Chapter 35

(Umbara)

"Kriffing...scum." Viathan seethed through gritted teeth that had a string between his teeth as he ran a new stitching through his flesh and began pulling his gaping shoulder wound back together. For it had been bleeding for sometime now, and he was beginning to feel tingly. He had lost blood before. Viathan was no stranger to it, but this amount he had lost was quite a bit more than he probably should have allowed. He was sitting upon a stone set of stairs as the dim natural light of the skies of Umbara shone in and were focused onto where he was. The stairs led up to a pillar like table that had an ancient text placed upon it that Viathan had discovered to be of ancient Sith origins, but in the archaic language of them as well. A language he knew not.

His now sort, black hair was matted to his brow and he was drenched in blood, his own and that of his enemies. His crimson red eyes were burning a hole into his wound as he trained in on it and pierced his skin with a sowing needle to get the wound back into a suitable position to heal. Though it was still bleeding profusely Viathan had a solution, and it was not going to be pleasant.

"No matter. I have scars all across this body...what's another?" Viathan mumbled through his teeth as he winced and punctured his flesh again. The slaughter had taken not more than an hour. Viathan remembered every moment with clarity as if he were doing it in this very moment. The falling Umbarans as they wailed, cried, and cursed him and his 'Sithling' status. An odd contradiction from a whole cult of men that followed an ancient and long dead Sith lord by the name of Darth Ruin, but who was Viathan to judge? For he cared not why these fools had labeled him as such with scorn, and it no longer mattered. They were dead and he was not. Survival of the strongest at its rawest and it filled his senses with great adrenaline. His heart had beat within his chest with such force he swore it would have pumped right out of him, and his blood ran like magma upon Mustafar through his veins. The dark side sung in his ears and cheered for his glory. With every body that fell Viathan felt his body release pure adrenal imposed endorphins through him, and it was odd. Not a good feeling, but a unique one. Oddly addictive.

He had paid for it. He had received the gash he was tending to right now, and had been beaten, punched, kicked, slapped even, and sent reeling with Force waves and pushes. Received renewed burns on his person from a Umbaran who used lightning upon him once more, and his left mechanical arm was barely functioning at this point and making very audible stress induced mechanical whirring with every move he made, and its damnable artificial nerve endings were sending a blaring but now numb sting through his whole arm. On top of the shoulder wound received on the same side of his body Viathan began to wonder if the left side of his body was cursed to be maimed more than the right.

When it was all over, and he had struck down his final adversary, and watched his body collapse from the burning saber inside his chest, Viathan wandered aimlessly through the stone halls as the smell of death, and hiss of the dark side hung in the air, before he finally reached what seemed to be a central antechamber for meetings. He had passed through it once already and slain a whole slew of Umbaran cultists. There were twenty bodies all haphazardly sprawled across the stone floor of this one room, and it was here Viathan had finally sat down upon a central set of stairs and finally tended to his wounds. Force was he in pain though. Every muscle screamed at him. His mind barely able to keep him going. Only the rush of the dark side was keeping him awake let alone sane at this point.

Hissing in pain once again Viathan ran the last stitching through that brought his gashed open wound to a more closed and treatable position, and he spit out the last of the medical string he had used, and activated his lightsaber, and looked at the crimson beam before taking in a great breath and pushing the tip into his body and wound and gritted his teeth when the burn sent a tremor of pain coursing through him and he almost screamed when he began moving it down the wound and sealed up the last bit that the string had no hope of taking care of. He pulled the saber away and took in a sharp breath of relief, and shakily put the hit back onto his belt and fell back onto the stone stairs as he needed a moment to rest.

'There is no passion. Solely Obsession.' Lord Ruins words rang through his head and Viathan thought hard on these words.

"What is the difference of passion and obsession? What is passion?" Viathan said aloud in a whisper that still echoed through the dead chamber as he looked up to the dark sky of Umbara through the skylight that allowed the dim light into the chamber that illuminated the book he had snatched up.

