into a nearby building as the other maulers were instantly turned to husks. While Moff troopers went running in all directions to escape the barrage and allowed Veers to fire into the mass retreating group.

"Now that's what I call a show!" Exar cried as the barrage silenced the fighting for a moment, but it quickly resumed. The Massassi soon joined their lord and young blood upon the roof, and all watched as two more massive billowing smoke columns rose into the air, and the battle rage one beneath them. All the while a wicked certain Sith lord soaked in the fact that none of this would have happened were it not for he, and he loved every moment of it.

(Coruscant Imperial Palace)

"Lord Vader, we have received reports showing that lord Kun and his brigade have begin their forward assault upon the capital city of Tallaan. We also know for a fact both Don II and Achillea are now under full Imperial ground control, but Moff naval reinforcements have reached Achillea and are beginning a renewed attempt at breaching our naval forces. Don II however, has already repulsed a naval attack by Moff forces." Vader nodded slowly and barely visible to the gathered military personnel here with him in the Imperial Palace. He had other business needing tending to but that was not for a few moments more, and had decided to hear recent reports in person and inside the palace. He also made it a mission to ignore the quizzical stares and wandering thoughts coming off these 'boot-lickers' about the fact he had children. Vader also smirked as he decided to ignore his master at all costs. The old man was fuming over his stunt with Leia. So furious was his master, he didn't even want to punish Vader for it. That meant either the Emperor was losing his touch, or he was indeed more afraid of what he might do if Vader came before him, so indeed, the Emperor was that mad, and Vader wanted to let him cool some.

'Best not antagonize him too much yet.' He thought still smirking with utter contempt for his masters power and authority. 'No need to rush and foils Kun's plans right no, and mine at that.' Vader rationed and thus returned to his silent and expecting entourage of gathered military leaders.

"Tell me then," Vader opened with and everyone visibly stiffened. "What do we know of the Tapani situation beyond this assault?"

"Not much beyond the intelligence already gathered and compiled for you my lord. The only wild card is general Morlin. He is dangerous if he can get his usual M.O into play." Vader turned to his left and saw the man speaking was the up and comer, and competent, general, Casio Tagge.

"You know of general Morlin and his tactics, do you not general?" The man bowed his head affirmatively.

"Yes lord Vader. I have studied the usual formations general Morlin uses to subdue attacker and defender alike. He is a one trick horse, if you pardon the term my lord." Vader stiffly nodded and Tagge went on.

"Morlin is incapable of seeing past his tunnel vision of a tactical ideas. He has a one track mind. Solidify held territory, send out feelers, assess the situation, and only then will he commit any forces to aggressive actions. He is highly competent in defensive strategy, but lacks vision for attack purposes. It is highly recommended by myself, though I cannot tell lord Kun this, but I believe he should not fall into Morlin's usual strategy of gaining understanding over enemy forces through allowing the enemy to test his defenses and attack." Vader inclined his head to the side and behind his mask Vader narrowed his eyes.

"What are you implying general Tagge?" The man looked a little uncomfortable conversing with Darth Vader himself, but swallowed his fear and steadied himself.

"I believe that what Grand Admiral Grant and lord Kun will see as staggering success over general Morlin on these three initial worlds is little more than Morlin throwing what he has at the moment to... 'play with,' at lord Kun to text him in full. He will build a renewed defensive strategy based off what he learns of Kun and Grant's strategy. The next assault that lord Kun launches, I predict, will be met with even greater resistance then what is being felt on Don II, Tallaan, and Achillea."

"I find this whole theory rather lacking in one critical factor general Tagge, and that is the innumerable Imperial forces and resources at our disposal all across the galaxy." Vader jerked his head right and found himself rolling his eyes behind his mask at the sight of the naval up and comer, Conan Antonio Motti. The man had an annoying smugness to him that Vader found at time unbearable, and what was worse was the fact the Emperor had chose this fool to be the man to lead his personally selected fleet to go defend the Death Star above Despayre.

