Chapter Seventeen
Pina looked at the formations gathered before him and had to admit that he was decently impressed. After all, he couldn't tell from looking at them whether or not they were Arden's idea or even if they were Athena's. However, he could still tell that Xendor would most likely have never thought of this under the pressuring circumstances unless he had it as his defense strategy all along. Hmm, would he have allowed these formations to be so chaotic even if it is thinly organized? Pina asked himself silently.
"Captain, have the Archers ready to counter any of their Archers who fire upon our men. After that, order the Jedi Guardians of the First Wave to fall behind the Sentinels and Warriors. Then have the latter two classes charge upon the gathered Legionnaires," Pina ordered. With these orders, he was observing that though he outnumbered Arden Lyn by twelve thousand, his formations were tighter.
He would need to do what he could to make the best of his numbers if he wanted to reduce the casualties as much as he could. This would be especially true if he didn't want the width of the Legion formations to be used as an advantage against him in this ravine near the Great Lettow Mountains. When he saw that his orders were obeyed, he was surprised to see how calculated and contained the charge of the Warriors and Sentinels of the First Wave seemed to be. He also watched as the arrival of these Warriors and Sentinels was marked by four Legionnaires being killed for every one of his soldiers.
Smiling, he watched as Legion Archers tried to strike down his numbers only for Pina's Archers to reply with fire of their own that wiped out nearly two thousand enemy Archers. "Have half of the Archers keep a volley on Legionnaire Archers until they're exterminated. Keep another half on the Legionnaire Warriors and Sentinels in order to cover our own until we've done a great deal of damage. I don't want half of our First Wave committed to an operation that has failed to so much as pierce their ranks before we send out the rest," Pina added while he watched the battle unfold.
The captain next to him bowed and made sure to have his orders obeyed by the Archers as well as the Warriors and Sentinels already fighting on the field. "What should I have the Archers do when they run out of energy batteries for their arrows?" he asked when he came back. "Have them draw swords and charge into the ranks of the Legions, keep one of our catapults ready too. Just a little bit of an insurance policy in case the Archers missed any of their fellows on the Legion ranks," Pina answered.
Once the orders were relayed, Pina watched as the Warriors and Sentinels of the First Wave began to fall before the might of the Legionnaire ranks. Then he watched as the Warriors and Sentinels of the Second Wave rushed to keep the pace of destruction going. And as he watched the events unfold, he doubted that this was genuine war that was glorious so much as inhumane slaughter. "How many men will we have left after we ask the Archers to make the charge?" Pina asked.
"You've yet to use any of your sixty-thousand Guardians, if that helps you figure your numbers out any," the captain answered. "Unacceptable, when the Archers make their charge I want the Guardians going in and covering them as best as possible. The Legions have yet to expend any of their own Guardians and I want as much of their force reduced before entering the fortress as is possible. Once we get to that fortress, we'll be victorious so it shall be best to keep our losses to a minimum," Pina said.
"With due respect sir, this course will only mean that we will suffer moderate casualties at minimum and they will be nearly exterminated by the time we arrive. Take a look at the strain their forces are going through just to stop the Warriors and Sentinels of both waves. The Archers are sure to take out whatever remains and expose the Legion Guardians for the final push," the captain replied. Even so, it's going to be a butcher house of dead bodies before the battle is over Pina thought silently though he shrugged to drop the argument.
"Arden, this is madness: we can't hold out much longer than a couple days if we even last the night!" a Legionnaire shouted. "Back to your place trooper, defending Lettow's honor was part of what you accepted when you became a Legionnaire!" Athena replied to the young Warrior. "No Athena, he's right: we had twenty-eight hundred Archers before Pina had his own fire on them. Now we only have barely three-hundred and Force knows how many other problems I could list?" Arden said.
"Only a coward accepts defeat at the hands of an enemy without a fight. When I fought Pina, I made him earn his way to a victory," Athena countered. "Then why don't I just hand leadership of the Legions to you, do you think you can do better under these conditions?" Arden snapped. Athena didn't say anything at that point, probably guessing that Arden was still grieving for Xendor.