"Passion, I suppose is that which we are passionate about. Things we crave to do for the sheer sake of doing them. They make us feel good, and make us want to do this activity over and over again without inhibitions. Its the absence of care for what others think is good and morally righteous for you to do in a public setting. As private as your passion may be, without self restraint then you indulge, and eventual corrupt your passion, or go too far. Passion is over indulgence, and arrogance." Viathan lowly said aloud again as he thought hard on what lord Ruin wanted him to understand what he meant by his philosophy.

"Obsession. It is the passion to the extreme. You become obsessed and lose the joy of the passion that was once there. You need not derive joy, but obsess over your action. Your target, your mission, your very objective is your obsession. Obsess over clawing your way into survival. Every breath you take is a struggle. Life is a struggle in every aspect. Some struggles are so miniscule you don't even register them I suppose. Breathing, talking...walking and being itself. It's all a struggle and you must obsess to survive. Joy is not the way of the Sith. Not for lord Ruin anyways. So why should you take pleasure in anything?" Viathan asked and sat up as his body screamed at him again.

"Obsession...that is the true path to achieving your goal. Take not an ounce of joy in passion and solely obsess for that which you seek to do and complete. For once you achieve your goal it was not through joy and self indulgence, rather, through solely your...conviction!" Viathan's eyes went wide as the second creed immediately came to him as it had to Ruin no doubt.

"There is no Knowledge. There is solely Conviction." It seemed clearer to him, and yet still so foreign... No he needed to put the creed into practice. Viathan needed to experience obsession before he could dare to think on conviction.

Rising to a stand and glancing over the dead and mauled bodies of the Umbaran fools Viathan sent them a final lopsided sneer and made for the exit, and in time wandered back through the dark and almost nightmarish lands of Umbara and in what seemed to be ages of walking, upon sore booted feet, and ragged, burnt and torn clothing wrapping his body he reached the capital where the people about noticed him and inclined their heads at him in odd looks of wonder and shock at his figure. If they knew of the cultists, then surely they would know what he had done, but if they didn't then all they saw was a boy torn about from their world, and a boy who didn't belong to this world.

He briskly, and limping with burns and new scars he came to his ship long since stolen from Tatooine and from what would be a rotting Rodian corpse by this point. His eyes wearily ran across the controls and he managed to enter into it the coordinates he so desperately needed to reach now. For his journey was at an end. It was short but sweet and lasting in over a weeks time, and he could sense the bodies falling all around him in the galaxy. It was time to return to the side of his master.

"It's time to go to war." He intoned and with that he guided his ship into the skies of Umbara, then the space above the world of darkness, and then entered into hyperspace for Tapani, for he knew his master was there, and already in the heat of war, and Viathan no longer could wait. It was now time. The ship lurched into hyperspace and the swirls consumed him, and finally after over a week of self induced sleep deprivation, Viathan sluggishly crawled to the one room on the ship, collapsed upon a bed, and fell asleep within seconds. To nightmares of masked figures slaughtering millions, billions, and then trillions. Then the burning eyes of that Jedi woman.

(Tapani, Days Earlier)

Exar looked down from the Valiant IV upon the world of Tallaan as it began to burn and plumes could be seen billowing from orbit itself, and fires mingled and dotted the ground beneath his fleet as day two of the battle of Tallaan entered into full war mode.

"My lord Kun." Kinti greeted from behind and Exar jerked to the side to look upon his commanding admiral. "What is it admiral?"
"The fleet has been moved and what repairs we could attend to have been taken care of. The Freeworlds fleet is in tatters. All enemy vessels have been mopped up, and we are moving the two thirds of the fleet back into defensive positions around Tallaan."
"Very good admiral. You have done well." Exar complimented and Kinti bowed slightly but cleared his throat, prompting the Sith to keep his attention on the man.

"Forgive me if I seem too bold my lord, but the enemy fleet has been vanquished and no enemy reinforcements have arrived in time. With two thirds of the fleet prepped and ready for any incursion, I was wondering if now was the time to ready the ground forces and begin the ground assault? The bombing campaign has successfully damages all power stations and refueling plants and stations as well. The Moff headquarters has been hit on several occasions, but we cannot continue this endless campaign as we are losing bombers at exponential rates."
"A bit itching for war are we admiral?" Exar watched the man open his mouth but then quickly close it before seemingly looking for the right words to say.