"Your overconfidence in the machinery, and armies of the Empire is duly noted admiral Motti." Vader reprimanded and the kriffing slime-ball smirked again and Vader balled his hand into a fist under his cloak.

"My lord Vader, if I may, your recent actions have been of great aid in the Empire upon Dubrava, and Abregado-rae. However, your other activities and preoccupations towards more 'close to home,' duties I think have clouded your ability to see just how mighty and fully functional and wholly capable the Imperial war-machine is."

"It would be wise for you to stop before you go too far admiral. My patience has limits and you are dangerously close to passing those limits." Vader warned with a pointed finger, and the other gathered men all looked very uncomfortable save for Tagge who gave Motti a dirty look.

"I know of your belief along with others inside the Empire in the Force lord Vader, and might I add that I would take an entire Imperial fleet over the Force any day. SO far you and your little archaic and dying religion have done naught to stop this Moff Alliance from rising up. Along with the URM and its insane woman Jedi, who also uses elements of your belief and it is wholly reprehensible that such arcane and out of date ideas are still allowed inside the Emp-" Suddenly Motti began to choke and his neck visibly constricted as if a hand clenched it, and Vader held up his signature right hand in a pinched position as Motti began to choke. All the other men backed and leaned into their seats and Tagge in particular recoiled from the sight in disgust and fear.

"I find your lack of faith...disturbing, admiral Motti." Vader half sneered and half smirked behind his mask as the man choked and gasped for air while his windpipe closed in on him.

"Lord Vader, please, forgive the admiral he has no ability to control his rather troublesome mouth, and I do not wish for his majesty to be angered by his premature passing." Vader looked up and recognized it was Isard who spoke on behalf of Motti, and despite enjoying choking the fool, Vader released the admiral and used the Force to send a small slam into his head forcing the man to fall forward against the table in a choking fit.

"As you wish director. I would be wise that you show appreciation for the director, Motti. Otherwise you would be dead where you sit." Vader intoned darkly and Motti rubbed his neck and gasped in every breath as if it were his last. Which they almost were and he bowed his head like a reprimanded child or Kath pup.

"Forgive my...unwelcome outburst lord Vader." The man feebly said and Vader didn't bother acknowledging him.

"General Tagge." Vader snapped and the man stiffened.

"Yes lord Vader?"

"Ready a report and have it sent to my palace at once. I shall relay your recommendations to lord Kun, and we shall see if your theory holds merit."

"Yes of course, my lord Vader." Tagge bowed his head, and a very small feeling of pride radiated off of him that Vader could sense.

"Admiral Motti, you will report to Naval Command where I shall meet with you about you previously spoken upon assignment, and I expect full punctuality."
"Ye...yes lord Vader." The man replied and pulled at his collar as if he felt the Force choking him again, and a small sheen of sweat coated his brow.

"I have little more need saying. The rest of you will continue on your duties and continue to send your reports to me at my palace. I shall not be leaving Imperial Center for a few more days or even weeks at the most. I expect daily reports on your assigned sectors." Vader declared and then with all the suddenness some had come to expect from the Sith lord he waved them all off, and all the man gathered up their datapads and notes and began filing out of the room. Leaving Vader alone temporarily.

For it was only after sometime had passed and he remained inside the conference room that Vader finally ended his reading of a report from the Outer-Rim Moff-URM battles and left the room with a quick and assured pace he made his way deeper into the lower levels of the palace. There waiting for him was someone he had taken a keen interest with. A girl with natural ability and Force potential, that while a year younger than both Luke and Leia, was far more competent, and effective than most of his operatives.

'A most fitting addition to my apprentice base, and aid in training Luke and Leia.' Vader thought as he took his time and finally came upon an all but dead part of the palace as night once more fell outside and upon Coruscant. He came upon a seemingly random room and opened it and stepped in where in the middle of the floor was the girl. She had her eyes closed and her legs under her body as she delved into the Force, and her red hair fell behind her in a strikingly long and serene manner.

"I see you came with relative ease."

