"And one, and two, and three, four, five, six, seven," chuckled Orthus.
Seven stormtroopers dropped to the ground, dead.
"That looks like all of them for now," said Lavok, "men, begin placing the explosives."
Zarayvia's warriors got to work on placing explosives on the TIE fighters, while Orthus and Lavok held their position and took potshots at anyone who got too… Curious.
"How are you holding up?" asked Lavok.
"So far, so good," said Orthus, "retaking our home the other night is nothing compared to this assault."
"Exhilarating, is it not?" asked Lavok.
"Little bit," said Orthus, "don't worry, a few close calls should fix that."
"Commander! The detonators are in place!" a Mandalorian called out.
"Good, now let's-"
But Lavok was cut off by a blaster bolt flying out of nowhere and hitting right next to his right foot. Lavok looked down, then he turned and saw a squad of super commandos come flying over to them.
"Major Xek," a super commando said, pointing to Orthus, "that armor, that warrior has."
"Ahh, looks like we have a clan heir among us," said Xek, "you're going to wish that you stayed home boy. Execute them but leave that boy to me."
The two squads engaged each other and Xek started blasting at Orthus, the young Mandalorian warrior took the air and began to return fire as well with his rifle, prompting Xek to swerve out of the way of Orthus's shots and try to close the distance. Orthus took to the air and landed on one of the wings of the closest TIE fighter, raining bolts down on Xek. The super commando flew back and returned fire. Orthus took to the air and dropped in behind Xek, slinging up his rifle and following it up with a roundhouse kick to Xek's face when he turned around, causing him to stumble.
"Why you-"
But Xek was cut off when he took a kick to the chest and face, followed by a right hook to the face, knocking him back a few steps.
"Tch, you want to dance you little punk?" Xek asked as he cracked his knuckles, "let's dance."
Orthus got in a ready stance.
Meanwhile, Vaukel and Kayla were still holding their own against the super commando squad that engaged them. During the engagement, Kayla's noticed that her training with Orthus started to show, her deflections had started to become ricochets as she and Vaukel defended themselves against the imperial Mandalorian warriors.
"And gotcha!" she thought, deflecting a shot, and striking one of the warriors in the jet pack.
"Huh?" asked the super commando.
Kayla grinned as the imperial Mandalorian went flying, screaming, and flailing his arms and legs.
"He's going… Going…" thought Kayla.
The super commando flew right into another super commando, and the two of them exploded. The other three super commandos turned and looked at the dissipating smoke in shock.
"You're wide open!" barked Vaukel.
The Jedi Knight jumped at the closest super commando and cut him in half, then he stuck the landing.
"Vaukel, the empire just pulled out an E-Web, can you handle these two?" asked Kayla.
"Two super commandos against a Jedi Knight?" Vaukel asked with a grin, "please."
Kayla took off and jumped into back into the battle zone, taking off the heads of two imperial heavy troopers, stabbing a stormtrooper in the gut and rolling over his back, then cutting off the left arm of another stormtrooper and tripping him up with a leg sweep before charging for the E-Web. Using her skills with Form IV, she made quick work of the imperial soldiers she charged past with quick impalements, lightsaber throws, or decapitations as she closed the distance.
"Hey!" she called out.
The troopers at the E-Web turned; the first one was stabbed in the chest and the other one had his head taken off. Kayla sliced off the barrel of the blaster and let out a long breath.
"There," she murmured, "I hope these bastards didn't take out too many of our guys before I got here."
"Traitor!" barked a voice.
Kayla felt a chill go up her spine. She turned around slowly and saw the inquisitor, the shadow guard and the two saber guards approaching. Kayla swallowed and deactivated her offhand lightsaber, clipping it to her belt.
"…Hello Keniala," she said.
The Inquisitor, Keniala Sherevet, drew and ignited her disc saber.
"Guardsmen, hunt down the other Jedi in the area, this is my fight," hissed Keniala.
Kayla sighed.
"Here we go again," she thought.
Just then, a bell went off in her head.
"Wait a second! Vaukel-"
But Kayla's thoughts were interrupted as her former ally swung and locked blades with her. Kayla looked over her shoulder and saw the shadow guard and saber guards had begun their hunt.
"Crap, I need to finish this fast before those goons find Vaukel! Or worse, Daralec and Ersanan!" she thought.
Kayla shoved Keniala back and the girls began their 'bout.