"Not in the way you assume my lord, and forgive me if that sounds too bold once more, but I think we are at a critical juncture. We can land troops now with an initial bombing wave to throw the Moffs off and get into the capital city and other cities."
"You are mistaken in theory admiral. I appreciate the desire however to play general." Exar chuckled and Kinti bowed his head out of respect as Kun looked down to Tallaan again as TIE bombers flew past his viewport and down to the world until they were indistinguishable dots and disappeared to commit another run.

"We will not be taking the cities as priority targets. That's what the Moffs want. They think the Empire, and we loyalists are too arrogant and bold to not go for the prize first. No, we will land in the plains and forests and advance on the cities from there."
"As you see fit my lord." Again Kun laughed, and turned.

"Now that I have your 'approval,' admiral Kinti. Do me a favor and ready the troops on all ships, and enter this into the landing parameters." Exar produced a small data-disk and Kinti took it before handing it off to the coms officer who relayed the orders to the third of the fleet orbiting Tallaan which held the landing army.

"Now with that out of the way," Kun said and began walking toward the entrance to the bridge with Kinti in tow.

"I make for the very special troopers I brought with me."

"Special troopers?" Exar paused and looked to Kinti with a growing grin upon his features, and an odd twinkle in his gray eyes.

"Why, my dear admiral, did you not check to see what I ordered upon your ship, and never bothered to ask why I specifically ordered certain ships of the 68th fleet into yours? Or did you think I picked and chose random ships like a fool?"
"I was unaware to any of your actions my lord. I am afraid I was too caught up in preparing myself and my men mentally for this battle, and I am of course proud at what we have accomplished."
"As you should be admiral." Kun conceded and continued to grin however with an almost wild look in his eyes and Kinti unconsciously swallowed again.

"I have a most unusual auxiliary force I have added to the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps that will be joining me upon Tallaan, as I make for the surface personally and will make war upon these fools myself, and teach them the meaning of fear." Kinti bowed his head again.

"As you desire lord Kun. Do you have any final commands for the fleet while you handle the ground forces?"
"You are in command Kinti. That is all I have to order, and I expect you to not give a single inch to any, and I believe inevitable oncoming Moff naval forces, admiral. Is that understood?"
"Perfectly, my lord Kun." The dark lord inclined his head and silently made his way out of the bridge with Kinti looking on and he released a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Then he made for the viewport himself and everyone on the bridge silently acknowledged their old leader as once more being in command.

"Captain, Kiell."
"Yes, admiral Kinti sir?" The captain asked coming forward.

"Inform Coruscant of our situation and make assurances that all ground units Kun has commanded to land, indeed land. Let's also make sure our lord is transferred safely."
"Your orders?" The captain asked and stood tall and ready for orders.

"I want all bombers to make a grand escort run of the landing shuttles and transports. Have several dozen TIE fighter squadrons escort them down as well and provide support. Let's keep our lord Kun more safe...for safety sake, and our own."
"As you command, admiral." The captain rushed over to the coms station and made the necessary orders and Kinti watched as the fleet detachment orbiting Tallaan got into position to allow the shuttles the best chances at descending to the planet below.

(Exar Kun POV)

Exar made his way back through the ship as technicians ran about and officers equally so as they repaired and maintained the ship and officers commanded units and workers what to do. Everyone did well to move out of his way as they all knew who he was and bowed in respect as he inclined his head and strode past them all with his goal set and his eagerness rushing through him.

When he came upon the hanger bay he ordered his special cargo Exar entered into it sensing his forces behind the doors, and was greeted by the sight of a mass of hulking red bodies with glowing yellow eyes and barred teeth. His Massassi forces. The dark lord smiled and stepped forward as every one of them bowed to both knees and prostrated themselves and placed their heads upon the metal floor below in reverence of Exar Kun, their master.