"Point taken, seeing as I was defeated by him even if I did temporarily give him a run for his money. And now he has the Sword of Ashla in his possession, does that mean anything to you?" she asked after thinking for a bit. Arden paled and the look of surprise and fear in her eyes gave away the answer before she spoke.
"Legend has it that the Sword of Ashla was created with a fourth of the soul of the warrior who made it. Anyone besides the creator who holds it will wield great power amplified by their connection to the Force. Since Pina is the most powerful Jedi Knight I know in any class, the Sword of Ashla has amplified its powers and his accordingly," Arden explained. "Given that it was created with a part of the wielder's soul, there must have been some substantial circumstances for that to happen," Athena stated.
"There were: the Force Wars, a decade-long conflict that ravaged Tython until it became what you see it as today. The Followers of Bogan were keeping the Followers of Ashla at a stalemate with some turns in both the directions it could go from there. Then the most powerful leader of Ashla decided to create a weapon that would end the war once and for all.
"A weapon forged with a piece of the soul of a being of Light and meant to counter any appliance of the Dark Side against the Ashla: the Sword of Ashla. When the Sword was used for the first time, it produced the most massive storm of Emerald Lightning ever known to any Force-sensitive. Every single Follower of Bogan within the width of at least half the planet was killed by the storm while the Followers of Ashla remained unharmed even at point-blank range of the blast. The souls of the Bogan who were afflicted were ripped from their bodies and scattered across time and space.
"But since every great power comes at an equally great price, the original wielder of the sword also had his soul's remains ripped from his body and scattered across the cosmos to seal away the Bogan forever. His body was cremated but his sword (with all its power) was sealed and eventually relocated to Ossus along with the rest of the artifacts from the days of the old Je'daii," Arden said. "What about the Black Firestone you used to locate the Oracle?" Athena asked.
"Rumor has it that has been down where I had found it for eons before the first Temples were built so that wasn't taken from its keep. Some tried but failed for the very reason I nearly failed when I was sent there as an Initiate," Arden answered. "Miladies, Pina is stopping his attack and I have reason to believe he's waiting to draw our Legion Guardians out!" their captain shouted. "Then let's give him what he wants: at the very least, the Guardians can stall until my shuttle is ready.
"We'll also also need the time they can give in order to ready our Home Defense Force, just in case they break through the gates," Arden ordered. "Wise decision, Arden: if you can't beat him, at least stall him until you're ready for a glorious final stand for the Legions of Lettow," Athena stated. "Milady, the shuttle is being ignited but I want to know if you want the other transports ready for takeoff too. There is still time to save a few of our buddies besides you and Athena," the captain suggested.
"All right, do what you can but have the defense force ready to make a stand, just in case Pina breaches the gates. Have them ready to make a retreat if they can't defend the fortress, I want as little bloodshed on the defense force's part as possible. We've already lost many good men and women who were all excellent Legionnaires in life," Arden replied. The captain nodded and went to relay the orders as Arden and Athena watched the events of the final battle unfold.
"Pina will also be desiring as little bloodshed as possible, you've forced him to give up his desire for that resolution in favor of victory. With that said, you've already won a part of the battle even if he's won the rest," Athena said. "Obviously not a large part but thanks anyway, Athena," Arden replied. Larger than you know, young one: only a child of Pina can do this more successfully than I could Athena thought silently.
"Is this it? Is this all you can conjure, Arden Lyn? Seems as though Xendor was the brains of this operation, after all," Pina's captain mocked. "Do not pride yourself on having outwitted Arden, just yet: Xendor is a master strategist but Arden is very good at being intuitive in under pressure.
"It could be only a little while before we're in her element and not our own when it comes to warfare," Pina warned. "Maybe so and maybe not but she's sending in the Legion equivalent to our Jedi Guardians and she's going to realize that ours are more than a match for hers," the captain promised. "No, that's where you're wrong: so long as the shields are in the way, a Jedi Guardian is virtually indestructible. Have the Archers cover our Guardians and tell them to use their remaining batteries on the shields of the Legion Guardians until they're destroyed," Pina ordered.
"How do you know that, sir? The Guardian's shield can counter anything!" the captain asked. "Anything from the Warriors and Sentinels of the Jedi Order, yes. But at most, the shield would only last against approximately half a dozen to ten projectile weapons of any kind.
