Shadowburst Enigma - Thank you for the very kind review. I look back at the first chapters that I publish and I think I've improved a ton since then. I'm glad you found it again after the first book ended - I do think that book 2 was good but not as good as the original, but book 3 is the best - just wait and see, there is plenty more twists and turns to come.

LordDarthYoda - Well those impetuous little Padawans put their plan into action without consulting an adult! Stupid, right? (Pretty much). Lirri really let logic go by the wayside when dealing with her father, which as you said, is unlike her. But, for once, your forcasting of doom and gloom for our heroic Padawans is off target - it wasn't an ambush at all (amazingly).

thejoker122 - It's just about time in the story where things are going to be happening in every chapter, so you're right.

A/N - This is more of an 'update' chapter before everything starts kicking off. Funnily enough, since Christmas falls on a Sunday, I'll be publishing a chapter that day. And I looked at what chapter it's going to be...and it's not exactly a tale full of Christmas hope and good cheer thats for sure.

Anyways, all reviews, follows, and favourites are deeply appreciated as always.

Please enjoy the next chapter.

Chapter 39: From the Battlefield

"We are almost back from where we started this campaign from. Gamudo is the final city that we do not control, and once it falls, we will control all four major cities. That for all intents and purposes would make us rulers of Ubrora."

But that isn't what keeps me up at night. Maybe now seems like an odd time to grow a conscience, but I can't help it. I keep replaying that conversation with that Jedi Knight. Am I truly doing the wrong thing here? Is it even my place to think about such things? I swore the oath of a soldier, to serve my superiors to the best of my ability. But what happens when your superiors are monsters, and the people you are fighting against are only protecting their homes? Can I go against all the oaths that I've sworn? I'm not sure I can. A braver man than I probably could, but not me, not Pravin Ecalt.

-From the Journal of Pravin Ecalt, twenty-one days in to the Invasion of Ubrora

The problem with being a General in wartime was that you didn't get much time for yourself, found Aurine Brynar. She had been getting a crash course on how being in charge of the defence of an entire planet was vastly different from the simulations she liked to run in the comfort of the Jedi Temple. The first thing that was sacrificed was sleep. Not a huge deal for a Jedi Knight, but still, having no downtime was taking a toll on her, little by little. The second was that because the Ubroran army had been such an afterthought, it didn't have the bureaucracy or the support to wage a long, gruelling campaign like this. Supplies weren't getting to the soldiers in the field, despite there being no real reason that they couldn't get there. Headache after headache all came to her, because outside of Colonel Auber Jeffs, there wasn't much of a 'staff' on hand to help.

At least Tiplee had returned a few days ago from another of her many forays against the droids. The Rishati was battered but still undaunted, and she had come to meet her here at Hesse Base, a base outside of Gamudo, so that they could plan the next stage of their defence of Ubrora. They also needed to check in with their Padawans, as they hadn't talked to them in quite a while, since after they had started moving around after their near-death experience.

Aurine paused to lean against a nearby wall, feeling her knees go weak for a second. Their Padawans had been ever so close to being vaporized in that explosion at the communications tower, and it pained her deeply that they had to take such a risk in the first place, and that she hadn't been around to help their recovery. Attachment goes both ways, she reminded herself. While most Jedi thought of attachment in terms of strong, romantic emotions, she was being torn by a different sort of emotion, a sort of maternal protective instinct for her apprentice.

"Aurine?"

She whirled quickly and was starting to drop into a defensive position when she figured out that the soft voice that had called her name actually belonged to her fellow Jedi Knight. "Kriff, Tiplee, you scared the hell out of me!"

Tiplee looked nonplussed, "Sorry Aurine, I didn't think I was sneaking up on you."

Aurine threw her arms up in frustration, gesticulating angrily at Tiplee,"You came from behind me, with your Force presence muted…how again was I supposed to know you were coming?"

"I…wasn't thinking very clearly," Tiplee admitted quietly, "I'm having trouble adapting back into more peaceful surroundings. I think I've been in the field for too long. I've become to accustomed to war."

Aurine grunted, and made a dismissive gesture with her hand, like a commuter may have made at another driver in rush hour, before she realized that she was reacting more out of anger towards being caught in a weak moment, than any legitimate grievance she had with her friend. "Sorry Tiplee, I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's okay, I understand how much pressure we are all under."