Before him came Mattizz who keeled even deeper than most. If that was even possible and awaited for his lord to speak and bring joy and his will upon he and his kin.

"Rise!" Exar waved a hand through the air and all of them rose to a unified stand with their spears and lanvaroks in hands, and their fleshy growths twitching in anticipation for battle.

"In less than twenty minutes you will be throw into battle. All of you. We will be slaughtering enemies who dress similar to those who will be our allies in battle. However I feel none of you will have trouble determining who is and who is not blasting at you and your lord." Exar laughed and the Massassi erupted in roars of agreement and anticipation.

"I am glad you all agree. Now, ready your spears, grip your lanvaroks, and steel your bodies for the thrill of war and the scent of death, for you shall bring great honor and joy to your lord this day, and we shall light pyres of our enemies in reverence to those lords who have fallen before me, and myself. Let the Massassi be feared all across the galaxy once more!" Kun cried with his fists held high and the room erupted in roars and wild shaking of weapons and fists.

Exar turned as the hanger doors opened and in came pouring a line of more pilots dressed in their flight suits as they jogged past Kun and the Massassi for the transports that stood proudly and strongly behind his army, and Kun smirked before addressing his Massassi once more.

"Now, mount your transports and steady your arms my Massassi, and make the blood run freely!" The Massassi again cried in a great roar that men a floor up heard and looked about in fear, as Kun grinned wickedly and watched the beasts run onto their transports of choice, and Kun was numbly aware that outside the protective ray shield of the hanger he saw other transports and landing shuttles leaving the ship and no doubt joining a fleet of landing forces.

"You're with me my loyal servant." Kun declared as he grabbed Mattizz by the shoulder when the Massassi war commander made to run aboard a shuttle himself, and he bowed deeply in submission to his master Kun.

"As you will of me master." Kun nodded happily and brushed past his minion with him in tow and made for a shuttle that was brimming with Massassi, and at the sight that Kun honored them with boarding their shuttle they felt their spirits rise and the darkness within them all brimmed. As Mattizz raced onto the shuttle, the ramp began rising and other transports lifted off and began leaving the ship followed by Kun's as the pilot silently did as his orders were given and joined his transport with the now massive transports and troop carrying shuttle fleet that numbered into the hundreds that awaited Kun and his shuttle above the world.

Kun squeezed past the hulking beasts of muscle and flesh that were his Massassi and came up behind the seated pilot who turned to acknowledge Kun. "Send out a general order to all transports and escort vessels. Let's get this over with as soon as possible." Exar said the last part to himself and the pilot bowed his head and keyed in a code into his console.

"All ships are ready, my lord."
"Good. Give them the green light pilot."

"Yes, my lord." The pilot replied through his mask and once more keyed into his console and before his gray eyes, Kun watched all the many dozens of ships blast to life and begin falling to Tallaan, and faster than they came screaming by TIE bombers and fighters as they fell to the world ahead of the landing forces and Kun was more than pleased. For the Moffs would taste his power today, and yet only get a sneak peak of what his power truly was.

(Tallaan Surface)

Hundreds of TIE's fell through the clouds of Tallaan as great blasts of turbolaser fire met them head on as they screamed their horrid mechanical cries through the air. The anti-air guns of the Moffs continued to blare and fire in rapid succession leaving trails of flak like smoke in the blasts wake, and the TIE bombers took straight dives before banking up and unleashing vast payloads of proton bombs or thermal detonators as some were hit by Moff fire and were sent careening to the world below most bombers hit Moff AA installations all across the designated sectors of Tallaan. Buildings blew into flying debris of sheared and twisted metal and blown rubble of stone and trees went flying in all manner of directions, as the soil was thrown into the skies themselves from the endless bombs that once more fell upon Tallaan in full force.

Behind this fleet of bombers came the shuttles and transports as they too fell to the ground below and banked away from the fire and mayhem of the Moff weapons as some were hit most made it through, and before the Moff officers knew what was happening they were watching Imperial ships speeding over their heads and grinding to stops midair before dropping to the ground with haste and unloading their army units.