"Once the shields are out of the way, our Guardians and Archers can combine blade-strength to finish off the rest of the Legion forces before marching on the Lettow fortress," Pina answered. "Now how would you know that to work, may I ask?" the captain requested. "Firstly, I am a Jedi Guardian myself and am in fact the leader of the designation in the Jedi Order. Secondly, I know this because the Kashi Mer Dynasty arsenal was fraught with projectiles that destroyed the shields of many Guardians.
"We had to keep them at bay with our spears unless we managed to lure them into close combat with our swords. I had to help many of my kindred Guardians develop strategies to counter this effect in order to survive the projectiles before then beating the Kashi Mer soldiers in single combat. From here on, it is best that you merely listen and obey but not speak unless you are spoken to by me or by a subordinate," Pina replied. It was obvious that the captain was angry by the response but knew better than to trifle a request like that from a man like Pina.
"Captain, come with me: we're going into the field of battle with what remains of our forces. Besides, it's about time I put my spear and my sword to use," Pina said after a while. The captain nodded, drawing his sword in the process and preparing his armor before entering the field. Having no need of armor, but having again donned on his Guardian robes except for the mask, Pina waited.
Once the captain was ready to join him, both went into the field of battle and ordered the Guardians to fall behind them. "Again, the Green Blade shall rise to defend the Order and its ideals! Bless the glory that befall Awdrysta Pina in the final moments of this battle!" the captain shouted. "I'm not after glory, I'm after Arden Lyn and the end of the Legions!" Pina shouted back at him.
Backhanding the officer as punishment for disobeying an order, Pina turned to his fellow Guardians and gave them the order to begin the charge behind him. Forgive me for this Arden, I must end this war with either your capture or your death Pina thought to himself. Then he shot his spear across the sky, above the Legionnaires, and over the fortress gate with Arden as its target. After that, he unsheathed the Sword of Ashla and began slicing down Legionnaires that got in his way.
Arden sensed Pina's presence approaching the battlefield long before she saw his entrance beside the Jedi Guardians in his army. Then she sensed him thrust his spear at her as though she was in his body and making the thrust across the valley and over the fortress gates. But before she could be impaled thanks to her fear petrifying her out of dodging the weapon, Athena pushed her out of the way. After that, Arden watched helplessly as the spear impaled Athena instead and the impact of it throwing her against the wall.
"No!" Arden screamed before using her sword to cut the spearhead off. Then she made to pull the shaft out of Athena, who told her not to waste her time. "My debt to your father is paid, now the pact I made with him is complete," she said. "My father... who the fuck is my father!?" Arden demanded.
"Do you recognize this spear?" Athena answered. "It belongs to Awdrysta Pina, who tried to use it on me though you took it instead!" Arden replied. "Arden... Pina is your father," Athena said. At that moment, Arden's grief at the death of Xendor combined with the revelation to consume her.
"Athena, please say you're just bullshitting me! Just tell me that it isn't true! Awdrysta Pina is not my father!" she begged. "I... I wish... I wish I could," Athena replied.
Then she announced that she was going to the house of her ancestors in whose wise company, she wouldn't know shame, pain, or sorrow. "Arden, do not fight your father today. You will surely die if you do and the Legions will fall at the end of this battle. Stay alive, stay alive and run away until you find an area where you can stand on both feet or else he will destroy you," she warned.
As Arden looked in the distance, she saw Pina and his soldiers begin the final march on the fortress, the Archers trading their bows for their swords after destroying the Legion-Guardian shields. "This is going to be a slaughter before much longer, isn't it?" Arden asked rhetorically. "Your shuttle is ready, Arden. I can have the pilot be prepared to take you offworld before this battle ends and I can have Athena healed," the captain suggested, returning from rallying defenses.
"No, leave me here. Besides, someone needs to make sure your retreat isn't interfered with," Athena said. Arden nodded and asked the captain if he could stay with Athena while she went to the shuttle to escape. The captain nodded and began seeing what he could do to lessen the pain of Athena's injuries while Arden went to the transport.