A Jedi can be at home in any circumstance, she said to herself quietly. The saying was a common mantra that all Jedi learned when they were younger, and one that she had found resonance with on many occasions. Right now though, she didn't think she could fit into this, she didn't think she wanted to ever fit into this craziness.

"We should talk to the Padawans, while we have a moment," said Tiplee.

"Yes, let's find a room," she responded, raking her eyes around the hallways, trying to find a quiet room. The pair of Jedi walked for a moment before they could find a room free of occupants, and that had a door that would offer them privacy. Finally they found a room that suited them and Aurine shut and locked the door behind them before removing her comlink and dialing for the Padawans. The one remaining comlink owned by the Padawans answered with a burst of static, a solemn reminder that while the Padawans had recovered from their near-death experience, some of their electronics had not.

"Are you there, Padawans?" Aurine Brynar asked into her comlink.

"I'm here," said Nara, "Um, Sascha just walked away for a second, let me find him."

There was some static on the line as Nara's voice faded slightly, "Ok, he's coming back."

"Master? I'm here."

A small lump formed in Aurine's throat when she heard her Padawan's voice. It had been…Force, how had it been since she had seen him last? Yet, even without seeing him, she knew that he had changed. No longer did his voice carry his usual youthful enthusiasm, or his slight, sarcastic twang. He was being beaten down by the grind of having to watch friends and allies get hurt and killed on a daily basis. While neither she nor Sascha were strangers to death, having seen it on many different missions, it was just different watching a planet slowly get enveloped by the faceless droid army. She wondered every day if she should pull him back, if she should try to find a way to get he and Nara off this planet or at the very least, out of the thick of the fighting. But she knew that as 'General' Brynar, she had to use every asset available to her, and what better military asset was there then a pair of Padawans?

She cleared her throat with a cough before speaking, "So how did your meeting with Murgo Boikana go?"

"It was…interesting," replied Nara, her tone as well suggesting more caution then her usual breezy enthusiasm, clearly Sascha wasn't the only one being forced to grow up quickly. "Coren Vox was there with Mayor Boikana," she said, "It looks like he's going to be a sort of 'special enforcer' for the Mayor …and also I kind of revealed myself as being the apprentice of the Jedi who captured him."

Aurine smacked her palm into her forehead, while Tiplee's features hardened noticeably, "What have I told you about saying too much, Padawan Nalto?" the Rishati said in a stern tone.

"That my big mouth will someday get me in trouble," the Togruta said miserably.

"From everything Nara tells me, Coren Vox is a pretty nasty piece of work, do you have any advice for dealing with him, Master Tiplee?" asked Sascha, showing his usual grace in turning the conversation towards something productive.

"Yes, stay away from him," Tiplee said flatly. "It took me and my sister weeks to hunt him down and the ensuing fight with him and his followers was a dangerous one. Tiplar still has a scar on her abdomen from the near-fatal wound that Coren Vox gave her. He is not someone for a pair of Padawans to take on, especially a pair of Padawans that should be recovering, not insulting seasoned Mandalorian warriors."

Aurine felt herself nodding along with Tiplee as she berated their apprentices for their foolish, youthful hubris. With a sizzle of static from the comlink making his voice fainter than usual, Sascha responded, "With respect, Master Tiplee, if we aren't out there against Coren Vox, the Ubrorans stand no chance against him and his other followers. So it's either we go out with the resistance fighters, or we pack it all up and come back to you."

"And given that we've been pretty public in our appearances with the resistance in Bontha, if we suddenly stop showing up, people will assume that we ran...it will have a poor effect on morale," Nara added.

The two Jedi Knights shared a look and a grimace. The Ubrorans were not embracing the various resistances that had popped up across the planet with the gusto she had anticipated. Sure, there were reasonable sized groups in the cities, but nothing like the wave of enthusiasm she expected when an entire planet was being invaded. Ubrorans just didn't do combat. Or perhaps, they knew a losing fight when they saw one.