The air of Tallaan was filled with fire and blasts and TIE's screamed overhead in all directions and left gusts of wind in their wake. The whirring and metallic groaning of transport shuttles rung in his ears as Exar Kun jumped off the ramp of his transport followed by a host of Massassi, and looked over to see other shuttles and transports fall to the nearby plains by them, and some not so lucky transports were hit and boomed a mighty explosion before careening into the nearby trees or the plains and leaving gashes in the dirt as they slid to a fiery and explosive end.

"Mattizz, move all your Massassi into that treeline, and move due east. I shall join you momentarily."
"Yes master!" The Massassi howled an order to his kin and all Massassi began flooding into the trees as Kun moved toward the forming up divisions of troopers and their ground commander. A man who was with the 68th back on Alderaan when Viathan suppressed the rebellion there.

"Lieutenant Veers is it?" Exar questioned as trooper ran in all directions and the Imperial officer stiffened and clasped his hands behind his back as he finished placing a protective helmet over his head.

"It's Colonel now my lord. For my actions upon Alderaan."

"Good. Then you have command of at least a divisions worth of troopers correct?"
"Yes my lord." Exar clapped his hands in satisfaction as this Veers character remained fully under cool despite the mayhem already taking place all over as TIE's ever more, screeched overhead.

"Then I shall put you in command of the Imperial forces that will be at my direct command. Effectively you are my second from now until I release you from duties. Understood?"
"Perfectly my lord."
"Excellent." Exar looked behind Veers to the troopers lining up and ready for orders as other troopers further back already began advancing past the protective line of trees that surrounded these plains they landed in where the capital lay just beyond them to the east.

"Form up your men into assault units, and break them apart. When we hit the city limits you and your men will provide support for me and my Massassi. The big red aliens if you don't know what a Massassi is." The colonel bowed in understanding.

"I will be committing something you Imperials are not so used to. A direct charge at the Moff city limits into what is no doubt a forming front-line defense!" Exar called over a massive explosion in the distance, and Veers bowed his head to hear the Sith speak more clearly.

"Provide covering fire, and maintain your positions until I give the command forward. When our armored units get here, then mount those and move into the city! Consider all who do not present themselves to you with arms raised an enemy and fire at will colonel. We ave no time to play games with those who would mask themselves as civilians to harm our troopers Veers. So, show no mercy, and remember that you will be the one surviving this day."

"You are completely understood lord Kun. Veers assured and Exar nodded as his long ponytail blew furiously in the wind as a transport took off once more to return to the fleet and brushed just over their heads.

"Get to work Veers, we move now!"

"As you will, lord Kun. All men form up!" Veers called turning and yelling orders to the ground units and Kun returned to the Massassi and ordered them forward through the treeline. Kun took the lead and Mattizz formed beside him as te Massassi charged forward and the Sith lord numbly sensed the troopers moving in behind them.

When they came upon the capital city the found a city alight with activity, as TIE bombers continued their relentless strikes, AA guns fired in haphazard array, and explosions rocked as Kun could see trooper brigades further from he and his own advancing brigade forces that were puncturing the city defenses very carefully, and slowly. Something he would not tolerate.

"Order the general push Mattizz, now is the hour of you and your kins glory." Exar ordered and unclasped his double-bladed lightsaber, and knelt down like a predator ready to pounce upon his prey as Moff defensive emplacements lined the city limits. Heavy repeating blasters were set up in nests with squads guarding them, with lines of infantry guarding the major street paths into the city, and Kun cold even make out moving units of AT-ST's moving in the city.

'A fun proposition it will be to fight them.' Exar smirked to himself as Mattizz roared a charge.

The hulking beasts ran forward and Kun sprung forth. His blue saber sprang to life and with the Force at his command he lunged through the air and landed right I a repeater nest and completed a three-sixty degree attack killing all the troopers without a fight.

