Star Wars Episode I: The Familiar of Zero

by Snarky Miracles

On the verge of being expelled from school, Louise Valliere refuses to give up. Her final chance to prove herself worthy of her heritage is to summon a familiar. But she gets much more than she bargained for when the frightening Calista Zarkot crashes into her life. Instead of becoming the master, Louise has become the servant and learns what it means to be Sith...

29. Onslaught of Blood and Fire

Chapter Twenty Seven - Onslaught of Blood and Fire

The white scaled wind dragon soared over the battlefield. Deeply connected with his rider, the Jedi Knight could sense what the great beast could see and feel. Azzurro enjoyed the smell of blood, reveled in the fear his prey felt for him. They were all puny to him. Instinctively, he knew what he was. His kind were the apex predators of this world. Everything else was nothing but food. The tiny invaders that ravaged the lands and skies in which he hunted would be chased away.

His master wanted to know more about what was happening. Looking through the dragon's eyes as the enemy soldiers struggled to bring down the giant golem created by Matilda the Adamant. Countless lives were being ended in the process. The scent of death appealed to the dragon's predatory senses. Bellowing forth a mighty roar, he issued a challenge to everyone who roamed beneath, daring them to contest his place on the food chain.

At his master's command, his gaze shifted onto his companions, the manticores and their leader. Fighting to contain the stink in the ground as she used her magic, the dragon through his connection to his master respected the destructive power she wielded. She flew through cannon, gun, and arrow fire as fast as her mount could take her. Behind her, a swirling vortex of wind sucked everything under it and spat it out high into the sky leaving the clouds of gas to dissipate where they could do no harm.

He felt another pull from his master which drew his attention towards another little human. Compelled to obey, he flew higher and began scouting the clouded air for prey.

He liked his master. He understood him. And didn't try to train him into one of those pathetic land animals the humans rode. His sight locked on now on Sylphid who flew past him in a blur of blue motion, it was an instinctual demonstration for dragons. Using her superior speed she flew past him and took a longer moment turning towards her next target than would have been required, time enough to display her magnificent sky blue scales to all who could see them. He roared again in greeting and aknowledgement that they were supreme rulers of the skies.

He moved as the ultimate predator over the battlefield where humans again were trying to force the north gate he felt a change of winds, two of the airships were trying to sneak above the furious manticores delivering one barrel of explosives after another. Even from his greater altitude, he felt their thirst for blood. He liked it, and indeed shared it.

---

The darkness of the walls was being painted blue by the light of a holo map projected by the astromech. It was a cooling sort of light which gave the already eerie atmosphere an even more frightening appearance. Callista examined the diagram of the tunnels around them compiled by X2's scanners carefully, considering all of the locations she would choose to set traps.

"Second corridor to the left. That should take us under the city walls and onward to our destination."

A moment later the tunnels began to violently shake, dropping dust all over them as they walked along their path. There was no alarm however as it was all according to plan. The giant golem getting back to work outside.

"Already knew that..." remarked Kirche, "There should be a protective barrier up ahead."

"Barrier?" questioned the snowy-haired Sith Lord.

Tabitha stepped out ahead and into the corridor, there she poked the air with her long staff. To Calista's surprise, the staff seemed to hit something physical, not unlike hitting a force field.

"X2 = Detects kinetic energy + no force field. / / X2 = Confused."

"Wanna tell us again, how you were supposed to get in on your own?" asked Kirche with a big smirk on her face.

"Thank your maker or whatever power you pray to that you may now be useful..."

"Well, getting inside by tunnels like this, isn't exactly innovative. Smugglers use them all the time, so the borders of the cities have barriers that keep them from coming in and out. How could you not know that?"

Calista growled in irritation, "We do the same sort of thing where I'm from. But I suspect your countermeasures are no more effective than ours."

Tabitha put her staff back on the barrier and looked expectantly at Kirche. The fire mage sighed to herself and put her wand on the barrier as well. Kirche was drawn into the complete eclipse of the spell, guided by Tabitha untying every thread they found woven to create the barrier here.

It took both of them a good half hour to weaken the barrier enough to pass. Though they could not dispel it completely the two passed through the invisible line with no difficulty and waited there for Calista.

The snowy-haired Sith Lord shook her head and moved to join them however as she crossed the barrier time itself seemed to slow. Her thoughts, her movements, everything slowed until she was through the barrier and had to shake her head again to clear the fog from her mind.

"That was... thoroughly... unpleasant," she growled out while waiting for her droid companion which passed through the barrier without issue or complaint.

Callista took a moment to recompose herself before once again taking the lead and moving through the passage with X2-C3 rolling beside her, and the two younger girls behind them. The tunnels ahead were not unlike those she had encountered in the past, certainly not more sanitary. Slimy moss covered the walls along with the stick of rot and decaying feces. Calista just had to remind herself that she'd been through worse, but she really couldn't remember when. But she refused to allow her disgust to show on her face. It would have been too unbecoming of a Sith Lord.

After a few moments, Calista stopped dead in her tracks as something occurred to her. Something she's experienced during one of those 'worse times' she'd been searching her memory for.

"Can every Mage do what you did to the barrier?"

"A few… Certainly not most. Otherwise it would be worthless."

"Of course... Extwo. Full spectrum scan. Tabitha, Kirche, are you able to sense or otherwise detect the presence of magic?" she asked while simultaneously kicking herself for not spending more time learning about magic. She resolved to spend some time in some of the classrooms when this was all over to educate herself.

"Magic doesn't work that way. But I can sense you being increasingly grateful you aren't here alone," said a snickering Kirche.

"A simple no would suffice Kirche..."

"Scan = Complete. / / X2 = Detects six humanoid bio signatures. / / Power Signatures = Zero / / Chemical Scan Result = Sulfur + Charcoal + Potassium Nitrate based weaponry. / / Distance = Twenty meters."

"Not so inept as I thought… So much the better," Calista to herself with a grin. "Extwo.. Combat mode. We will now eliminate the targets."

It would not require much effort. The only urgency was the necessity of speed. None could be allowed to escape and raise an alarm. Between the four of them, it would not be a challenge. The enemy would not waste their most powerful combatants to guard the entrance to an abandoned and disused passage. They were a precaution, nothing more, and nothing less. With her hand squeezing her Lightsaber hilt she stepped forward with absolute confidence. Murder and mayhem were her business, and Calista Zarkot excelled at it, and knew it.

---

Julio had made it just in time. With the battle raging, they had their flanks open. It was a calculated risk, but apparently, nothing got past the notice of Brinvilliers. This time, however, they were prepared.

Above them, the Dignity engaged an enemy warship on its starboard, but the lead ship in the center of the formation was able to deploy its forces with impunity due to the Manticore Knights being occupied elsewhere.

A group of cavalry attacked the command tent, more than a dozen horses, armed with long swords. The Musketeers were quick to their duty and lined up neatly in the path of their enemies. Forming ranks with one-row kneeling and the second-row standing, they aimed their shots. At least as well as a musket could be aimed. Agnes stood to the side, with pistol and sword in her hands. She raised the sword and ordered her troops to prepare to fire. She could smell the fear coming off the new comers to her Musketeers, it left her even more thankful to the veteran members for being there to radiate calm in equal measures and help keep it together. But unknown to Agnes, their fear wasn't for their enemy. Their fear was actually directed at her. They were simply afraid that if they got killed by the enemy she would come down to hell and chew them out.

"Make ready!" yelled Agnes. Her voice had to not only be commanding, but it couldn't leave room for any doubt of her high expectations. She had to remind her subordinates that she had no fear. Not of the horses, their riders, the ships above, or anything, and by extension, neither should they.

Forty meters and closing.

A few of the new musketeers cringed with fear, with their fingers shaking on the triggers, looking down the incoming enemy forces with fear in their eyes.

"If anyone squeezes a trigger before I order you to, I will squeeze the shit out of you!"

Twenty meters.

Agnes smiled with demented satisfaction that not a single shot had yet been wasted. Her troops choose wisely. Those kids were raw, but they had the right stuff.

"First rank! Fire!"

Twenty muskets spat fire, at almost exactly the same time. Sending more than the third of the riders or their horses to the ground.

"Switch ranks!" she ordered to move the people with expended weapons to the back row while the first row knelt down and pointed their rifles.

Agnes looked carefully as the smoke cleared to see the result. The attackers lost momentum and were slowing. But not yet broken.

"Fire!"

The remaining riders who still had the courage to keep moving forward in the face of their gunfire quickly came to regret their misplaced courage as they were taken down by another volley of musket fire.

"Second rank reload!"

Every remaining target was assigned to three Musketeers from the second line. Not every rebel was targeted, But those who were, felt the full might of the lead balls. And the majority of them would not be able to rebel against anything again.

Only four riders remained. Shocked and terrified. The Musket was not something new by any means, but the precision use of them in this way was a game changer their enemies could not have expected. The amount of concentrated firepower was beyond them. The accuracy, the coordination. It was unseen. Especially the grim determination showed by the gun-wielding soldiers, when pitted against a cavalry charge, left an impact. Most lines of soldiers using firearms would have simply fired and then been crushed while reloading.

Agnes was never one to let an opportunity pass her by. Before the survivors could regroup themselves she charged forward in her own attack, leaping towards the riders. She felt her blood burn and race through her veins, as she got close to the first horse, her pistol fired, point blank to the horse's head, leaving it in bloody shambles. She lowered the pistol and went for her long sword to impale the rider, using the momentum of dead mount's falling to make it strong enough to pierce the chainmail armor.