The one exception, so far, had been the resistance in Bontha, which had the benefit of the captivating presence of Lirri Boikana as the charismatic leader of the scattered fighters. But remove Sascha and Nara from the equation, and it might fall apart, at a time where she badly needed any distraction to the incoming army that was available to her.

"You have to stay in Bontha," she said, her heart heavy with regret.

Tiplee's feathery hair seemed to deflate upon hearing that phrase, but, she chimed in, "Make sure you have a plan in dealing with this new wrinkle, Padawans."

"We already have one," Sascha declared, "Nara and l will stay together, and always take a large group of resistance fighters with us. Our default plan will be to cover the escape of our Ubroran allies, and then run. I think that makes sense."

"Only if you agree though," added the Togruta somewhat unnecessarily.

"It's the start of a good plan, but not a fully formed plan," she opined.

"The best plans are flexible, you've taught me that, Master Brynar."

Aurine had to admit that Sascha had taken her tactical lessons to heart. "Okay Padawan, I trust you to make the best use of your resources. But remember that the both of you are the best resources we have in stopping this droid army. That means no heroics and lots of rest."

"We will, Master Brynar. I'll make sure Sascha gets his rest."

"And I'll try to prevent Nara from any unnecessary heroics."

"Hey, all my heroics are necessary," said Nara, with a little bit of her trademark frivolity.

"Padawans," said Tiplee sternly, "Please remain focused on the task at hand. Do you have any questions or requests of either myself or Master Brynar? We may be out of communication for a few days."

"I can't think of anything. We'll report if anything of significance happens here in Bontha," said Sascha.

"Sounds good, may the Force be with you, Padawans," she said.

"Be careful," added Tiplee somewhat unnecessarily.

"May the Force be with you, Masters," said Sascha and Nara, in perfect harmony. With an ear-splitting pop, the transmission from Bontha cut out.

Struggling to keep her emotions in check, she feigned confidence and turned to Tiplee, "What do you think of these new revelations?"

The Rishati frowned, "Unpleasant. Putting them with the resistance was one thing, putting them up against Coren Vox is quite another. Coren Vox was nearly the equal of myself and Tiplar a few years ago, I doubt he's lost any of the ferocity that made him such a difficult opponent. I anticipate that he'll want to avenge his incarceration by attacking my apprentice. Hardly a desirable situation."

"I'm not sure we have another choice," she said quietly.

"Our choices seem rather limited," agreed Tiplee. "I have faith in our apprentices, they have performed quite well so far, despite that one setback. Sascha and Nara are a capable pair of young Jedi. The fact that they can laugh and be lighthearted still gives me hope."

"Maybe I should broach the obvious then. I can feel how close they are becoming, even from so far away."

Tiplee offered a tiny smile from the corner of her mouth, "I've sensed that too. But Aurine, of all the things to worry about, I wouldn't worry if they found some solace in each other."

"Distractions lead to death," she said bluntly.

"Death may be coming for us all," Tiplee pointed out. "I don't begrudge them the little happiness they may or may not have found with each other."

"That's your prerogative then," she replied frostily.

Tiplee shook her head, but decided not to continue the argument. Aurine checked her chrono, "We have a meeting with the War Council in a moment. I hope you have some good ideas, because I am just about out of them."

"I will give you what few ideas I have, Aurine."

It was a short walk to the impromptu command room here at Hesse base, and the two Jedi were the last to arrive for the meeting. Aurine knew that she was hardly presentable enough to meet the head of an entire planet, her clothes had been ripped, torn and repaired so many times they looked like a bad patchwork. And her hair? Forget about it. Never the most fashion-conscious person at the best of times, she generally kept herself presentable because she was the public face of the Jedi Order wherever she went, but right now her sandy blonde hair had become more like 'dirty' blonde hair, and not even her practical ponytail could salvage it's matted, sweaty look.

As soon as she entered the war room though, she could tell that no one cared, they were all too absorbed with the situation at hand. The status meetings of their impromptu war council had been getting more and more depressed. Here at Hesse base near Gamudo, was the leadership of Ubrora, her, Tiplee, President Mollek, and Colonel Auber Jeffs, the ex-Balmorran Colonel. Four beings with the weight of Ubrora on their shoulders.

"Let's get right down to it," she said without preamble. "Colonel Jeffs, detail the tactical situation for us."