Meanwhile, Vaukel had just gotten finished slaying the last super commando.
"That's the last of them," he said to himself, "now to go see how Kay-"
But Vaukel was cut off when he heard three people jump onto the roof. The Jedi turned around and saw the shadow guard and the two saber guards, three opponents that he didn't recognize.
"…Oh… Well… This is new," he said.
The shadow guard removed his cape and drew his weapon; a light pike and did a quick spin with it before getting in a ready stance. The saber guards drew their lightsabers and got in a ready stance as well.
"…This is very new," Vaukel said as he got ready for battle.
"You don't know the half of it," said a voice.
Vaukel turned to the right and saw Daralec come flying in and kick the closest saber guard into the other saber guard, knocking them both down. The shadow guard turned his attention to this… New opponent and let out… What the boys could only assume, was a growl of annoyance.
"You!" exclaimed Vaukel, "you're the apprentice of that Zabrak. Daralec, right?"
"That's right," said Daralec, "unfortunately, we're going to have to put introductions on hold. We've got bigger things to worry about."
The saber guards got to their feet. The shadow guard looked at Daralec, then he looked at Vaukel, and back at Daralec. The shadow guard pointed at Daralec, and the saber guards started to approach him.
"Uh-oh," said Daralec.
"Looks like I get the fun one," said Vaukel.
/\/\/\/\/\
"Why do you continue to defy the empire?" Xek growled as the boys locked arms, "why can't you understand that we're helping to keep the peace!?"
"What is the point of keeping the peace if the empire is looking. To. Pick. A. FIGHT!?" Orthus grunted as he drove his knee into Xek's gut twice, discombobulated him and punched him in the face, twice.
Xek growled and threw a counter, punching Orthus in the gut and sending him flying back with a twist kick to the chest. Xek drew his main hand blaster pistol and started to fire. Orthus rolled across the ground and used his jet pack to bounce back to his feet, then he took aim and fired an electro dart into Xek's arm socket, causing the man to drop his blaster and drop to one knee in the process.
Using the opening he gave himself, Orthus charged and delivered a knee strike to Xek's face, cracking his helmet and sending him flying back.
"The Jedi are all but destroyed Xek, my mother told me herself after she fled the temple, there's no one left for us to fight," said Orthus.
Xek slowly rose to his feet and growled before coming at Orthus again, letting out a battle cry.
/\/\/\/\/\
Keniala blocked an attack from the right and struck Kayla in the face with her disc saber, then she followed it up with quick, fluid one-handed swings to put Kayla on her backfoot as she advanced towards her. Kayla blocked her opponent's attacks, then she deflected a thrust and countered with a riposte, which Keniala deflected herself and sent Kayla sliding back with a Force Push.
"You were always the strongest of us Kayla," said Keniala, "but now here you are, fighting against those who called you their ally…"
"Who in the hell told you that?" Kayla asked with a raised eyebrow.
Kayla came at Keniala, the two of them crossed and slashed at each other twice before locking blades and moving back, then they came at each other again and began trading blows once again. The girls locked blades when they swung low, then they slashed five more times and locked blades again; Kayla shoved Keniala back and spun around, her lightsaber became a blur of crimson energy as she performed a flourishing strike and swung at Keniala's right, left, then performed an overhead chop, slamming her blade against the inquisitor's and locking them again.
"I never had any allies, you idiot," said Kayla, "the only ones who were ever nice to me were Jet and our master."
"Pfft, really? Our master being nice to you? Don't make me laugh," said Keniala.
Kayla was shoved back, then she deflected a riposte from the inquisitor and jumped forward, driving her knee into her gut, and blowing her back with Force Push. Keniala tumbled back and came to a stop after she drove her disc saber into the ground. Keniala rose to her feet and shrugged off the attack.
"Hmph, you're going to have to try a little harder than that," she said.
Keniala locked the emitter ring and ignited the other blade. Kayla drew her offhand lightsaber, in kind, and got in a ready stance.
As the girls continued their duel, the boys were fighting their hardest against the shadow guard and his allies.
"Guh!" Vaukel grunted as he struck the shadow guard in the face.
With the shadow guard stunned, Vaukel grabbed him and drove his knee into his stomach, then he threw him to the ground. The Jedi Knight turned and saw Daralec struggling to hold his own against the saber guards.
"Daralec! Hang on!" Vaukel called out.