The remaining veterans in the meantime finished off the other two cavalry men, leaving her one on one with their commander. He towered above her on his horse, with a sword ready to strike.

Without a moment's hesitation, Agnes leaped onwards, leaving her sword in her previous target and drew out a knife from her belt and went for the horse's throat, severing it and killing the noble beast. The enemy leader had to leap from his steed, lest he be crushed as it fell. Immediately moving to a defensive position he was sure that he now had the upper hand. Though he knew that he would not survive the fight, not with the Musketeers reloading, but at the very least he could take their leader and troop morale with him.

Agnes fell back into a defensive posture giving him a slight nod, accepting the challenge, holding her knife with one arm on the line of her eyes, focused on the man's sword. When he moved, she moved, closing the distance, deflecting the sword with her much shorter blade, just enough to pass her, using the same momentum, she grabbed his sword arm and using his own movement she planted the knife into his neck, where he was not protected by his chainmail, leaving him dying as he suffocated and choked on his own blood.

As the adrenaline left her body, she looked back at her soldiers, proud of their small victory, and proud of their commander. Behind them, she saw the Romalian Knight, standing up from his sitting position with his legs crossed, and even from the distance she could see the small sad nod he gave her.

Now there was only the poorly trained infantry that made up the second line of attack coming. But now they were hesitating since the cavalry was meant to provide chaos in the defenders line. Instead, all of them were dead. Without a single defender even hurt! Some of them looked up, but the airship was already back in the air, gaining altitude, leaving them with no other option than to move forward. Watching as the defenders reformed, it took a brave man to put one foot in front of the other in the face of such opposition. No matter how much money they were being paid. Especially when the wind brought the words of a young woman.

"Front… Aim!" more than a few of the attacker's muskets hit the grass.

---

Calista rushed from the tunnel in a blur of motion and light, beheading the closest of the guards, she heard Tabitha mumble something in her usual quiet voice, but she didn't pay much attention, it was after all the time for violence. Where a Sith felt the most alive!

Her adrenaline rushed, her runes were glowing brightly under her armored glove as she clutched her Lightsaber staff. There was a gleeful expression on her face as the thrill of battle swelled though every fiber of her being when suddenly...

The sound of hammers crushing fruit filled her ears from all around her. Before her viciously honed and well-trained combat instincts could refocus and find the next target she found there were none except the last man into whose face X2 had just placed a blaster shot.

Calista whistled an impressed tune at what she saw around her. She had seen gore in the past. She had seen mighty Sith indulge themselves in blood baths, but this was another level entirely. Whatever was left of these men would have to be picked up with a sponge.

Calista looked behind her to see a glow fading away from Tabitha's staff. Kirche meanwhile was walking behind her with her arms crossed.

"What did you just do?" asked puzzled Sith Lord of the little bluenette.

"Air hammer."

"Not what I asked."

"Multiple air hammers."

Calista silently shrugged and made another mental note to devote herself to the study of this magic as soon as she had the free time for it. She was also once again reminded of why she was so intrigued by this girl when she first saw her, and why every so often, she reminds her of exactly why she had instantly respected her before she had even seen her do anything. In no longer than the time it would normally take her to casually flip the page of one of her books, she turned these men into paste.

This was a girl with nothing to prove to anyone, not even herself. Her enemies were just insects to be crushed underfoot as she casually walked the path to greatness, for no reason other than to see if anything there was anything there to interest her. For the first time since this latest misadventure started, she was actually glad to have Tabitha along. She was an ally worth keeping.

---

Marius Brinvilliers watched carefully as Karin unleashed her full power on the battlefield. It was all going just as he assumed it would. All he had to do was keep his most vital assets out of her line of fire and she was useless.

He refocused his attention back on the giant Golem which was fighting to bring down the wall. He assigned his best Water mages to the task of its destruction. Earth gave way to water after all. It was only the size of the golem which made the task time consuming, but not difficult. His own power was diminished but he had what he needed for the task at hand.

There were cracks forming in the wall but it would not make much difference. When the battle was over, it could be repaired. The city wall was designed to take punishment like this.

As the golem struck the wall, he adjusted his feet to keep his balance. It would be unseemly for him to be knocked to the ground by such a thing. Even though some of his men lost their own footing, he could not allow himself that indignity in front of his soldiers.

Though this was just a nuisance at best, he could not help but wonder how things would be if he had maintained the loyalty of Matilda de Saxe-Gotha. It was a minor blunder on his part to imprison her sister in the same place as Karin and the late Queen, but there was nothing to be done about it now. Water under the bridge as it were. He had much more immediate concerns which required his attention.

Magic exhaustion was nothing compared to the silent rage he was struggling to contain as he watched the Albion battleship move beyond the city's air defense to finish of the Golem. What kind of overconfident and moronic ship captain would do such a thing? Insubordination was one of his biggest peeves. In any army, in any war, all orders are given with the expectation that they will be carried out exactly as they are stated. An army can only function properly if everyone knows their roles and sticks to them without question. Anything less angered him greatly.

That ship was one of his more important pieces on the board and not something to be used on a whim. It took all of his restraint not to command Otto von Zerbst to go up there and burn the arrogant Captain alive. Especially that now he exposed the ship to the young Queen's forces. He simply would not allow Henrietta to set foot in the city ever again. Too much had been paid for it to all come apart so soon after it had begun. He would die before he would let that child undo his work before its completion.

He looked down at the battle happening below him. Gramont had taken his troops to attack the front gate. The tactic lacked any elegance or even the creativity the man was known for. Yet it was not a repeat of the mindless onslaught they attempted previously. It was like they were trying to convince him that Karin the Heavy Wind is still in charge. The open flanks were a weakness, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that something eluded him.

No matter. Gramont was taking heavy losses out at the threshold, despite the loss of those crafty toys he had hidden outside the walls, the battle was still firmly in his favor. Though they were utterly destroyed by Karin's temper tantrum they had done their job and culled the enemy herd.

If it wasn't for the tactical blunder taking place above him with the Albionians he might have been able to use the fleet and the dragon knights to crush the Manticore Knights and all of the enemy's morale with them. Which brought him back to the significance of having soldiers and officers capable of adhering to simple instructions.

Though he knew that he was never as powerful as Karin, he knew he had things she'd never have. Control, patience, and insight. He could see that they were just replacing one tyrant with another. Something needed to change, and he decided to be the one who would bring about that change.

He took one last look at the battlefield and nodded to himself. Now was the moment he'd been waiting for. The pieces were set just exactly the way he needed them to be for his next move to be the most effective it could be. He touched his ring and then held out to cast its spell.

The dead on the field started to rise once again. Friends, foes, it didn't matter. They would all serve his cause. Gramont was a man who loved his troops. A man who was loved by his troops. Now he would be forced to fight his honored dead, and he would enjoy watching as Gramont's lines collapsed as quickly as his heart would shatter upon seeing the faces of his own dead soldiers rising up in a frenzied bloodlust to bring him into their own ranks.

As the spell was cast, he felt tired. Very tired. It was like the weight of the world was upon his shoulders. An hour of sleep. That's all he needed to recompose himself. He rolled his eyes. An hour of sleep to take away the weight of changing the entire country? He might have laughed if he wasn't so exhausted. But responsibility for this rebellion came at a price, and this was very much worth it.

---

Meanwhile, back in the tunnels, Kirche had led the group to the door of the shady underground establishment.

"It's in here. But just a moment, there was a passphrase to give the guard… I may have forgotten what it is,"

"Before you strain your brains over it. Tell me again what we're even doing here?"

"Well. Louise and I couldn't get their help, but I'm wagering that you could. They seemed like your sort of people," Kirche innocently remarked.

"My 'sort' of people you say? And what sort would that be?" asked Calista through narrowed eyes.

"Vile, cruel, violent, arrogant... That sort of thing.… The man we're looking for is named Felix. He knows everything there is to know about this city and its defenses. He's the man to see about how to get the job done."

Calista rolled her eyes, "Putting aside how little you know about me. Louise told me about this. I am still surprised you actually brought her to a place like this. What were you thinking?"

"Big deal. She actually handled herself alright. Don't tell her I said that though!"

"You need not worry about that. I would never give her such worthless praise. Overconfidence has been the death of much greater beings than her…"

Calista knocked firmly and loudly on the wooden door with her armored hand.

"Wait Calista! I still don't remember the-"

Calista waved her hand dismissively at the buxom redhead, "I really don't have time for this."

A narrow slit opened at the top of the door and a man looked down at Calista expectantly.

"You will allow us inside," said Calista in an emotionless voice and a wave of her hand.

"I will allow you inside…" the man replied in a low voice before closing the latch and then opening the door to allow them access.

"Extwo. Remain here on standby, if any hostiles show up, eliminate them," ordered Calista.

The droid beeped in acknowledgment before the three girls walked through the door.

---

"Oi! Who let that bitch back in here?!" yelled one man while standing up and pointing at Kirche. Suddenly the entire establishment was out of their seats with weapons drawn. Daggers, maces, and even ordinary clubs were ready to use, and the men's facial expressions were nothing less than a mix of pure hatred and fear.

"Kirche… Perhaps you would like to explain to us exactly why we are being so warmly received in this wretched hive of scum and villainy?"