The harried looking Colonel leafed through a few sheets of flimsy before replying, "The situation remains essentially the same as the last time we met, the droid army continues to close in on Namya, as we once again try to pester them with raiding squads. Admittedly, we are being less effective, raiding efficiency is down 50 percent and our casualty rate is up 20 percent from a week ago." "

The middle-aged human shook his head, "We estimate that the encroaching army has maybe 50,000 droids left, or around half its original strength. The remainder has been incapacitated, or put to use in subduing our cities. Still, the encroaching army has most of its battle tanks left and is more than a match for the Ubroran Army. Barring some sort of miracle or tactical masterstroke, that is."

"How many days do we have left before the army reaches Gamudo?" asked President Mollek.

"Two, maybe three, days," responded the beleaguered Colonel.

"And I assume you don't recommend fighting for Gamudo?" asked the Ubroran President, turning to face her.

"No. I've run some simulations of what the battle would look like, and our chances for success range in the one to two percent range. Too many tanks, too many droidekas, too many battle droids. We just don't have enough to fight them."

The room took a second to process her blunt statement. Previously, she had pointed out where there advantages laid, and where they were making progress, but now their advantages and small victories were hardly worth mentioning. Aurine felt at this point that it was her job to say what the situation really was, without any sugar coating, depressing as it was.

"What would you recommend that we do, Master Jedi?" asks the Ubroran President, a lonely note of hope in his voice.

Aurine folded her hands together on the table, "My council as a General would be to concede Gamudo, and continue hit and fade attacks for as long as possible, even though we will at some point cease to be an official army, and more of a 'Liberation Force.' It is possible that Admiral Varless will fail to bring in reinforcements to Ubrora, or that we might get exceptionally lucky and win a victory." She took a deep breath, "As a Jedi, I would urge you to consider surrendering. Even if it meant you had to turn myself or Tiplee over to Admiral Varless."

Tiplee was the only one who didn't look completely surprised at her advice. The Ubroran President found his voice first, "Surrender? That is your advice?"

She spread her hands wide, "I am only saying that as a Jedi, I am sworn to protect life, and the best way to protect the lives of Ubrorans may be to surrender."

"Who knows what kind of deal you could cut with Admiral Varless, especially if you were to offer up myself and Aurine to him," said Tiplee, speaking for the first time. Aurine was happy that Tiplee was thinking on the same wavelength as her, because they had not talked about this option earlier.

President Mollek stood, and began to pace, "I cannot surrender to a madman. I will not surrender. Ubrora has been free since the beginning of our history, and I do not want to be the President that changed that. Hope is not lost. The transports that should have arrived to pick up our crops may report something. People will be looking for you four Jedi. Help may yet arrive." The Ubroran sighed heavily, "Perhaps this is not the wisest choice, but I feel it is the only decision I can make, until there are no more options available to me."

Aurine nodded, having not expected a different answer, "If that is what you command, I'll see what I can do in delaying the advance of the droid army. Perhaps Tiplee and myself will lead a raid tonight."

"As ever, I leave the planning to you," said the Ubroran. Glancing down at his datapad, he started heading for the door, "Now if you will excuse me, I need to calm down the mayor of Gamudo, and then prepare my evening address to the planet."

Aurine forced a smile, "We'll leave you to it, President Mollek." The Ubroran nodded absentmindedly and exited the room.

She cleared her throat, "I'm willing to listen to any ideas, no matter how farfetched they may seem."

"Sorry Master Jedi, I was always more of an organizer than a tactical thinker," said the uniformed human.

"I don't see how to change the situation either," said Tiplee, her blue eyes staring downward at the table.

Aurine racked her tired brain for one last breakthrough, one last delaying idea, one last piece of brilliance. She hoped beyond hope that the Force might show her a path to victory, but the Force had been silent ever since her arrival to Ubrora. What was she missing? She went back to the beginning of what happened on Ubrora…she got the feeling that she was forgetting about something.

An odd idea struck her, "Maybe there is one more card to play," she said to no one in particular, searching her belt for her comlink and searching for the contact information for Arslan Ivalice. Her 'plan' at this point was little more than last ditch hope for something, anything that could turn the tables. After all, at this point, she could only dream of this conflict being over.