"Imperials, fire!" An officer called and a flurry of blaster bolts rung out and slammed into oncoming Massassi as others roared and pushed past their falling brothers, and Veers with his brigade came out of the treeline and fired back in a great exchange of blaster fire.

Exar laughed and spun around to block oncoming blaster bolts and sent them flying back and hit three troopers in the chest.

The Massassi reached the city limit and the ground level Moff troopers fired point-blank at the crimson monsters, but a line of Massassi skirted to a halt and fired their piercing lanvarok discs into the Moff units and impaled or severed whole troopers in two. The discs flew and severed arms, legs, heads, and embedded themselves into enemy bodies and sent them flying back with great force, dead on impact as blood ran spewing forth. Lathering their white armor with red fluid, and Exar felt the dark side cry in joy with every slain being, and threw himself forward into the battle as TIE's screamed overhead.

Running into a jump, Kun ran into a group of huddled Moff units and went to work making long arched gashes into their bodies. Running one through with his saber still only activated on one end, before spinning around and delivering a slash along the body of another. Sending a powerful wave of Force energy into an oncoming and blasting like wild animal soldiers, Kun spun around through the air, and unleashed a connecting torrent of lightning into another squadron of troopers who fell back dead. Only after writhing and screaming.

The Massassi warriors armed with spears or blades ran at their blaster wielding foes who fired to little avail as the creatures fell upon them screaming and roaring ferociously. A one warrior leaped into the air and angled his spear down and impaled a Moff trooper, before sending a backhanded punch into another enemy soldier nearby, and ripping its spear out before stabbing the fallen man. Another beast ran shoulder first at a trooper and sent him falling back and with a sword used its full hulking force to slam the blade into the fallen trooper.

Mattizz ran in with a ceremonial spear. Impaling one trooper, the Massassi commander ripped it out and sun it into oncoming Moff troopers and had them falling back, as a blaster bolt struck his bulky red shoulder, he barely registered it as his Sith blood ran hot in his and his brothers veins in battle. Jumping and landing his spear into a man, and pulling it out to slash the tip into another trooper into the neck, and then twisting it around to rip into a troopers leg, gash it, and pull the spear out. To then force the blade into the troopers helmeted head. Killing him without mercy.

The Massassi to trooper death ratio was wholly lopsided and Kun reveled in this. He threw his saber, spinning into more troopers dug into a building they perched themselves upon as smoke billowed behind them in the city, and he then used Force lightning to hit more troopers running from the inner city to come to the front-lines aid. "Pathetic fools!" Exar laughed and twirled around to catch his saber in mid flight, and using a Force ability few knew, Kun sent a massive 'Force blast,' into another building and all glass cracked and exploded into a cascade of falling shards. Exar grinned wildly as he had for so long had been looking for an excuse to use the greater dark side variant on lightning. Indeed Force blasts were nothing but pure releases of dark side energy, and yet Kun felt no less filled with power and the dark side.

Blocking more blaster fire Kun sent the bolts flying all around before sending another blast into this new group and they flew back with such force that he sensed their pain as bones cracked, and ligaments snapped. He ran at a trooper hiding around a corner as cover and spun his saber in his hand before surprising the trooper by coming around and impaling him in his chest.

Exar noted that rockets from his trooper line flew off into the city and connected into buildings and he wondered why they were using anti-armor units, until he caught an enemy AT-ST walking out of the inner city into the fray. It blasted at the Massassi and hit a few and they dispersed into Moff trooper lines, making friendly fire too high for the armored unit to risk, and so it began firing wildly into the treeline. Rockets were fired back and one his its mark but the walker seemed to only be scorched and dented as it returned fire with a vengeance, and Kun saw his opportunity.

Running at the walker from behind he threw his saber at its right leg and severed it, and watched the thing struggle for balance, and he sent a great wave into the walker and it went flying a few feet forward and face down. Catching his saber again Kun jumped atop the walkers downed head and cut a hole open exposing the pilots who were coughing and disoriented and with a wicked smirk he sent a powerful bast into the cockpit and the men were slammed into the metal walls, and he did so again, and again, and again, until they were beaten to a pulp with nothing but the Force.