"Well… I may have stabbed someone in the balls and let him bleed to death all over the floor here. But I'm prepared for a repeat performance!" she said while pulling out her wand in a swift motion.

Calista sighed and stepped forward, "I will handle this."

"You'll handle nothing. Everyone sit down and mind your drinks," said the man at the bar. "I want to hear their proposition."

Instantly everyone complied while he waved them over to him. Weapons were sheathed of disappeared in the same magical way they showed up.

"I told you before what would happen if you came back here, Arsonist. Yet now you return with a…" Felix looked over his shoulder and then back forward before turning around in his seat to look down at the small white haired woman and the blue haired girl without straining his neck.

"Hmm... I'm not even sure where to begin with you… If I had to sum you up in one word, that would be 'butcher'. Yes. That fits. I've never seen anyone guilty of so much who's still able to walk so lightly. Someone so arrogant to believe they should be thanked for their crimes instead of punished. Such hubris!" he said incredulously while pointing to Calista and then looked at Tabitha, "And you... Actually, no, you're alright."

Calista and Kirche both raised an eyebrow at each other and then eyed Tabitha suspiciously.

Tabitha nodded to Felix before pulling out her book, turning her back to a source of light, pressed her glasses up and then started reading.

Calista shrugged before taking a seat at the bar beside the strange man. "Quite a gift you have. You are not wrong about me. You simply do not have the context of my life. Not that such a thing would matter. As I said. You are not wrong."

"I know I'm not wrong. Now talk. Before my curiosity or soup turn cold…" he said before taking a spoonful of soup.

"It is quite simple. I am here to crush the rebel army under my boot. I was told you could help me find and destroy the city defenses."

"I could. But why would I be interested in doing that?"

"Simple. Because you, like me, respect order. You do not particularly seem to care who provides it, but you value law and order. You know that a society without rules is no society at all. That is why people here respect and obey you. Because you set rules, and you enforce them."

"Brinvilliers offers the people freedom. What does the Queen outside have to offer?"

"Do not make me laugh. What use do men like these animals sitting behind you have for freedom? They are all willing let you put them on a leash because they are too weak and simple minded to ever be able to think for themselves. They respect power. They respect strict rules which are strictly enforced. Anyone who deserves freedom will have it no matter the circumstances. Freedom is not something to be given. It is something to be taken."

"Need I point out the obvious fact that your army is outside the gates, unable to get into the city. It seems the stronger party is winning at the moment. So why should I side with you over him? Or take any side at all for that matter?"

"If he deserves to have the 'freedom' he says he wants to provide, then he can have it. But only by defeating us and proving himself to be stronger than those who would deny him. If he is proven to be weak, then he deserves to die and be forgotten."

"So you believe that a person is entitled to nothing except that which they are strong enough to take?"

"Correct."

"Then you know what you have to do."

Felix knocked on the bar and then everyone suddenly stood up.

Calista sighed while getting up out of her bar stool. "Why do they always want to have a bar fight? So undignified."

"Fight yes. But not the fight you're thinking of."

Calista raised an eyebrow as coins started changing hands between the gathering people. Shen then turned around to Felix who had moved his soup aside and put his elbow up on the bar with his hand up and open.

"Little girl, let me make this perfectly clear. You are not going to strong arm me into helping you, not unless you can actually strong arm me into helping you."

"You do realize that I am one-quarter of your size?" she said while sitting back in her bar stool and unlocking her gauntlet to take it off.

"In your own words, you are entitled to nothing but what you are strong enough to take. There's no other way out of this."

Calista shook her head, "I am simply making certain that you are able to properly appreciate how humiliating it would be to lose to a girl my size."

"Well. These brutes might learn a valuable lesson about the power of mind over matter. We are after all, more than flesh and blood. If you have the will, you can accomplish anything. Now show me your will."

Calista set down her gauntlet on the bar and then placed her elbow and locked hands with the bigger man across from her.

Twenty minutes later, neither arm had moved even slightly. Both combatants were drenched in sweat, their arm muscles were fully tensed, but their faces were calm. The money stopped changing hands in favor of a gawking session.

Kirche looked at the room and sighed a long sigh, "How can they be betting against him? It's a given that he'll win."

One of the thugs responded to her, still looking closely at the match. "That ain't what we're bettin' on, luv. It's a question of how long she'll last and how long she'll live after losing."

Ten minutes of gawking in disbelief later the two were still locked and unmoving, their eyes bored deep into each other's and it felt like volumes were being spoken between them without being said.

Felix's eyes then left the snowy haired woman across from him and drifted to a small rat-looking man in the corner who then stepped into the crowd to place a bet. Then his eyes drifted back to Calista and the two resumed their staring contest along with their arm wrestling match.

Calista shook her head and slowly closed her eyes.

"Oi… Is it just me or is it gettin' cold in here?" asked one of the thugs.

"It ain't just you…"

"I want me mummy…"

Felix raised an eyebrow at Calista but said nothing as his arm was very slowly and very painfully pushed aside and down towards the bar. The strain on his face was starting to show while Calista's remained calm and serene.

A few moments later his hand touched the bar and the match was over. The petite Sith Lord had finally defeated him, to everyone's disbelief.

Calista started putting her gauntlet back on after her victory, "I believe I win."

A moment later the rat-looking man came up to Felix with a large sack of coins and handed it to him.

"That depends on how you look at it," he said while shaking the coin purse. "The soup isn't cheap."

Calista smirked, "I respect a man knows how to find victory even in defeat."

"I once went to prison in Ruthenia. Just because I like the beer the guards drink there. I always get something I want. No matter the circumstances."

"How interesting…" said Calista as she locked her gauntlet back on.

"You think we could watch a rematch? With Felix using his strong hand?"

"I dunno….But I still want me mummy."

"Then you shouldn't have killed her ya dolt!"

"But I want her now!"

"So. I believe you said something about destroying the city air defense?" asked Felix.

"Yes," answered Calista.

Felix looked around the room and waved everyone over while Calista walked over to Kirche and Tabitha.

"So did you just know he'd help you?" asked Kirche.

"How would I have known that?"

"Because you always seem to know everything. Like that time in the classroom when you knew Colbert was coming? You seem to be able to read people too… I don't know. Whatever it is you do."

"I am only able to read the weak minded. But I could sense his emotions."

"Oh? What did you sense?"

"Nothing much. But it was interesting."

"Now listen carefully everyone," said Felix. The room suddenly fell silent.

"I once spent a weekend with the army in Bohemia. They were sent to take this Gallian fortress that, well it's not important. What is important is that we accomplished our mission. After that we sat around the campfire drinking this Germanian Lager with the enemy garrison before I played a very close fencing match with a Bohemian Prince. After a while, some enemy soldiers fired their arrows at the prince and he showed me magic air defense, like I've never seen before."

"What's this got to do with anything? Lager and fencing matches?" asked one of the patrons.

Kirche's eye narrowed in annoyance, "It's Germanian Lager! It's the best stuff in the world!"

Felix pointed at the girl, "See? She's smarter than all of you combined. Any questions so far which aren't dumb enough to be answered by the Arsonist? Or may I continue speaking? And I'm not talking about you Gavroche, don't flatter yourself,

"Moving on then. The fortress we sacked that day used the same kind of air defense spell we use here. The Prince took me through the workings as he was able to cast the spell himself. The only difference is that the devices are automated. It's actually a very simple matter to disable it. Even a bunch of knuckleheads like you could do it. The only… I won't say difficult, but, annoying part, will be getting to them. They will be guarded like their lives depend on it. Because they do. So. What all we need to do is go to them, kill everyone, and disable the system. Does anyone have any questions?"

"What do we actually have to do to disable, or better yet, repurpose the air defenses?" asked Calista.

"That's a simple matter of evicting any defenders," Felix then pointed at one of the older men in the crowd, "This one here used to work on installing those defenses."

"Yeah, and all I got for my trouble was a jail sentence!"

"If ya didn't wanna go to prison ya shouldn't have killed all those people!" laughed one of the other patrons.

Calista rubbed her brow, feeling a headache coming on, "I have a bad feeling about this…"

"Teach us," said Tabitha.

Kirche quickly nodded, "Yes. If we all learn the spell to disable and take over the defenses, we can split up and do more damage!" she then looked at Calista, "Don't you think so?"

Calista put a hand to her chin and carefully calculated the merits of such a plan. "You and Tabitha are both powerful. Even more so together. I do indeed think you are capable of this. However. Being a capable fighter does not make you a capable leader. So tell me, do you believe you have what it takes to lead people into battle?"

Kirche was about to speak but Calista cut her off immediately, noting the proud posture she quickly adopted.

"Do not brag or offer platitudes. You know what it takes. I know that you know what it takes. One word answer Kirche."

"Yes," she said with a firm nod. "Now let me prove it."

Calista gave her firm nod in response, then turned her attention back to Felix. "Who are your heaviest hitters?"

"None of them come close to you or I. But I would send Achille and Claude with the Arsonist and Miss Tabitha. Along with a half a dozen others I know are useful in a good fight. If nothing else..." he said directing stern glares to some of the individuals in question.

"What makes the two you named so good?" asked the Sith Lord.

"Achille isn't a mage, but he's good with knives. Better than most I've fought. He kills fast, and silently. He isn't here now, but we'll send for him. He'll be a useful asset for a task such as this. Claude is a wind mage like Miss Tabitha, he specializes in controlling fights by quickly incapacitating large groups of people. He uses his skills to rob valuable cargo on long deserted roads. But they'll find the skill to be useful."

