It took, as your about to find out, a little over fifteen chapters, but It's finally time for what the title suggests. Let's see where the first shots are fired.

Declaration

Many months passed, since the attempt was made on Griffin Walker's life. He, and his brothers, spent the next two months, repairing the damage done to his apartment complex. The day after the reconstruction was completed, Cariana went into labor, and gave birth to their beautiful baby girl, Sandie Walker, Dark-brown hair, blue eyes. Griffin was put into an even happier place, from his daughter's birth, but knew that Draahg's attack was unlikely to be the last he would hear of the Sith. After all, his wife certainly wasn't happy with the carnage.

Revan questioned what had happened, the very day that it did. Over the next weeks, Revan brought his young apprentice, in front of the Council, Republic Military leaders, and The Chancellor himself. With the Republic's military restored to it's former glory, a massive fleet was put over Coruscant, ready for anything. The Senate also elected to send fleets to protect key worlds, like Ord Mantell, and the recently aligned with the Republic world, of Manaan.

One month after Griffin returned to the Order, from his long hiatus, a meeting was called, in the High Council. Once called into the room, Griffin found that it was dark. He rubbed at the braid, on the hair that finally had grown back on his head. He knew exactly what this was. He stood back, and then once the door closed, all of the council members, all present, switched on a lightsaber. "Step into the center of the room," Revan requested. "my apprentice." Griffin did as told.

"We have seen that you have mastered the skills of a true Jedi, on many occasions." Master Bastila stated.

"Defeating the Sith apprentice, and saving the lives of two others, nearly at the cost of your own, on Korriban," Master Rand started. "proves to us just how courageous you truly are."

"All that your arm has endured, throughout your surgery," Master Mical started. "has shown that your flesh can sustain whatever pain is thrown at it."

"Facing all that you have done in the past," Master Varian started. "and doing all that you have done to put it behind you, shows us the true strength of your spirit."

"Being able to see the darkness you were drowning in, turning away from it, and returning to light, has shown us that you have the insight, to make it through your darkest hours."

"In a span of three years," Revan began. "you have passed the trials. Step before me, and take a knee." Griffin did as told, going down, pushing his fist into the floor, and looking down. "Griffin Walker, by the right of the Council," Revan started, as he put his gold blade, to the right of his apprentice's head. "By the will of the Force." He moved the blade to the left of Griffin's head. "I dub thee Jedi," He moved his blade back to the right. The braid was out, and Revan slipped his blade underneath it. With a flick of the wrist, he then chopped it off. "Knight of the Republic. You may rise, brother." Griffin rose back up to his feet. Smiling, he now felt completely at home, and didn't regret one thing, a single little bit.

Half a year after Griffin's Knighting Ceremony...

Over the planet Ziost, a suspected Sith target, three warships remained in orbit. On board the flagship, a young Jedi padawan, communicated with his Master, who was back on Coruscant.

"Are you sure about this, Master? This planet has a dark enough presence from orbit." The padawan stated.

"It will be a good test for you, Crel." Master Yuthura Ban stated, to her apprentice. "Ziost is an ancient Sith planet, the strongly resonates the Dark Side. I have confidence in your mental discipline. Take as much time as you need, and when you're ready, head to the coordinates I've sent."

"Yes Master. I won't fail you."

"May the Force be with you, Crel Vorn." The holocall was then cut.

"I'll need it." The young Jedi stated as he turned, to head to his room, and turn in for the night.

Meanwhile, on Dromund Kaas...

Darth Angral entered the chamber of Darth Odysseus, having been summoned there, three hours earlier. He was a personal favorite of The Empire's Master, and as such, confidently entered the chamber. He took a bow, and spoke. "What is your desire, My Lord?"

Odyseuss then turned his seat. "You may rise, Angral." He waited for Angral to get back to his feet, then continued. "By now, you are aware of Darth Terecept's betrayal, correct?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"If we start a new war, he may learn to crave the power he could easily take, all over again. There are three Republic ships orbiting the planet Ziost. You're most devilishly brilliant apprentice, Lord Sadic, I want him to lead the Star Destroyer, that takes these ships out. And I want him to send a message, however he deems to be the best way to do so, using at least one of the ships. Pass along these orders to him."

"Anything else, My Lord?"

"You are one of the best military minds in the Empire. Assemble your fleet. On my orders, you will go out into the galaxy, and begin taking planets, for our own."

"Understood, My Lord."

"You are dismissed, Angral."

Angral bowed his head, then turned, to meet up with Lord Sadic.

Four days later...

The young Jedi, Crel Vorn, sat in his room, meditating. He calmed all of his nerves, of having to go to the surface, of the Dark Sided Ziost, and today was the day he would begin his mission. "Sir," A republic soldier, opening up the Jedi's door says. "You're shuttle to the planets surface is ready, and waiting."