Daralec buckled down and tanked up, fending off the assault of the golden warriors to the best of his ability, but it was tricky with them ganging up on the Revanite. Vaukel charged and slammed into the back of the saber guard on the right, throwing him to the ground. The saber guard on the left, turned around fast, letting Daralec catch him with a triple kick, one blow to the stomach, one to the chest, and one to his face, then he grabbed him with Force Grip and hurled him off the roof.
"Thanks," said Daralec, "but what about the shadow guard."
"He's stunned. So, we have a bit of breathing room before he gets back up," said Vaukel.
Unfortunately, the boys did not get much breathing room, because the shadow guard was on his feet… And he was pissed. Vaukel turned and hung his head.
"You were saying?" asked Daralec.
"Crap," muttered Vaukel.
"Back-to-back," said Daralec.
The boys moved back-to-back and got ready. The shadow guard moved on Vaukel and the saber guard moved on Daralec, then they crossed blades, beginning the final round.
Meanwhile, Kayla and Keniala had just their duel to the mess hall, which had been reduced to shambles, as evidence by the stormtrooper and Mandalorian corpses littered all over the floor.
"I moved the fight into the mess hall so I wouldn't have to worry about any possible crossfires… The only problem is that it's reduced my combat boost by a large amount," she thought.
Keniala grinned under her helmet as she approached Kayla, then she spun her disc saber, jumped, spun around, and brought her weapon down. Kayla performed a cross block and kicked Keniala back, then the girls came at each other.
"She's got the rings locked in place. Her defenses are going to be much more impregnable, but her offenses are going to be greatly hampered," thought Kayla, "and also…"
Kayla and Keniala slipped into a 'dance of blades'; Keniala delivered a thrust, which Kayla deflected and swung with her offhand lightsaber. Keniala ducked and jumped when Kayla swung with her main hand lightsaber. Keniala went for another thrust and three quick strikes with her disc saber, which Kayla blocked with minimal effort and performed a riposte. Keniala evaded, via backflip and unlocked the emitter ring, then she performed a sweeping attack; Kayla ducked and spun to Keniala's right, swinging at her neck, the inquisitor blocked the attack, followed by an attack to her left from Kayla and countered with a roundhouse kick.
"GUH!" Kayla yelped, taking the kick to the face, and stumbling back.
Keniala marched over to Kayla and jumped at her, lashing out with a burst of attacks to put Kayla on her back foot, then the girls locked blades. Kayla cursed under her breath; she was going nowhere fast. And speaking of fast, she reached out with the Force and pulled a mess hall tray towards the girls and struck Keniala in the back of the head.
"OW!" she yelped.
Kayla broke the lock, then she jumped forward and drove her right knee into the inquisitor's gut, followed by a twin upward strike, a twin downward strike and a twist kick to her chest to send her flying back.
"I leave for who knows how many days and everyone in the inquisition is stronger than before I left," Kayla thought as she rolled her shoulders and got in a ready stance again.
/\/\/\/\/\
"For someone who's stay secluded in the mountains, I've sensed a lot of excitement coming from you ever since the battle began," Ersanan said as he deflected three more blaster shots.
"You make it seem like I lost my fire," Zarayvia said as she shot and killed five more super commandos, "I never lost my fire. In fact, I craved the opportunity to get back into battle. But like I didn't want to sacrifice my warriors just to taste the blood of my enemies again."
"And you dare to call yourself Mandalore!" bellowed a voice.
Zarayvia looked up and saw a familiar face… Or what was once a familiar face, fly over to her and Ersanan and land.
"…I'd say it's nice to see you again Vaton," she said, "but I'd be lying."
"The feeling's mutual, you cowardly dog," hissed the imperial commander.
Ersanan started to move to Zarayvia's right when she held up a hand.
"Master Ersanan, please stand down," said Zarayvia, "as much as I appreciate it, this one is… Personal."
Vaton pulled something out from behind her back and pressed it, causing something to extend. It was a vibroblade. Zarayvia holstered her blasters in exchange for her lightsaber, which she proceeded to draw and ignite.
"You're going to pay for what you did to Votax," hissed Zarayvia.
"He died like all Mandalorians died. In battle," said Vaton.
"Don't you dare speak of them as if you're still one of us!" roared Zarayvia.
The Mandalorian warriors charged and swung at each other, clashing, and locking blades.
Author's note: So many duels going on. So much left to cover...