"I see. So you are sending all your competent people with them. And keeping the riff raff with us?" asked Calista with a raised eyebrow.

"I know how to keep an eye on the so-called 'riff raff' so yes, I'd rather not let them out of my sight. But from those coming with us, we have the Thief, who's also good at sneaking around. We have the Liar who's a capable fire mage. And finally, there's the Rat. He's not much to look at, but he's a reliable marksman with a pistol."

"I cannot help but notice that some you call by name, and others you address by their crimes... May I ask why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he wondered aloud while turning around on his bar stool and picking up his beer mug to take a sip. "I hate this Tristain shit… I'll depose Brinvilliers just to get imports flowing again," he added in an indignant mutter.

"Yes. I suppose it was obvious..." said Calista with a roll of her white eyes.

Kirche huffed in irritation, "It isn't obvious to me."

"Respect," supplied Tabitha.

"Oh… Right…" said Kirche as if it should have been obvious.

Felix nodded his head in agreement. "Now we wait for nightfall. Everyone should go get ready for a big fight. Gather everyone you know. And someone go get Achille out of the whore house!"

---

Henrietta moved with her bucket of water around the infirmary as more soldiers came in with fresh wounds from the battle. The flow of wounded was coming in so much faster than they could get them back out to recover. The situation was so bad that even the Queen herself insisted on lending her aid despite the protests of Agnes and her guards.

She, the water mages, and even Julio were all hard at work, exhausting themselves to try and help as many of the most badly injured as they possibly could. Triage screenings were done outside the infirmary while the water mages and the Jedi Knight all worked to heal the most grievously injured.

"The Queen shouldn't be doing this kind of work…" muttered the soldier as Henrietta examined his injury.

"The Queen's duty is to her people. I have the power to heal. So that's what I'm going to do. Since they won't ever let me go fight my own battles, this is all I can do. Now just lie down and let me see this," she said firmly as she took off her chest armor to reveal the deep stab through his chest. "This is probably going to hurt more to heal than it did to receive…" she warned him with a soft voice.

"It hurt bad to get…" he said through clenched teeth.

Henrietta held her scepter over to the bucket of water she set down beside the man and then gathered a healing mist from it onto the top of her scepter and then directed it into the wound. With her eyes closed, she focused all of her energy into healing this man's near mortal wound. She did her best to ignore his agonized cries as the wound closed.

The young Queen fell to her knees after she finished the spell. "Just lay there for a little while. You'll be dizzy, tired, and in pain. But it will pass. Then you'll be fine…" she said exhaustively.

"Sounds more like Her Majesty is describing her own symptoms…" he said through clenched teeth as the wound burned in his chest.

"That too…" she muttered as she forced herself to stand up. "But I still have a lot to do. I don't have time to be tired."

"Her Majesty is fighting her own battles right now!" the soldier yelled after her. "We all do what we can do. We can fight. So we fight. You can heal. So you heal! Glory to Her Majesty!"

"Glory to Her Majesty!" yelled the wounded who were able as loud as they could despite their pain and injuries.

Henrietta was too exhausted to respond, rather than indulge the moment she just moved on to the next wounded man and started checking his wounds to determine how best to heal them. Too tired to realize it would be in vain. He would very soon be dead.

---

Julio closed his eyes after finally getting a moment of rest from lending his assistance tending the wounded once again. There was silence and peace. For a time.

But then Agnes came over and knelt down beside him, offering him a water skin which he gratefully accepted and eagerly drank from. It wasn't until the cool water was pouring down his throat that he realized how dehydrated he'd actually let himself become.

"Thank you, My Lady. I appreciate it."

"I have a question for you," she stated bluntly.

"If I have an answer to give, I would be happy to answer it for you," he replied calmly before drinking again.

"Has your opinion of Calista changed at all since this started?"

Julio put down the water skin and took a breath, his eyes still closed as he leaned back against a tree stump. He considered the question carefully, and considered his feelings on the matter.

"She is a complicated one. The more I learn about her, the less I seem to know about her. The only thing I know for certain is that she is a Sith Lord, and they are not to be trusted. That being said. She is not just a Sith Lord. She is someone who is at war with herself."

"What does that mean exactly?" asked Agnes. "I need a straight answer. Protecting the Queen is my first priority. If I have to protect her from that little girl, then I need to know what I'm dealing with."

"The Dark Side of the Force is a very dangerous thing. A Sith believes themselves to be using it, but in actuality, they are the ones being used. As much as they might argue against it, their will is not entirely their own. That being said. There is an expression I heard on this world. That it is better to walk with a friend in the dark, than to walk alone in the light. When I think of her now, that is how I envision her. She is very firmly in the darkness, but, she might not be doomed because of it. It is possible that she could turn away from that path entirely on her own."

"What about the influence she is gathering?"

"That is another matter entirely. One which I do not think you need to be concerned with. Your question is if you can trust Calista. The answer is not a simple yes, or no. Nothing is ever quite that simple. Right now her goal is to help the Queen win back her nation and return stability to these lands. I trust her reason for this. The question is what will she do after that? A Sith could never be content to live a life of obscurity. They crave power for power's sake. It is in their very being. It's like an addiction. Her stated motivations seem harmless on the surface. But in reality, I find her surrounding herself with very powerful people."

"You mean like Matilda?" asked Agnes with growing interest.

"Indeed. That is one example. Also through her apprentice, she'd have access to even more wealth and power. But on the other hand. There have been things she's done which don't align with what I know about Sith and how they think. Her friend Montmorency for example. I don't know enough about what's between them, but Calista was willing to go to any lengths for her. That is not the action of a Sith Lord. Hence why I say, she is someone at war with herself. There's a duality to her. The Sith, and the Echani. Though compatible in many aspects, in others, they are wholly incompatible. It is just a question of which side of her will win through in the end."

"So what is your final assessment? What should I do with her?"

Julio took a moment to carefully compile his answer. "Work with her. Befriend her if you wish to. But do not completely trust her. Examine her actions carefully. Do not let the Queen give her too much, too quickly. But above all. Don't make an enemy of her if you don't have to. Be mindful, and watchful."

Agnes listened and considered his words carefully, something in his tone suggested he was holding something back and she decided to call him on it. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Very astute. I've never actually had any skill at being economical with the truth. That's why I'm not much of a diplomat and pursue science. I've had visions since I've come to this world. Visions which guided me to reform the Romalian Knights for example. I don't know what is coming. But my feelings tell me that Calista will have a part to play in things to come. I do not believe in coincidence you see. A Jedi and a Sith both being summoned to this world through magic beyond my understanding. Magic which does not fail to summon the perfect being at the perfect time for the perfect person. You see it in every familiar. Calista and I are no exceptions. Though for what purpose, I do not yet know."

"I'm just not comfortable with that. Keeping Calista away from the Queen isn't simple. Louise is very close to Her Majesty. Calista is very close to Louise. Through Louise, Calista would always have the Queen's ear. Directly or indirectly. I can't just tell the Queen not to have a relationship with, I dare say, her only friend."

"We all have a destiny. Yet we all have free will. Louise will have choices placed before her. I would reserve judgement of her until she has actually done something worthy of note. But I can not foresee her becoming a Sith. That does not appear to be in her nature. But she's young, impressionable, eager, and inexperienced. She will be molded by the events to come just as much as she'll be molded by her master. Into what I can not say. Only time will tell. But for your part. As I have said. Be mindful, and observant. Do your duty to the best of your ability. Trust your instincts."

"My instincts tell me this is way over my head… But I'll think about what you've said. This is why I prefer to deal with criminals. It's cut and dry. The law is set, and must be enforced. But things like this… Way over my head."

"Even the law is not so cut and dry my friend. Laws are created by people. Because of this, the law is fallible. The law is set, but is seldom applied equally to all. Thus, true justice can not always be served by the blunt application of the law."

"I remember your lecture. Just another aspect of my world being turned upside down, thank you."

Julio chuckled to himself. "All you can do is what you feel is right. That is all you should do. All anyone can truly ask of you."

---

Nightfall was rapidly approaching as Calista and Felix made last minute revisions to their plan of attack. The city's underworld was much better connected and informed than Calista could have hoped and she had to begrudgingly admit to herself that she was grateful to have Kirche along with her. Had she not been brought here, the task before her might have been considerably more difficult than she'd previously assumed.

"This is stupid! Going at it all in one night! We'd be wide open, we'll miss things!" muttered Kirche as she considered the plan being outlined.

Calista crossed her arms and took a breath, "There was once a battle in a place called Kuat. My fighter crashed behind enemy lines. So I was forced to sneak around to find friendly forces. When I found the soldiers who had been sent to establish a beachhead for our invasion there were only four left alive."

The little droid beeped sadly, "X2 = Hates this story."

Calista smiled sympathetically at her droid companion before she continued. "The six of us had to sneak around enemy territory and conduct sabotage to give our forces a chance to relaunch their invasion before the whole thing fell apart. First, we had to contact our forces to let them know we were alive and on mission. Then we learned that a substantial number of our forces had been taken prisoner. So we had to go liberate them, then we had to secure weapons for them. Then sabotage the anti-air defenses just as we are about to do now. We had to disable eight of them in under an hour or else we would have had no hope of ever getting reinforcements. Time was tight, moral was low, and the odds were heavily against us. Just like right now."

"And? What's the point?" asked Kirche derisively.