Exar sighed contentedly as he looked around and saw Moff troopers running back into the city and abandoning the front-line made at the city limits, and his Massassi made chase but stopped when he held his hand up with all fingers extended to signal a halt, and they all did so.

Exar pulled out his comlink, and keyed in Veers. "Colonel, move your brigade forward and get them into assault positions. We may have a building to building fight o our hands."

"Right away lord." Exar clasped the comlink back to his belt and saw the loyalist troopers leave the treeline and run into the outer city as h could see down the line other brigades were struggling to get into the city limits.

"My lord Kun, armored units have landed and we will have three squadrons of TIE maulers, four packs AT-ST walkers, a single dual team of AT-AT walkers, and at least fifty repulsor tanks." Veers informed breathlessly coming alongside Kun, who still stood tall and proudly atop the downed walker.

"Very good colonel. Under my order order five tanks, a walker pack and a mauler squad to your command. When they move up we begin our main assault into the city. The city limits is the easy part. The closer to the center we enter the harder it shall be to root out enemy trooper positions." Exar commented as his Massassi formed up once more into position and awaited his move orders. TIE's flew overhead and toward the other brigades assaulting the city limits and dropped payloads on the most outer sectors of the city and weakened the enemy dug-in positions and softening the Moff lines was desirable to allow the loyalist forces to puncture the city and begin the real strike.

"Very good my lord." Veers responded and pulled his comlink to relay the commands, and Kun also heard his own com blare and he snatched it back up.

"What is it?" Exar demanded in a softer voice that hid his irritation.

"Forgive me my lord, but we have an update for you on the assaults taking place all across the world not only at the capital." Kinti spoke as Kun looked down to his small holo-image. "Then report admiral."
"Right away my lord." The man cleared his throat and brought his fist up to his mouth as nervousness forced this gesture out of him, and Kun smirked ever so slightly.

"All major cities are under assault and we are making initial progress. However we are indeed meeting heavy resistance on all fronts and the capital, which you are striking out at, is proving very difficult for most to penetrate the outer-city limits. We are routing all armored units down to the planet as we speak and secondary reinforcement waves are on the way. Smaller cities or I suppose villages you could call them are not under direct assault as of yet my lord, but we are utilizing a bombing campaign to strike fear into the populace, and teach them a lesson for their betrayal."

"Very good admiral. Keep me posted, and ensure you keep the pressure on the Moffs with the bombers." The admiral bowed. "As you command my lord." Exar inclined his head and the conversation was cut and he returned his attention to the city which was practically roaring with explosions and billowing smokes as blaster fire and AA turbolasers fired continuously.

"Force...I missed this." Exar said aloud and folded his arms across his chest and awaited his armored units for the real assault.

(Tallaan Orbit)

Kinti backed away from the bridge coms console and returned to the front of the bridge. He looked down and saw Tallaan come alight as from space itself billowing smoke could be seen rising all over the planet. It sent an odd, yet numb thrill through Kinti, and he felt pleased with he and his crews work. Throwing the Moffs out of the planet and system, and now beginning the full assault on the planet was something Kinti had not felt since his singular combat assignment in the Outer-Rim for some primitive world conquest.

"Admiral Kinti!" Kinti turned and saw his navigation's officer looking at his console screen very intently.

"What is it?"
"The long range sensors are picking up reentry spikes!" The man cried and Kinti furrowed his brow as he made to go to the computer bu then he saw it. Outside the viewport entered into the front of the other two-thirds of the fleet a new fleet of Imperial build and they began firing into the other two-thirds with great ferocity.

"For Force sakes." Kinti breathed, and turned to the coms officer.

"Order all nonessential ships for the ground invasion to break away from orbit and reinforce the main lines."
"Aye, admiral sir!" The officer replied and Kinti watched as the space around Tallaan lit up once more, and the full bloodiness of this one battle in the war truly became.

Authors Note: Hey everyone. Here's another update! I hope it is to your liking and approval, and as per the usual please point out or excuse any and all grammatical errors, and enjoy!