"I did as you asked lord Vader. You did say it was important." She responded and opened her green eyes and looked up to her master.

"Indeed. Your time as a cadet of the Imperial apparatus is to come to an end. I have far batter uses for a child of your skill and ability then the military can provide, and you shall be personally trained further in all your works."

"What of the Emperor master?"
"He will not trouble us. I have already made it clear I shall be training what you have no doubt heard to be my children." The girl nodded and her hair fell along with her head. With every nod.

"Then you know you will become a part of something bigger, and something new. Something that will change the whole way this Empire and galaxy operates. You will aid me in training my children, and become one of y official acolytes in this war. A member of a new era in Sith teachings and quantity. The Rule of Two is dead. It's time for a new order, and it begins now."

"I'll do as you command of me master." Vader nodded happily as she rose to a stand, and looked up to him with a hardness and underlining shrewdness about her that Vader could not understand or belief belonged to one as young as her.

"Then come with me Shira Brie, and welcome yourself into the fold of the dark side, the Empire, and more importantly the Sith." The red haired girl smirked and her green eyes became glossed over with what seemed to be, pride, and Vader found himself rather liking this whole idea more and more.

"Yes my master." She declared and walked up beside him and he nodded and motioned for her to follow. Any and all who see him be damned. He and his master knew he was indispensable at this time, and so Vader knew now was the time to test his masters limits, and so for today he would not care about secrecy. Not that Vader knew that this red haired, green eyed, girl would become one of the biggest players in time. Until then however, Vader added her to his growing list of acolytes.

(En-Route to Tallaan)

Upon entering the Tapani sector, Viathan had searched out his master and found him at the world of Tallaan. His new ability from Lehon to search out power in the Force through meditation was proving highly effective. Viathan was still in pain. Indeed it rippled through his body and sent spasms through his muscles as the sleep only sought to dull his pain into throbbing soreness, a step up from shaking sharp pain sure, but nothing the felt great.

Currently he sat in the middle of his stolen ships lounge with all things in the room not bolted down currently floating around him as he sat cross-legged in the center of the room. For since he could remember Viathan remembered being able to do this, and being trained to do so from his old master, the Emperor. His concentration and raw connection to the Force and dark side being heightened as of late made it all the more easy to do. For Viathan could sense much in this state, and knew that in just a short amount of time he would finally be plunged fully into battle, and war. The dark side whispered to him, and the words of Darth Ruin echoed in his mind.

'There is no Passion, There is Solely Obsession.'

"There is no Passion, There is Solely Obsession." He repeated without opening his eyes and he felt the darkness swell about him. Yes, for he would obsess. Obsess with the eventual victory of his master, and victory over all his enemies, and the eventual sweet downfall of those who think him weak, and something to be so easily tossed aside. Then, in time, he will stand over the fallen body of that Jedi woman from Tatooine, and finally have his own revenge and be seen as something never again, forgotten.

With that, the ship suddenly lurched forward and exited hyperspace just beyond the Tallaan orbit, and Viathan opened his still crimson eyes, and all the furniture, and free-floating objects in the room came to a halt and gently fell to the ground beneath. Sending a single call through the Force Viathan could sense out there on the planet below his master go stiff with recognition, and Viathan then knew, his master knew he was coming back.

Now Viathan would join this war in full, and all the players would be set and ready to be put into motion. The first true test of Viathan began.

Authors Note: Hey guys. Here is the next chapter, as is obvious, but hey I still reminded you anyways. Uh, not much to say today really. I hope you guys like the addition of a certain red head from canon that's not Mara Jade. I also hope you guys like the war scenes as those are the most arduous to write I am finding out. As per the normal guys please point out or excuse any and all grammatical errors, and enjoy reading.

Also if you could be most kind and leave me a review or message of any kind it will certainly make my day and make me feel better about my writing abilities which I recognize are obviously t the best, but I try anyways,and that's all I can do. Thanks guys and see ya at the next chapter post, and it's a long weekend coming up so hopefully that's sooner rather than later.