"We got the job done. By the end of it all, only Extwo and I came out alive. But we got the job done. The question before everyone here is, how far are you willing to go to see this through? I am not under any illusions about why you're all doing this," said Calista to the gathered criminals. "You are all here now because Felix has told you to be. But to get this done I require more than your fear and obedience."

"You should really work on your motivational speeches," stated Felix with an amused smirk. "I expected more from you."

Calista shook her head, "I do not usually do speeches. But I would like to ask you all. Is this how you intend to live out whatever is left of your miserable and worthless lives? Down here in these tunnels like Gizka feasting on the leftovers of society?"

"What's a Gizka?" asked one of the men.

"Does it matter?" asked Felix with a stern voice.

Calista reached out her hand and used the Force to pull a grey-furred rodent she spotted in the corner directly into her gloved hand where she then used her fingers to snap its neck. "What is this thing? What do you call it?"

"A rat…" muttered a disgusted Kirche.

"Rat… Right. Same thing as a Gizka. A nuisance at best. Is that what all of you intend to be? A nuisance to society? No better than this lowly creature which is as much of a nuisance dead as it is alive? Or do you want something more?"

"What are ya offerin'?" demanded one of the men with a cold voice.

"I am offering you a chance to be something more than the discarded trash of this world. The chance to live lives of purpose and meaning. The chance to be more than garbage."

"Ya… I'll pass. We saw people 'helpin' us' no thanks, we're good."

"You could all be heroes. All you have to do is take the opportunity I am giving you. Join me. And I will make you all into something greater than you can possibly imagine. I do not need soldiers. I do not need patriots. I do not even need mercenaries. I need warriors!

"Go check out the 'I want to die young" store. The have a sale on heroes! I think Brins bought them all out though!" said one criminal to the laughter of everyone around him.

"Very well. Have it your way… Mud-baller!" she said while forcing a cheesy grin off her lips. "You would pass up the chance to live a life of true freedom. A life full of glory, women, power, and riches! If that is not worth fighting for, then what is? Would you rather stay down here in this stinking cesspit full of cheap alcohol and rats? Or would you follow me for a chance at making a real name for yourselves using the skills you all have to their fullest? Live by the sword, die by the sword! Eat, drink, kriff, and be merry until the end! What say you to that?"

"You had me at 'riches' count me in!" yelled Kirche with a drawn wand held up high.

"Aye! Who wants to live forever anyway?" yelled one of the other men with a knife held up.

"I do but with tons of gals at my side! Aye!" yelled another with a pistol held up.

"Aye!" yelled a third with a wand held up.

"Aye!" yelled the rest with whatever weapons they could hold up.

Then all eyes fell on Felix. As if they were scared of their previous enthusiasm at the Sith's words. He then held up a spoon, and their mood changed from anxious to pants shitting terror as surely as it would have been had Calista unleashed her Aura upon them. "I want order.. That is all I care for. I'll have it. One way or another."

"I share the same desire," stated Calista coldly to the bald man. "Where I come from. There is an organization called Imperial Intelligence. One day a young man was called in for questioning. The man walked into an office at their headquarters, nervous and covered in sweat. The Agent stood at the window and looked out across our capital city with a smile on his face. He called the man over to him and when he came, he nervously looked at the Agent and asked him, 'Why am I here? Am I suspect?' the Agent's smile widened and he looked at the man. The man felt calmer when he saw the happy look on the man's face. He then gestured out the window towards the city, and all the people going about their business. He told him, 'No. You are not a suspect. All those people out there. They are suspects. You, are kriffed.'"

"Kriffed?" asked one of the men.

"Fucked," answered Kirche.

"That man was incompetent. A pure window of luck to build contrast. Amateurish work at best. Every citizen should know that every crime committed is known, and that there will be no delay before he faces the consequences. And if he was looking out of the window he was wasting his time."

"I do not believe that was the point of the story..."

"It does not matter. Very well. We talked, we had a speech, now we get to work."

---

Calista and Felix walked openly in the street. She had her hood up. The material of her robes absorbed so much light that she was like a hole in the world ahead of anyone looking at her from behind, her black visage broken by nothing but the blood red stripes on her short sleeves. The night air disturbed by nothing but the clanking of her durasteel armor as she walked towards the first anti-air emplacement.

It was a tall stonework tower with a door at the base guarded by five armed men. According to a scan by X2-C3 there were five more inside the tower. It wouldn't be a problem for her. She relished the opportunity to sow fear and spill blood with complete abandon for a change.

Calista drew her lightsaber hilt and decoupled the blades. Holding a hilt tightly in each hand as the guards gathered to meet the approaching half a dozen shady characters walking towards them. As she drew her weapons, so did the guards. As the guards drew, so did the men walking around Calista.

"Halt! What business do you have here?" asked one of the guards.

With a quick stride of her short armored legs Calista moved up to the guard. He tried to peer under her hood to see her face but saw nothing but darkness in the night. With a swift motion she ignited one of her blades and sent him to the ground in two halves. Her head turned to the other guards, the blackness of an abyss under her hood as she gazed at them.

She took one step forward, putting her armored foot upon the head of the man she had just killed, she activated the second blade. The sharp sound of the ignition accompanied by the crushing of his skull under her boot.

Fearfully, the other guards held their shaking weapons at the ready. Calista held her Lightsabers out to her sides and ignited the second blade, bathing everything around her in the red light of glowing death as she began her work.

Felix observed carefully from behind. He knew why she needed them. She didn't know the first thing about how to disable the defense system.

But he had never seen weapons like those before. Never seen a sword style like the ones she employed. He knew from the moment he laid eyes on her that she was the worst of the worst kind of criminal. Yet something inside of him told him he wouldn't be regretting his decision to throw in with this little girl for now. But later, he knew she would be a problem that would require dealing with.

---

Kirche and Tabitha meanwhile followed the man named Achille through the tunnels which would lead them up into an alley near one of the defense emplacements where they waited patiently for him to go on ahead and have a look at what kind of resistance they would expect.

When he returned and gave his report Kirche nodded and then stepped out of the tunnel. "Frontal attack. Save the complicated stuff for when they start expecting us," she said to Tabitha who nodded in agreement. She drew her wand and the two walked with their men following close.

Tabitha quickly and efficiently dispatched the three guards standing in front of the emplacement with a wave of her staff, sending a blade of air which cleanly bisected them.

"Fire stream" said Kirche as she directed her wand to the door opening up behind the guards which lead into the tower. Instantly incinerating whomever opened it and several others by the sounds of screaming coming from inside.

"You know we have to go inside after you're finished with that right?" asked Achille in a smooth tone of voice.

"The whole thing is made of stone. Unfortunately. It won't catch fire," answered Kirche casually.

"My kind of woman…"

---

"Extwo. Run a scan at the next location. How many guards?"

The droid produced his sensor from the top of his head and conducted the scan. "X2 = Detects sixteen hostile organics."

"Sixteen enemies at our next destination," repeated Calista.

"Ten was not a problem for you before. Will six more be a challenge?" asked Felix almost tauntingly.

"No. But I would not wish to deprive all of you of the chance to spill some blood. How would you handle this attack, Mr. Felix?"

"I would do exactly what you did. Send you in to clear them out for us. Why make things more difficult than they need to be?"

X2-C3 beeped loudly in warning "X2 = Detects enemy reinforcements. / / Twelve Hostiles = Inbound to destination."

"Twelve more are on their way. It seems they are onto us already."

"After we took down three. I would have expected them to mobilize after the first. They're sloppy."

"Extwo and I will proceed ahead to cut off the reinforcements and eliminate them all. Now it's your turn to show me what you're made of Mr. Felix."

"X2 = Eager to comply!" the droid beeped ecstatically and rolled ahead of the group at high speed.

"Your little friend seems eager to fight," observed Felix.

"Are you not?"

"Come on boys. It's our turn to upstage her!" he declared as she ran off at blinding speed to catch up with X2-C3.

Calista couldn't keep the grin off her face. She felt so alive.

Meanwhile, Felix walked up to the tower with a pistol in one hand, and a knife in the other as the guards gathered ahead of him. Suddenly one guard's eyes widened in terror as he recognized the bald man. But the leader of the guard didn't seem to know who he was and just yelled for them to leave.

Felix looked at the man sideways."You don't know who I am?"

"No. Who the bloody 'ell are ya?"

"I know who you are…" said the wide-eyed guard in terror.

"Then would you care to join me, young man? I have a lot of work ahead of me tonight and the fewer idiots who get in my way the faster this will go."

The guard quickly nodded and abandoned his post to stand behind Felix to the astonishment of his former comrades.

"Now. Will the rest of you follow his example? Or will you stay in my way?"

"Who the fuck are ya?!" the leader demanded.

"This is Iron Felix man! Don't you know the Marshall of Tristain?!" laughed one of the criminals behind Felix.

"IRON FELIX?!" yelled the guards as they all quickly put away their weapons and stood aside.

"A wise decision," he said as he walked past them and then opened the door of the tower, shooting the first man he saw and then stabbing the next before the rest of his men flooded the tower.

---

"Your Excellency!" shouted a man as he ran into the former Duke's chambers. "We have an emergency!"

Brinvilliers sat up in his bed and glared angrily at the man who shouted him out of his slumber. "This had better be good…"

"The air defense towers! They're being attacked! We've lost seven already!"