However, before leaving Athena and the Legionnaires to their fate, Arden took one last look at them all including the captain though he told her to hurry and leave. Tears formed in her eyes for she knew it was the last time she was going to see any one of them ever again. I am so sorry Xendor, I failed you and I failed to save our dream Arden thought silently. Then she heeded the captain's advice and headed for the ship in order to make her escape from the planet Lettow.
It wasn't long before Pina arrived at the gates of the fortress which fell before the might of the Sword of Ashla, allowing him access into headquarters of the Legions of Lettow. After that, he watched as his fellow Guardians poured upon the Sentinels and Warriors of the Legions like water on rock. It was only a matter of time before those who wouldn't surrender were routed and slaughtered. However, amidst the carnage of the final stages of the battle, he couldn't see Arden Lyn amongst either crowd.
"Sir, it seems like we have found someone that might know where Arden Lyn is located. She's wounded with your spear and it's only a matter of time before the wounds do her in," a soldier said. Athena, you have never failed me and while I won't like seeing you go, I think I can thank you for this Pina thought quietly. "Hello Athena," he said aloud.
"You two know each other?" Pina's captain asked. "She used to be my concubine before I released her of her duties. I first met her fighting the Amazonian peoples of the Cathar system when I was a much younger Jedi Knight," Pina answered. "He was an honorable warrior back then, can't say the same for the rest of you," Athena suddenly stated.
"You got some nerve to be saying that now that Pina has defeated you twice!" the captain shouted. "Quiet, you. This is something between me and her, round up any remaining Legionnaires and make sure that there is no means for anyone to escape," Pina ordered. Just then, they heard the blast off of a shuttle that took off from the planet and Pina knew it was his daughter.
"Athena, where is she going? Where is that shuttle going?" Pina asked. "Arden didn't tell me, she didn't tell me because I didn't ask," Athena answered, smiling. Pina half-smirked at her as well and had to admit that Athena had done a very clever job of protecting Arden.
"Good girl, are there any other Legion figures that I should know about right now?" he inquired. "No, Tun, Sethul, Xendor, and Jook-jook were the other leaders beside me and Arden. Look what's happened to them since this started," she replied. "Indeed, I do have to wonder if this violence was really as necessary as it was made out to be," he admitted.
"It isn't your fault, you can still find her and save her from the wrath of the Jedi," she whispered after she pulled him close to her. "I hope she will cooperate with what I intend to do to save her life," he said. "Sir, we've rounded up as many Legionnaires as we could but a couple dozen have still managed to escape us including Arden," the captain said. "Good, take them to Coruscant and place them under Republic arrest: the Chancellor will decide what to do with them," Pina ordered.
"Sir, will it really be wise to leave the enemies of the Jedi to the Chancellor for execution?" the captain demanded. "The people of the Republic will need the promise of the Legions' destruction fulfilled. As such, they'll need a visual demonstration of that vow being fulfilled even if the demonstration doesn't fully realize the truth. Now do as I say or I'll be having you eaking out a living on scraps before the end of this," Pina replied.
The captain bowed and went to obey his orders though not before asking Pina if this was the end of the war. "Yes, the war is at an end once you're done here but I am still going to need to hunt down Arden Lyn so as to ensure another war doesn't start on her account," Pina said, nodding. As the Jedi began gathering prisoners and watching the escape pods launch, Pina began relaying orders. One such order was for any Guardians ready to do so to gather the other surviving Legionnaires.
"Arden is mine but do what you can to gather the others for the Chancellor to deliver his good will on them," Pina added. Several Guardians volunteered and began going on the mission to gather up the survivors unless they went into the Unknown Regions where they were lost forever. In the meantime, Pina stood by Athena's side until her time came and when it did he pulled the shaft of his spear out. It was a good weapon and one that did not miss its aim in the slightest
I shall miss you Athena, as I miss Patricia even now. May you both find peace in the realm of the dead and be patient for if all goes well, I shall save Arden then join you there. I have nothing now that I have been forced to turn against my own child and kill you Pina Athena finally passed away, he closed her eyes and demanded a stretcher to carry her to Ossus.
"She will have a proper funeral there, fit for a concubine of Awdrysta Pina. After she is cremated, I want her ashes dispersed on the Great Plains. It is as she would have herself desired," he added to the men who carried her away. Once that was done, he renewed the hunt for his daughter.