Chapter Seventeen
As Scourge began the process of rebuilding the Sith without the would-be immortal emperor, the forces of the Republic had broken through the atmosphere of Nogatan. Inoy's forces had landed in one of the first breakthroughs the Republic had made. That said, they had not made significant headway until Hyperion, Morgause, and the Jedi had run their course of aid to the fleet. From there, it was a simple matter to merely wedge through the remnants of the fleet and land forces ready for deployment at the furthest point possible from the planet. This way formations had time to form before they were thrust into the heart of the conflict to end the war against the Sith for good.
Hyperion and Morgause led the formations that did not face down the rings of defense that Crassus had formed around the palace. Inoy's aquatic force had dealt with the defenses at the moats and then flooded them with enough rubble to ensure there was no leaving for the Sith within. They then rounded their way back and helped destroy the foundations for half of each ring of the forces that held Hyperion's advance in check. Dantius, meanwhile, joined Ashlynn in providing the ring battalions something to focus on, spreading the manpower of the Sith thinly across their sectors until the weakest point was revealed for Inoy to exploit. From there, Hyperion and Morgause's forces march through the openings, heading for the entrance to the palace before waiting on Dantius and Ashlynn to deal with the remaining palace turrets.
Ashlynn would also use her portion of battalions to scare off any reinforcements that might come. Jace made sure the remaining space defenses and secured the planet for the Republic just in time for a force of twenty-five thousand emerged and began bombarding the palace itself. The Palace Guards were soon spread thinly enough for Dantius and Ashlynn to create the opening Hyperion and Morgause needed to march upon the palace to end this war. "For some reason, this new batch of Sith ships is firing upon the palace. Have they been ordered to stop the ritual and help us out?" Morgause asked when the ships first came in.
"Crassus must have called up a contingency plan for someone to rule in his place if he failed in the ritual. My guess is his choice of successor wanted to make sure that happened so he could hold onto power," Hyperion answered.
"But where would there even be a force sizable enough to be ruled over? Aren't we destroying what remains?" Morgause inquired.
"If I tell you, you have to swear yourself to secrecy from even your uncle. Understand?" Hyperion replied to his daughter, when she nodded, deflected a few bolts with her lightsaber, then turned back to him he continued. "Crassus sent a planetary force to a destination I don't know of to begin the secret rebuilding of the Sith. But we can't tell the Jedi because as long as they refuse to explore and understand the Dark Side, the Force needs the Sith for balance. It's the only way that too much Light doesn't rule over the galaxy," Hyperion explained a moment later.
"I understand," Morgause said to him. Then they both focused on deflecting bolts, Hyperion with his shield and Morgause with her lightsaber. When they were on the steps to the palace gates, Hyperion commed for Inoy, Dantius, and Ashlynn to join them on the march.
"It is time we ended this as one unit, one unison of Force-sensitives eager to put an end to a greater threat. Plus I think your niece would love to fight for your side for a change instead of just fighting with her dad," Hyperion commed to his brother. Morgause backhanded her father's arm in a friendly manner, a smile lighting her face which incited a chuckle from the older man.
"Ashlynn and I are already en route. ETA, forty-five seconds. Inoy?" Dantius asked.
"I was circling back around the palace as soon as I finished the last ring just for such a request as this. ETA, thirty standard seconds. Keep your forces ready to go on the attack in the meantime," Inoy replied. Hyperion then decided to have his demolition crew bring down the palace while the rest of the forces kept any reinforcements at bay. That was when Hyperion decided to unclip his thermal detonator bag, his slugthrower pistols, and his shuriken case. Inoy arrived just in time to see the demolition crew activate their explosives and the other Jedi arrived in time to see those explosives take the doors apart.
"Show no mercy, soldiers! For you will receive none in that palace!" Hyperion exclaimed as the troopers charged in. Dantius and the Jedi didn't much care for that slogan but ignited their lightsabers for what was inside. While the common soldiery dealt with their Sith equivalents, Hyperion and the quad of Force-sensitives behind him scoured the first floor for a way up to Crassus.
As soon as they had entered the palace, after all, the quintet could feel Crassus' powers already beginning to increase. The ritual was about to begin and if they didn't hurry, they would all become the food for Crassus' appetite, sacrificed in the name of ensuring artificial eternity. So Hyperion didn't bother in wasting time and instead, threw thermal detonators to break up the ranks of the Sith Lords approaching them then used shurikens and throwing knives to conquer. He also emptied his slugthrower pistols upon them, killing many more than he had with his other projectiles before turning to his last remaining weapons.
While his daughter and the Jedi were able to kill the acolytes and apprentices with ease, Hyperion shot his spear into the chest of a master before he could react and hanged another by the neck with the whip. When a Sith Lord wielding two lightsabers was about to strike down both Dantius and Morgause, Hyperion shot out his wrist blade and cut the human's brain stem. In seconds, the man's vital systems shut down and he fell on his face before he could even register what had hit him. With only the ax remaining, Hyperion entered a code that programmed the shield to be able turn into a series of projectile blades that could impale any enemy if folded.
The programming would take effect in seconds if he needed it to but the only problem was that once he did it, he would have no shield. So he wanted to be careful about that and a good thing too because they ascended to the top, a motion sensor chain gun went off forcing the quintet to take cover except for Hyperion. Hyperion, on the other hand, unfolded the shield and absorbed the bolts though he was unable to do anything, not without using Force Rage at any rate.