The former Duke was wide awake at that news. "Alert all forces! Prepare for an imminent attack from the sky! Send infantry to reinforce the towers! Send mages to try and repair the ones that have been attacked! Do it now!"

"Already being done, Your Excellency!"

"Have the Albionians and our ships take up air defense over the city! Get the Dragon Knights into the sky!" he yelled as he started getting dressed.

---

Tabitha had just turned another three men into stains on the pavement while Kirche incinerated another two. Meanwhile, Achille was proving how good he was with his knives as he cut his way through four men and opened the door to the next air defense tower.

"Come inside!" he yelled to Kirche and Tabitha.

The two girls nodded to each other.

"Everyone get inside!" yelled Kirche.

Nobody needed to be told though. They were all running for the tower as enemy soldiers began flooding the area, converging on the tower.

"There must be at least a hundred of them. We're only eight people! What shall we do?" asked Achille in his smooth as silk voice. No panic or fear in his tone. Just curiosity.

"We can hold out all night in here if we have to. Let's get to the top, do our job, and then start killing people," said Kirche with a mischievous grin on her lips.

Achille spun his knives in his fingers and held them tightly by their handles with a bring smile. "Where have you been all of my life?"

Kirche couldn't help but flirt back with the suave man. Despite his unkempt appearance, and the blood he was stained with, he was a ruggedly handsome man with delicate features and a well-sculpted body.

Tabitha took one look at Kirche though, and understood what was really on her mind. She certainly played the part of a leader well, but she understood her too well to be fooled. Kirche was afraid. More afraid than she'd ever been in her life. But what she respect most about her friend, was the fact that she wasn't letting her fear drive her.

Kirche looked back at Tabitha, and in that brief moment, the two communicated all they needed to each other. They'd get through this together. Tabitha lifted her staff slightly and Kirche acknowledged with her own wand before the two lead the way up the stairs.

---

Calista grinned gleefully at the sheer number of enemy soldiers coming down the street. The came in by the dozen. A hundred men in total.

"We should take the tower and use it for cover," suggested Felix.

"You go. Deal with the tower. Extwo and I will handle this."

"It's your funeral little girl. Do what you want. We'll take care of business."

"Get to it then," she said with excitement as she recombined her swords into her staff and flourished the blade before the approaching soldiers.

Extwo rolled up beside her and pointed his blaster while his shield powered up. "X2 = Blast worthless organics?"

"With extreme prejudice Extwo!" she said as she started walking towards the approaching soldiers. Her staff held behind her, one blade cutting a glowing hot trail in the pavement behind her.

She held out one hand with her fingers out towards the soldiers and as soon as X2-C3 started firing his blaster, she commenced her attack. Lightning came forth from her fingers, electrocuting soldier after soldier, arching from man to the men next to him. The most courageous among them ran forward to be shot down by the Imperial Astromech's blaster. The more fearful and perhaps wiser among them turned around and fled in the opposite direction as Calista put down her hand and ran ahead as fast as she could, her staff spinning around her. Groups of men who tried to stab at her had their weapons cut apart before they themselves were bisected on the next swing of her staff.

Felix and one of his men watched from the doorway of the tower while his men set about the work of disabling the defense tower. Calista's hood fell off her head as she spun around and danced her dance of death with any who had the audacity to challenge her. Her white hair glowing and swaying in the light of the moons, mixed with the red glow of her lightsaber staff.

A moment later two men stood in front of her and she took a deep breath and roared like a savage Nexu at them, the sound bursting forth from her and into the soldiers, pulverizing and sending them flying away into a group of three more soldiers who, after seeing what she had just done, quickly change their minds about fighting and ran in the opposite direction.

Calista turned around and disengaged her staff, clipping back to her belt as she pulled her hood back up. Extwo continued shooting at the retreating soldiers until they were out of his effective range and then turned around to roll beside his master.

With a shaking, terrified voice, the man beside Felix began reciting something, "For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, and breathed in the face of the foe as he passed; And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, and their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still..."

Felix raised an eyebrow and then shoved the man inside. "It's a she, and where'd you get that garbage from anyway?"

"I read it in school…" he said as he started walking up the steps.

"You went to school? You should get your money back," Felix muttered with indignation.

"Felix! Don't you get it! She's the Angel of Death! She'll be the doom of us all!"

"If you want to be afraid, be afraid of what will happen if you don't stop gawking and get back to work," he said with anger as he pushed the man to move faster.

---

At the top of the tower, Kirche grinned as she sent another fireball into the crowd of soldiers who were fleeing for cover before they could reach the door.

"Air hammer" said Tabitha as she pulverized two more who got the idea to try and run for the door.

"Where's that Claude guy? He's supposed to specialize in dealing with crowds like this?" yelled Kirche at the mage standing beside her getting ready to cast his next spell.

"He's cowering somewhere in the tower. Want me to get him for ya?"

"Yes please. We don't have time for cowards here. If he's not going to do his job, then I'll set his ass on fire and throw him off the side to make him useful."

"Haha! You got it! Hey, Claude! Get yer ass up here!" he yelled down the stairs at the man as he moved to go bring him up to the fight.

"Being the leader isn't as hard as I thought it would be," grinned Kirche. "I could get used to this!"

Tabitha shook her head and directed her staff into the sky. "Snowstorm" she said softly as she rapidly cooled the air above them. The cold air falling and chilling Kirche to the bone before it passed and moved forward towards the enemy soldiers.

"Cover me" the bespectacled girl requested.

"With pleasure!" said Kirche as she directed her wand and created a stream of fire.

As Tabitha worked her spell the air cooled so much that ice crystals began to form and rain down upon the enemy troops, forcing them to stampede in all directions to escape her area of effect. But not before a good number of them were shredded by the ice crystals.

Kirche looked around to reassess the situation. The enemy soldiers were regrouping. And more were coming. She narrowed her eye at the ones coming down the street, "Tabitha. Those are Mage Knights."

"We should break out," suggested the smaller girl.

"Do you think it's time to use that thing we've been practicing?"

Tabitha shook her head and started walking down the tower with Kirche behind her.

"Hey I got Claude!" said the other mage as she held the shivering Claude in his hands.

"Bring him. We've gotta go now or we'll never be able to leave," said a grimly determined Kirche.

---

"How many towers do we have left Felix?" asked Calista as they jogged towards their next objective.

"Four more. But first!" he said while pointing ahead to a group of soldiers waiting for them.

Calista ignited her staff while X2-C3 once again produced his blaster and started shooting. Felix drew his pistol and fired into them as well before putting it away and drawing his knife.

It was a short, bloody battle before a few soldiers quickly set down their weapons before Calista and Felix and offered to surrender to them.

"What should we do with them?" asked Felix as if testing Calista.

Calista responded by directing her hand and promptly electrocuting them. Their shrill cries of agony ringing in the ears of everyone watching, cringing in disgust at the sight and the smell of burning flesh.

"Mercy is a weakness. And cowardice has no place on a battlefield. I will not have our enemies thinking we are soft," she explained with icy indifference as she started walking away towards the tower which was now visible over the rooftops ahead of her.

Felix nodded approvingly before walking on as well.

"Did you have to torture them to death?" asked one of the mages in their group.

Calista gave no answer. She only continued on towards her objective.

"This ain't right. I'm not fighting for her. Not after that!" said the mage of the group who was delegated to dealing with the defense tower.

Felix turned his head to look at the man, "Deal with your pathetic moral dilemmas later. Right now. You do your job. Or I make you do your job."

Calista sensed the hesitation from the mage. He stopped walking and started thinking. Felix stopped a moment later and turned around to face him. The others in the group all stopped to see what he would do.

"I will not repeat myself Grave Robber," he said and then pointed to the burnt remains of the soldiers Calista had executed, "Before I'm through with you. You'll think she went easy on those men."

"No Felix. Not this time. I'm done here," he said before he turned to walk away.

Felix was instantly upon him and grabbed him by the neck. "You're done when I say you're done. Not before."

"Can any of you other mages do this work?" asked Calista who had stopped to see what would happen as well.

The mages all looked at each other and then shook their heads at her. "Not a chance. He's the only one who learned how to do it from the other guy with the other team."

"Felix. Will he do the job?" asked Calista coldly.

"He will. I just need a moment to straighten him out. Go without us and eliminate the defenders. We'll be there shortly."

"Very well…"

---

Brinvilliers watched from the top of the city's inner wall as another tower became inactive, a scowl on his face. "What are our forces doing out there? There can't be more than a handful of them moving around the city!"

"Yes, Excellency. A few survivors who escaped the fights reported an enemy warrior who kills men by the dozens with twin red swords of light? I'm not sure what to make of that."

The former Duke sighed and groaned to himself, "I tried to kill her when I had the chance. She's certainly making a nuisance of herself isn't she? Select a group of our most elite mage knights and place them under Otto's command. Have him find and eliminate her and anyone with her. Have the Dragon Knights provide reconnaissance for him. I want this problem taken care of now. And send reserves to the towers which are still active. Mage Knights included."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

---

Achille returned to the dark alley where Kirche, Tabitha, and their team waited patiently for his report.

The man shook his head, "Too well guarded now. Over a dozen Mage Knights and more than a hundred Infantry."

The roaring of dragons could be heard overhead as a group of Dragon Knights flew above them.

"Also them. They'll respond if we attack as well."

Kirche considered the situation. "We need to create a distraction. Something big to draw them away.

"We should quit while we're ahead. This one tower won't make a difference will it?" asked Claude.

