Chapter 8 Arrival On Hoth

Luke and Mara had landed only moments ago. Luckily they had one swoop bike stored in their ship. As they ejected it the pulled on the proper winter clothing. Once out of their ship they boarded the swoop together. They had landed about a mile away from Echo Base.

Now they sped onward with cold wind annoyingly biting at their little exposed flesh. Then the saw then. Dozens and dozens of giant H shaped transport ship. They were being loaded with thousands of battle droids, storm troopers, even Selkath crew members and Sith apprentices. All these ships had touched down in front of the base's hanger. The closest one being fifty feet away and the furthest at least one hundred fifty.

Quietly Luke and Mara walked to the left to where they knew the air vent by Maul's chamber was. Once they reached it Luke extended the green blade and cut through the new grate. Before it fell Mara caught it with the force and hurled it behind her. They jumped down into it.

Instead of turning right to Maul's throne room the crawled left to the stair hallway. Once they found the grate that led into that hallway Mara cut it away. Stepping out a single strom trooper stood before them.

" Luke, Mara," He said removing his mask to reveal the head of Jaden." Follow me. Maul and Tavion are in the throne room, they have been talking to someone on the holonet. I am the only troop here, all the rest left."

" Alright." Luke said.

They followed Jaden to the huge blank ice doors. All three took a deep breath as Jaden ( who was in front) pushed the door open with the force). When they entered they saw Maul standing by his chair, hood raised, and Tavion next to him.

" Welcome my friends, you three have come. Well there are only two of us." Maul said coolly." Let me even the odds."

He extended his hand and immediately Jaden grabbed his own thought. He was being choked and before Luke or Mara could do anything he fell down, blood coming out of his mouth, making a small puddle on the ice.

Luke activated his lightsaber. Mara did as well, and so did Maul and Tavion.

" Luke Skywalker, Jedi master, and Mara Jade Skywalker, also Jedi master and Luke's wife." Maul said." I shall enjoy you."

With that last comment he looked at Mara his eyes bright yellow. Then with no more words Tavion leaped at Mara and while their fight began Maul casually strode down to Luke.

" Skywalker, my master has told me so much about you, yes and your father. And I already knew of his wife and mentor. In fact- Obi-wan was it? He chopped my legs off." Maul looked down with a slight smile." Funny, his second apprentice is here to fight me once more. But remember, he was old when he taught you, you do not posses the skill of a true Jedi. You are to slow."

" Perhaps, but you are old and… disabled." Maul glared at him and struck fast. Luke parried and directed Maul's own saber towards his head. It was a trick that would only work once but it failed now and Luke immediately regretted it.

Maul struck again only to be parried by Luke. Their fight began, each striking at unexpected angles only to be sadly disappointed when the other parried. This fight was getting nowhere. It had led them quite close to Maul's chair which had been struck several times and was beginning to melt at the left armrest.

Mara wasn't having much luck with Tavion either. Their fight was taking place to the right side of the room by a big chunk of ice on the wall.

This battle had just begun and the battle on Coruscant would start only thirty minutes later.

Thrity Minutes Later Bridge on Republic Flagship Indomitable

" Send out the next wave." Kyle Katarn said. He had been chosen to lead this battle. Out of the view port of the giant newer Republic starship he could see total chaos. But before describing that I suppose I should describe the new Republic ships. They were based off of star destroyers only red and white and they were about five hundred acres bigger.

But anyway, Tie fighters, X-wings, Tri Fighters, and a number of new Jedi interceptors swarmed around. They fired at each other and explosions came all around. Maul's capitol ships didn't have as much fire power as the new Republic ones did and were being blow out of space slowly but steadily. More of the old separatist and trade federation ones that the few Imperial star destroyers.

" Sir." Said a clone officer on the bridge. " I have just received word that the Jedi strike team led by Leia Solo has just boarded the enemy's flagship and are on the way to kill General Salath."

" Very good." Kyle said just as the ship was rocked by an explosion, and a particularly big one.

" What the hell was that?" Kyle asked angrily.

" Sir, a star destroyer is bombarding our gravity generator and out engine cooling systems.

" Damn it! Tell the gunners to blast those Imperial scum to hell. NOW!" Kyle shouted.

" Y-yes sir."

" Sir!" another officer cried.

" Yes?"

" Wedge Antillies is here! Along with all the surviving members of the old Rouge Squadron."

" Good. How is Leia's strike team?" Kyle asked.

" Their progress is good sir, and we have just received word Captain Han Solo has just destroyed one of the Sith captain's ship."

" Very good commander."

" SIR! Damn it! The imps took out gravity system. And now they have just left the engines alone and are going full batteries at our shields." An officer said. And just then Kyle began to float slightly but the rest of the crew buckled themselves in.

" What percent are our shields functioning?"

" Less then sixty percent sir and dropping."

" God damn it! Kill them now. I want their blood floating out in space where I can see it!"