Chapter XIV

Republic Military Camp, Bregii Planes, Cerea

"General Mundi," said Frag, the Clone Commander in charge of his army, "receiving an incoming transmission from Elder Bromishan Tared,"

Ki-Adi held his frustration at bay, "allow the transmission," Elder Tared would most likely demand an explanation for the Republic's Clone Army's swift invasion of Cerea, a planet that was mostly isolated and considered an independent system to the Republic.

Bromishan Tared's face loomed from probably the only Transmitter that was in the possession of the Cerean military, they still believed in low technology and had little use for it, "Ki-Adi-Mundi, you and the Republic's action on this planet is unaccepted, we do not want you here, you do not belong here,"

Ki-Adi cleared his throat, "with all due respect Elder Tared, the amassed Death Seeker forces that are even now entering the system are too much for you to handle, even Republic fleets have fallen to them, with our added military, we may pose as a-,"

"You and the Republic Cavalry are not welcome here, you must leave at once!" Bromishan practically screamed.

Ki-Adi disconnected the transmission and sighed.

"General?" inquired Frag from his side.

Ki-Adi turned to him, "disregard their orders, they cannot survive without us, prepare the troops,"

"Commander, General, the attack has begun, I repeat the attack has begun," a clone's voice came over the Com.

"Punch in his current location, we need to form a line of attack, defend the farmlands, protect the capital!" order Ki-Adi.

"Yes sir,"

Ki-Adi hung his head as he watched Frag go, he turned behind him and his padawan learner Jathan, a human born on Alderaan chided, "what is it master?"

"Prepare youself Jathan, the battle is about to begin,"

CT-738372 shifted his arm on his blaster rifle, and fired again, the incoming soldiers wearing blue armor shrugged the bolts off and kept coming, some activated lightsabers and swept their blades through the Clone's brethren. CT-738372 shifted on his feet and reset his blaster rifle to self-destruct, his team was gone, only he and his closest brother stood beside him, "for the Republic," he said before the enemy soldier stabbed the red-bladed lightsaber through his heart.

Ki-Adi and Jathan activated their lightsabers as the blaster-rifle wielding enemy troopers reached them, with a few swift flows of their weapons three fell. Then four, Jathan used the Force to leapt over a small Clone Scout and stood on the tip of his bike, using the Force he propelled himself through the enemy, his blue lightsaber dismembering and maiming many who crossed his path.

Ki-Adi swept his hand out and three blue armored Death Seekers fell to the floor, three shots from Frag and another squadron of Clone Troopers killed them, the Cerean Jedi Master glanced around the battle field, the troops were being desolated, they were being mercilessly slaughtered.

Seven enemy soldiers were dressed in dark Jedi robes and wielded lightsabers, cutting through the first line of defense, "Jathan!" he called to his padawan.

The teenager glanced at his master, and understood with new found strength he kept moving forward, making a path for a hasty retreat from the midst of the battle.

Ki-Adi felt it in the Force, and also felt the incoming troops, he glanced behind his back and watched as a small army of Cereans garbed in military outfits and wielding vibro-blades and vibro-swords. The Cerean smiled to himself, and called out, "join the battle," to the stunned leader, "there is much bloodshed!"

The Jedi Master returned to the battle and blocked a lightsaber from being buried in his chest, the white haired man that had aimed the attack sneered, "Alien," he spat using his blade like a rope he spun his lightsaber and warded Ki-Adi back.

With unorthodox moves the white haired Death Seeker kept Ki-Adi confused and observant, relying fully on the Force and depending on it even more than usual, with a well placed slash the white haired man fell to the floor, his red lightsaber now in ruins from the Jedi Master's slash.

"Yield," ordered Ki-Adi, offering the young man a chance to surrender.

The white haired man laughed, "you all shall fall, all who do not join the Seekers shall fall, and all aliens shall be killed," with a swift leap he flipped back into the midst of his fellow troops.

The events were now unfolding, and Ki-Adi could not believe what he was seeing, even more Seeker War-Ships were landing, flooding forth with even more troops, "Jathan!" he called out to his padawan who had just defeated a lightsaber wielding Seeker, "come, we have to retreat," he touched his com, "retreat! I repeat retreat, the planet is lost," the Clones began to fall back and some were shot down in the retreat by enemy soldiers.

Ki-Adi watched as the last of the Cerean army fell at the lightsabers of a Death Seeker. He fell with a heavy heart into his carrier as his padawan rested his hand on the ships console, "Master, we have lost," he said dumbfounded, his head was bleeding from a vibroblade wound and his arm and leg had blaster burns.

Ki-Adi sighed as they exited into space as another Death Seeker War-Ship entered the system, "three thousand Clones, and only a hundred and seventeen survive," he sighed again as he opened a channel for the Jedi Temple and the Chancellor's office, "Cerea is lost, Ki-Adi Mundi,"

Jedi Master Kit Fisto activated the com, "Geonosis is lost, I repeat Geonosis is Lost, Jedi Master Kit Fisto," his republic cruiser was swallowed up by hyperspace as the thirty clones surviving of the four thousand that had entered to intercept the Death Seekers.

Jedi Knight Zagen touched the activation plate on his lightsaber, and the blue blade appeared with a hiss, the Death Seeker Master stood before him sneering. Zagen was a Rodian and his green skin rippled gently as the harsh winds of Tatooine's desert hit him.

The three other Death Seekers watched as the master neared Zagen and laughed as he used the Force in an attempt to throw the Seeker back, the master absorbed the attack and swept it back at the Jedi Knight who fell to his feet.

"Rise pitiful alien, let me kill you now," ordered the tall dark skinned human master, his red blade at the throat of the Rodian, "we will be at Rodia soon do not worry, the rest of your pitiful race shall be destroyed,"

Zagen leapt to his feet and with an enraged cry sent his blade forward, the Seeker Master's blade intersected and he slashed upward, sending pain immediately through the Rodian, he cried out in a wail and fell to the floor, his lightsaber now deactivated in his hand. With much effort he touched the com at his belt and brought it to his mouth, "Tatooine is lost, Ta-Tatooine is lost, Zagen," he touched another button on the com and it erupted into blinding light as the thermal detonator activated and exploded in his hand engulfing the four Death Seekers that were within arms length.

Mawn's red hair was matted with sweat in the confined starship as she twisted it out of the way, avoiding another flurry of enemy fire, "fleet retreat, fleet retreat! All of Bothan space is lost, I repeat all of Bothan space is lost!" with effort she activated the hyperdrive engine and the ship stalled as it was sucked into hyperspace.

Jedi Master Aigus' lightsaber deflected the blaster bolts and reflected them at his enemies until they became too many. His entire company of clone troops were decimated, his padawan Rash was dead at his feet, his love for Mawn tearing his heart apart, but he made his decision, as all must do "I will not surrender to you, but I shall to the dark side," with blinding rage he stretched his hand out, and white Force lightning materialized inches from his gloved fingertips, ripping into the chest of a Death Seeker, reactivating his lightsaber he again deflected the blaster bolts until the bombardment became to much. Jedi Master Aigus died, and with him all hope for Alare II fell to the Seekers.