"Nobody asked you!" yelled Kirche in the man's face. "Shut up and let me think!"

"I hate to say it. But I think he's right. I just can't see any way to get this done now," stated Achille with indifference.

"There's always a way. It's just a question of whether or not we have the stones to pull it off," said Kirche as she pondered the problem. "I hate to say this… But I wish we had Louise here to cause some explosions… Don't tell her I said that!"

"Explosions? You know… We're not far from a gunpowder warehouse. With all these soldiers here, it might be more lightly defended. If we could liberate a few barrels and bring them to the tower..."

Kirche snapped her fingers. "Show us the way!"

---

"Pah! Even you're going to have trouble with this one little girl!" said an amused Felix as they observed the numbers of troops protecting the final tower.

Calista scoffed, "Perhaps. But I have faced worse odds than this. Failure is not an option. Only victory, or death.

"X2 = Recommend seeking alternatives. / / Frontal Assault = Not advised."

"I agree. Extwo, start scanning. I need options."

"X2 = Detects large quantities of explosive materials. / / Composition = 75% potassium nitrate + 15% charcoal + 10% sulfur. / / X2 = Recommends detonating explosives among enemy troops."

Calista smiled down at her little droid. "What would I do without you Extwo? Lead the way. Come on everyone. We are going to steal explosives."

"Ahhh… Explosives. That takes me back to better days," said a wistful Felix. "Come on boys. I have a feeling this is going to be the most memorable part of the night!"

---

Kirche turned around and saw Calista coming up behind her and smiled cheerfully, "I'm guessing you're here because had the same idea as we did?"

"If your idea was to loot this supply to blow things up. Then yes. We appear to be of the same mind. So what does the security look like?"

"I sent Achille out to scout for us. He should be back soon. The man works fast."

"Extwo, run a scan while we wait," the Sith ordered her droid.

"Scan = Already complete. / / X2 = Detects sixty hostile organics. / / 15 = Inside + 45 on perimeter."

"Alright. Sixty men. Forty five outside, fifteen inside. Just be mindful with your fire magic and gunshots. We don't want to blow everything up before we have what we need."

"She's right," reported Achille. "But I couldn't get inside. So I'll take her word for it," he said while coming around the corner and kneeling down beside Kirche. "They're light infantry. Pikemen. No trouble for us."

"Before we're done. The glow of the fire will light up the night. Everyone inside and outside of the city will know we've succeeded…" said Kirche with a bright, toothy grin.

"It will indeed be glorious. Everyone take what you can carry. Then we detonate the rest."

Felix raised his eyebrow. "There must be over a thousand kegs of black powder in that warehouse. Do you have any idea what kind of explosion that will create? Don't think I object. I just wonder if you know what you're doing."

"Extwo?" asked Calista while looking to her droid.

"X2 = Calculating. / / Explosion Radius = 100 meters. / / Minimum Safe Distance = 300 meters."

"So it will be a suitably substantial explosion that will divert enemy attention away from the defenses."

"More than that little girl. All this black powder will weaken the defense of the city walls. Without it, they can't continually fire the cannons for very long," explained Felix.

Kirche was shocked. "We can't do that! What about all the people who live around here?!"

"One of the first things you have to accept in war Kirche. There will always be collateral damage. The choices are, weaken the enemy defenses to allow our forces to breach the walls, thus ending this war more quickly. Or leave them their weapons, and make our own task much more difficult. If we do as you say, and leave this supply intact, our allied forces won't be able to make a safe approach to the city by ground. Or, we destroy this supply cache and the enemy will quickly run out of ammunition. Not to mention fighting morale."

Kirche narrowed her eye, "You're giving me this choice?"

"You wanted to be a leader Kirche. Now show me you have what it takes. Make a command decision."

"You'll abide whatever decision I make?"

Calista nodded.

"Is this really the only supply of black powder in the city?" asked Kirche.

"Extwo?" she asked looking to the Droid for an answer.

"Data = Insufficient."

"That is an unknown I'm afraid."

Felix volunteered the answer to the question, "There are two more stores of black powder. But this is the largest. The others are on the North and West sides of the city. This is the supply for the main gate which is where your forces are attacking. It'll take them a longer time to bring kegs from the other warehouses. Precious time of silenced cannons for infantry to breach the gate. This isn't a choice Arsonist," he said with a heavy emphasis on his name for her.

"Can't we disable the cannons ourselves after we finish with the towers?" asked Kirche.

Calista looked at her sideways, "Do you really believe we have the fighting strength here to take on their whole army on those walls? In war, you have to set aside your morality. War is an ugly, and bloody business. There's no place for weakness or indecision here. Victory must be achieved. Or else everyone who gave their lives to put us here now will have died for less than nothing."

"You're right… But how can someone order the deaths of so many people, who have no idea what's about to happen to them?"

"You have to weigh the value of their lives against the goal of your cause."

Kirche clenched her teeth tightly and looked to the warehouse. And then to her friend who stared at her curiously. "I can't… I can't make that kind of decision. I can't accept that kind of responsibility. If you give the order, I will obey. But I can't make the call."

Calista closed her eyes, she sensed the conflict in her. "Yes, you can. I sense so much potential in you. Trust your feelings."

Kirche closed her eye. "We take the kegs, but we don't blow the place up. These people aren't soldiers. They're hiding in their homes because they don't want to fight. I won't drag them into this. The soldiers out there know what they signed up for. After that, we move on the remaining towers together. We'll need to combine our strength to overcome the reinforcements they sent out."

Calista nodded her head, "So be it. Everyone knows what to do. Let us get to work."

---

Karin watched the explosions through a spyglass from atop her manticore high in the sky above the royalist camp. "The next tower is being attacked. I suppose that little 'Sith' Familiar of my daughter actually has some power with which to back up her immense arrogance."

"What are your orders My Lady?" asked her Lieutenant from beside her as she put away her spyglass.

"They should have those last towers down soon enough. Gather the Knights. Send word to General Gramont that we shall begin our attack promptly once we confirm the last towers are disabled. Pass the word that we shall begin our assault on the wall. Be prepared to engage the enemy Dragon Knights. It is long past time we re-established our dominance over our own skies."

"Very good My Lady," he answered her curtly before tugging at his reigns to fly back down and carry out his instructions.

---

Calista leapt, sliced, flipped, kicked, cleaved, and maimed her way through the remaining soldiers who survived the powder keg blasts. She let her senses run wild, indulging in the thrill of the fight. Reveling in the carnage she left in her wake as she moved through her enemies like the greatest Sith Marauders.

Kirche had transmuted her wand into her flaming shield and hand ax. A similar grin to Calista's own as she hacked her way through man after man. Tabitha just behind her waving her staff and chanting her spells. Behind the small bespectacled blunette, Achille worked his knives, slicing and cutting into anyone which dared to approach the heavy hitting spell caster he and the Germanian firebrand were protecting.

Calista threw one of the soldiers at the tower wall with the Force hard enough to splatter him against it before ducking down under three pikes which attempted to impale her. With the Force she levitated her staff and spun it around, cleaving down every enemy combatant around her before catching it in her hands and disengaging the blades. One last soldier mustered his courage and went at her. She lifted her hand towards him and took him in a crushing Force choke. She closed her fist and broke his neck before letting him fall lifelessly to the ground.

Felix meanwhile slit the throat of the last man brave enough to try and fight him up close. Another turned around and tried to flee from him. He simply drew his pistol, then shot him in the back with an irritated groan. Once he saw the area was clear for the moment he began reloading the firearm.

Kirche and Tabitha led two men into the tower to begin the work of disabling it while Calista and Felix kept the rest of the strongest fighters to deal with the remaining defenders. With all of their combined fighting strength, it did not take very long.

"We're done here little butcher girl," said Felix as he wiped his bloody knife off with the uniform of one of his victims.

"Not yet. We need to hold the area until the tower is disabled."

"You shouldn't have left that decision up to the arsonist. Destroying that warehouse would have been a crippling blow to the enemy."

Calista grinned at Felix, "Yes… I almost forgot about that," she said before tapping a button on her gauntlet. "Extwo. You may proceed."

"X2 = Incinerate worthless organics!"

Suddenly there was a deafening explosion in the distance. The ground shook, the fire rose high into the sky, the windows blew out, and the wind nearly swept everyone off their feet.

Kirche looked out from the top of the tower with a wide mesmerized eye. The explosion was beautiful. More fire than she had ever seen in her life. But even her pyromania couldn't keep the truth of it out of her mind. Betrayal. Calista betrayed her! "How could you…" she muttered with awe. Her emotions flowing between wonder and anger.

Meanwhile, Felix watched with wide eyes as the mushroom cloud formed behind the buildings. "Your ruthlessness is impressive little girl. But you waste your time with kindness. That is your weakness I think. You don't want to be unkind to your arsonist friend."

"Sith."

"What?"

Calista pulled down her hood and turned around to meet Felix's eyes. His own brown eyes narrowed in a mix of curiosity and disgust at the sight of her eyes. Where they used to be white as rice, they were now a sickly sulfuric yellow with blood red veins encircling and highlighting her irises.

"My name is Calista Zarkot. I am a Sith Lord. Not a little girl," she stated, slowly and clearly, while walking closer to him. "Never mistake my kindness for weakness. Should anyone ever make an enemy of me. My kindness is not what they will remember about me."

"She'll never trust you again after that. You realize this?"

"I do not require her trust. Only her obedience."