"Thank you, Soldier." Vorn responded. The soldier saluted, then left the room. He pulled his lightsaber to his hand, and stood up, walking out of his room, and heading to the hangar. After about a minute, troopers started running, as if they were heading to their battle stations. Vorn stopped a soldier, to ask what was going on.

"Orders just came over the comm, Master Jedi." The soldier started. "We've detected a large ship heading this way. If it's the Sith, we have to be ready."

"I guess my mission will have to wait. I'll stay on the ship, and do what you need me to."

"You should head to the bridge, let the captain know." Vorn turned around, and ran straight to the bridge. He made it to the bridge, just in time to see a Star Destroyer, full-fledged warship, drop out of hyperspace. A quarter-minute later, the warship opened fire, and ships began launching out of it's hangar.

In one of the Sith Gunships...

Five minutes after his ship's initial attack, the Gunship Lord Sadic captained, contained him, and four other Sith, and an Imperial Elite Squadron. The ship blasted it's way through the hangars sealed doors, and landed, before the force field could fire up. The Sith came out first, carving there way through the troops, that were still getting back to their feet, from the sudden depressurization, from the hole that was blasted through the wall. Sadic then sent out the squadron, as he sent his orders, back to the bridge of his warship. They were to damage the flagship, leaving it still operational, and destroy the other two. After the orders were sent, he joined his team. He sent the squadron to disable the Auto-turret Defense Grid, and then turned to his Sith. "We head straight for the hangar." Republic troopers that tried to stand in their path, were all too easily cut down. Before making it to the hangar, the Sith were confronted by a lone Jedi, with his Blue lightsaber at the ready. "I will handle this one. Kill everyone in the bridge."

The other Sith then charged toward the bridge. "None of you are going anywhere." The young Jedi said, as he ran forward. Sadic then blasted him back, with a Force push. Crel Vorn hit the wall, back first, and shook off some of the pain. He made his way back up to his feet, and glanced at the large Sith, red lightsaber in hand, and readied himself, in the Ataru stance. He then jumped after Sadic, using the flamboyant blade-work of Ataru, to try to break the Sith Lord down. However, after a minute, the sith caught a strike, with his blade, and then back elbowed the Jedi in the face, sending him stumbling back. Switching from Soresu, to Juyo, the Sith showed the young Jedi what true aggressive dueling was, knocking the Jedi onto a sloppy defensive position, and finally, with one swift motion, cut the emitter off of the Jedi's lightsaber, deactivated his own, and began to electrocute the Jedi, reveling in the sounds of his screams. "You are nothing short of an unremarkable, weak, pathetic Jedi. You shall be nothing more than the message I send to the Republic." Crel Vorn was still conscious, but couldn't speak. Sadic dragged him into the bridge, executing a dying soldier, with a lightning shock to the head. He then dropped the Jedi's legs, and turned on a recording camera, to capture his message. He first contacted his ship's bridge. "Admiral, progress report."

"That's the other two ships." The admiral started. "The ship you're on is offering no resistance."

Sadic then looked into the camera. "Greetings citizens of the Republic. My name is Lord Sadic. One of our own has betrayed us. Our own Darth Terecept has left Dromund Kaas, and has made it clear he will not return. As punishment for his transgressions against us, we, the Sith, have returned. And we will one by one, conquer your planets. Piece by piece, we will tear apart your Republic. We will show no mercy to anyone who stands in our way. Starting with this one," He steps to the side, to reveal Crel Vorn. He uses the Force to rip a loose bar off, and ram it through the Jedi's chest, killing him. "we will eradicate the Jedi Order. And after we have achieved all of this, we will conquer the Galaxy. And none, shall stop us." He stopped the recording. His squadron then joined up with the Sith, and other boarding parties, had already left. The Ship was devoid of Republic life, and now the final step was carried out. The Squadron programmed the ship to set course for Coruscant, and launch in five minutes. That was enough time for the Sith, and their squadron to make it back to their gunship, and leave the warship. The warship itself was very badly damage, clear hull damage, and some fire coming from separate parts of the ship, but she was still intact enough, to make the trip to Coruscant.

Almost two days later...

The flagship dropped out of hyperspace, to Coruscant, and was immediately noticed by the fleet surrounding the planet. They stopped it in it's tracks, doused the fires, then began to search it. They found nothing but bodies, including that of the young Jedi, Crel Vorn, and the message left by the Sith. They brought the message to the Jedi Temple. As the Council heard it, and then spread all across the senate, and the Republic, one thing was clear. The Sith had just declared a New Sith War, and they were bringing it to both the Jedi, and the Republic, weather either liked it, or not.

And in the next chapter, on Ord Mantell, the first official first shots will be fired.