"I trust you to do whatever you say you're going to do."

"Good," she said flatly as she turned around to watch the glow of the fire lighting up the night. It was just as Kirche wanted it. Even though she could not bring herself to order it.

"What do you plan to do now then Little Sith?" he asked with a chuckle now finally taking note of the big red bow in her hair which completely shattered the image she projected of herself a moment ago. He wondered why he hadn't noticed it before.

Calista's lips curled into a small smile. "This is a war. First. I shall finish what I've started. Then I shall find my enemies, and kill them. I shall fight and kill as many as many as I can until my allies breach those gates and come into the city. Then. I shall find Brinvilliers. And when I find him, he will in turn find a new definition of pain and suffering for what he has done to me, my friends, and my allies."

---

Karin took out her spyglass as her Knights gathered around her and inspected the damage caused by the explosion.

"My God… All those people…" said one of the Manticore Knights.

Karin put away her spyglass, "Whatever caused that explosion doesn't matter. Marius did our work for us by putting a powder store in a residential area like that. He invited disaster, and disaster attended. All that will do is show the people how much he really cares about them."

"That is cold, even for you My Lady."

"Shall we weep bitter tears for the dead? Or shall we continue preparing to fight so that when the time comes we can ensure they did not die in vain?"

Her Lieutenant shook his head, "No My Lady. We should fight."

"Good. We're taking too long to prepare. Have General Gramont hurry up and assemble his forces! And where the hell are all of ours?"

"We still have six Sweeps on perimeter patrol. I've sent people to go gather them up."

"Very good. I just hate being patient. I'm itching for a fight…"

"I feel the same My Lady."

---

Kirche's eye was locked on the hooded Calista as she walked behind her towards the next tower. There were only three left now which needed to be taken down. Though it looked like all would be well and they would accomplish their mission, she still couldn't understand why Calista went against her word and destroyed the warehouse.

What she did know was how she felt about it. Enraged. Curiosity gave way to blind rage as she looked at the petite Sith walking in front of her. Walking as if she hadn't just murdered a few hundred people. She recalled what Felix said about her, and was once again amazed how he could peg everyone with one look. Calista didn't feel guilt for her crimes, she expected gratitude for them!

In her mind's eye, she could clearly picture Calista's charred remains. She imagined herself stepping on and crushing her skull under her foot, letting the wind scatter her ashes to all corners of the world as a reminder to everyone that everything has a price!

She found herself walking closer towards Calista, a firm grip on her wand, and the words to her deadliest spell at the front of her mind, waiting to be a conduit of her power. Her magical energy begging her for release.

"War is amoral Kirche. To fight in a war, you have to become as amoral as war itself. If you feel the need to be angry and hate me, then do so. But do not misdirect it. Focus your anger. Use your hatred to make you stronger."

"What if I want to use it against you?" she asked through tightly clenched teeth.

"If you think you can defeat me then you are welcome to try. But I suggest you save it for after we've accomplished our mission."

"You're just lucky that I fucking need you to… Louise is all wrong about you, you're pure evil and-"

"This is not the time! Focus on the task at hand."

"Don't talk down to me you little-" Kirche looked back up ahead at the tower coming into view. But what caught her attention was the group of Mage Knights blocking their way. "I don't think the powder kegs are going to get us past them."

Calista shook her head. "Probably not. This is your arena Kirche. How shall we proceed?"

"Oh! After what you pulled before you're putting me in charge again?!"

"Someday you'll see that it was the right thing to do. But for now. Focus on our enemies. How shall we combat them?"

"Twelve professional Mage Knights. We have half that in Mages here. And, with all due respect to everyone. None of us are experienced Mage Knights. We're at too much of a disadvantage," she explained while holding her wand tightly.

"Agreed," said Tabitha flatly.

Calista turned to Felix for his assessment and the bald man nodded to her as well.

"What if our Mages distract them and the rest of us find a way around?"

Felix pointed up to the Dragon Knights now encircling them.

Calista looked up and scowled. "Pathetic. I am the one who should be up there striking fear into the hearts of my enemies. Yet I am condemned to stand down here on the ground like a worthless kriffing Mud-baller!"

"What is a mud-baller?" asked Achille.

"A person who lives on a planet. Like all of you."

"What is a planet?" asked Achille.

Felix smacked him upside the head. "Is this the time?!"

"Ahh… No sir. It is not."

Kirche narrowed her eye at the Mage Knights. Their leader stood out to her for some reason as he began walking forward with the rest following close. "They want a fight…"

"I want to oblige them. But not under less than ideal conditions. Never fight an enemy on their terms. We should withdraw and strategize."

Kirche nodded and turned around, gesturing for everyone to move quickly in the opposite direction.

"The Dragon Knights will follow us. Everyone split up. Make your way back into the tunnels. Move!" ordered Felix.

Nobody was slow to comply.

---

Henrietta looked out at the city, she could see the glowing of the flames coming from behind the walls and held her hands over her heart while a tear escaped her eyes. Louise stood beside her clutching Derflinger tightly. She knew, somehow she just knew that was her Master's work. She knew it as surely as if she had done it herself.

She looked at Henrietta and wondered if she had any words to make this better for her Queen, for her friend. But there were none. All she could do was endure the bitter silence.

"I'm not sitting here on the sidelines anymore Louise. The final battle is about to begin. Will you fight beside me?"

Louise turned her head to see the firm resolve on Henrietta's face as she clutched her scepter as tightly as she herself was clutching the hilt of her sword.

"You don't even have to ask. You know I will," answered Louise.

To Henrietta's surprise, her childhood friend sounded not afraid but actually excited for the opportunity to fight in this battle.

"Agnes!" the Queen called to her Captain.

"Your Majesty!"

"Prepare the Musketeers. We will be joining in the attack."

"Your Majesty… That is-"

"Not a request!" she quickly cut her off. "I'm going to fight for my own crown. Otherwise, I will have no right to wear it! Or even to call myself my parent's daughter. Assemble your troops and prepare for battle!"

"Yes… Your Majesty."

"I won't ask anyone to do anything for me which I am not willing to do for myself. I will not be that kind of ruler!"

---

Calista looked around and growled irritably. She Kirche and Tabitha had become separated from the others. "I sense I'm the one they're after. They're focused on tracking my position."

"Don't flatter yourself. Tabitha and I are just as dangerous as you are!"

"Only in your mind…" muttered Calista as her eyes locked in on the rooftops. "Both of you keep moving. I shall draw them away from you."

"If you think being a hero now will make me forget about what you did before then-"

"I do not give a damn what you think of me. Because I allowed you both to come with me I am responsible for your lives and I do not fail in my responsibilities. Now go!" she yelled before leaping up high up and taking off running across the buildings.

Kirche heaved a heavy sigh. "I wasn't even finished yet…"

Tabitha took her taller friend by the sleeve and started pulling her along into the dark alley.

---

The Mage Knights under the command of Otto von Zebrst stood neatly in formation while their commander knelt down beside one of the criminals they managed to capture in their pursuit.

"Where is the woman with the red swords?" he asked calmly.

The criminal remained silent. Otto smacked him across the face before pulling out his wand and holding it to his head. "I will not ask again."

"Fuck you. Whatever you do to me. She'd do worse."

"I like a good challenge," he said with a smile.

Before he could do anything else a dragon landed in the street ahead of him. "Otto. That woman you're looking for. She's… Running. Across the rooftops."

"Where is she heading?" asked Otto.

"I don't know. But I suspect she's trying to make us chase her. She's leading us away from two girls she left behind in an alley. I have one man tracking them. What do you want us to do? Go after the ones she's protecting? Or try and drive her towards you?"

"No need for that. Find and cut off the ones she's protecting. Instead of chasing her around the city we can bring her to us. If she wants to protect them, she'll have to come to us. If she doesn't. Well. There's always the second option."

"I'll see to it," responded the Dragon Knight as he pulled his reins and took to the sky again.

Otto looked to the captured Criminal and began gathering the magic onto his wand. "Your usefulness appears to be at an end."

---

Fernand de Gramont had his forces gathering while he rode over to the regiment under the command of Matilda de Saxe-Gotha. "My Lady. Can you breach that gate this time?" he asked her pointedly.

Matilda looked towards the front gate and clenched her teeth. "No pressure or anything…"

"I need an answer. Or I need an alternative."

"If you can keep the Mage Knights from destroying my golem. I can take down that gate."

"That won't be easy. But I will see what I can do."

Guiche looked up at his father, and then to his hero, and then hit his fist into his open hand. "I have an idea. But I don't know how feasible it is."

"What's your idea?" asked a curious Matilda.

"We have many Earth Mages here. What if we all worked to reinforce that golem? Those Mage Knights are capable of square magic."

"Guiche, that golem is very delicate magic. One mistake and it'll weaken the golem instead of strengthening it. Not to mention what it'll take for me to control it after that," was her response.

"Then they won't make a mistake! Is it not worth a try? If we don't get through that gate on the first try, it's over before it begins!"

Fernand looked at Matilda for the final answer, "Can it be done?"

"Can it? Yes. Is it advisable? Probably not. If the spells work, great. But controlling it after that… Will require all of my efforts."

"Can you do it?"

"Can I? Certainly. Should I? Certainly not."

"I'll take it. Gather the Mage Knights Guiche. Gather the best Mage Knights."

Matilda looked at the General one last time, "There is no way they won't see what we're doing…"

"Good. Let them see."