Chapter 37

(Tapani Sector, Tallaan)

"Are you sure my lord Kun?" Admiral Kinti's small holo-image asked once more as Kun damn near rolled his eyes as the battle raged all around him. "Yes admiral. The ship that appeared holds someone of great personal use to me, and this war in general. He is an agent of the Empire I assure you, and one missing of late." Exar said with a bit of annoyance in his voice, and the admiral nodded.

"Very well my lord, we will cause no disturbance as it nears."
"Good admiral. Now do tell me of the battle above Tallaan. How goes it?" Kinti looked off to the side and no doubt received a whispered report from his fellow officers, and then stiffened to give his report.

"The Moff forces have caused mostly cosmetic damage across our fleet. However several assault frigates and battle-cruisers have been destroyed, and we've lost several thousand men because of this. However, a portion of the one-third of the main fleet over Tallaan was re-purposed and assigned to fill all potential and obvious breaches in our forward defensive lines or gaps. The Moff fleet has, thus far, maintained a static position and seems content to fire across an open region of space between our and their fleets. Dogfights between our and their fighters and interceptors have riddled this region with great quantities of debris and destroyed vessels. We feel confident in estimating they've lost great amounts of starfighters and bombers then we have, my lord." Kinti finished his report with a self-satisfied and curt nod of his head and Exar too nodded in satisfaction. Though the Sith lord did wonder why the Moff fleet remained at such far a distance. Rather than engage Kinti's fleet head on.

"Very well then admiral. Here is your directive. Keep on the pressure, and keep the Moffs at bay, but focus your heavy firepower upon all their capital ships first. I have no doubt they will use their smaller ships as shields at that point to ward off any and all your attacks. Once this happens unleash all TIE bomber squadrons and flank their now condensed fleet, and move up your own battle-cruisers, and the Tartans will probably do best for quick fly-by's. Move in then, your Victory's and perhaps your Stardestroyers as well, but only the forward positioned ones. Do not under any circumstance place your ship and our command ability over the fleet in danger, and keep to the back and in synchronous orbit over Tallaan."
"As you command my lord. I will implement your strategy at once and keep you apprised. Kinti out." The admiral bowed and the image flickered and Kun pocketed his comlink. He currently stood beside his AT-AT walker which had moved up the road at least a further kilometer before being assaulted once more by renewed Moff reinforcements, but now Kun's loyalist forces lined several of the adjoining buildings and rained down blaster fire on converging Moff troopers. The AT-AT provided critical and key suppressing fire over the masses of Moff troopers that would assail them from their forward, but for their flanks and backs, Kun had to continue to monitor and coordinate his and colonel Veers' troops who formed a more oval shaped ring of defense centered on the main road, and leaving Kun and his walker, along with Veers and his armor units stuck to the forward of this ova ring of defense and unable to push forward lest they all be surrounded and mowed down by overwhelming, albeit incompetent Moff troops.

So this is why Exar stood near to his walker, positioned behind several blocks of rubble being used as cover for he and his Massassi, and awaited the arrival of his apprentice. His frustration and anger for the boy's missing in action status as of late aside, Kun recalled the efficient manner in which Viathan led the assault on Crevasse back on Alderaan from the reports he was privy to, and right now he needed more than anything a commander who would penetrate and punch a hole through this encirclement.

Exar did not wait long. Indeed he had felt the presence of his returning apprentice not a few minutes ago, and it had hit him like a bolt of Force lightning, and sent a momentary bout of anger through him, but then an odd sense of relief. Viathan had his uses, and well, Kun had to admit the boy was so loyal he didn't even find it possible to imagine Viathan honestly rising up against him in the normal Sith way.

'What had the boy called himself? Ah, yes. The "willing slave," how oddly at peace with the fact he was with that.' Exar thought with a small rather dull smile. Viathan was, no matter what Kun felt about his apprentice, needed right now, and Kun hated to admit the fact, but knew it to be true. Plus, Vader was gaining too many acolytes and Kun only had one, and while he held his own against the Starkiller boy and could easily take down Vader's children if the situation called for it now for some reason, Kun was oddly afraid if Viathan could take out the daughter of Vader.

"He's far too protective of that girl, and needs to be taught a lesson in how to effectively take the idea of friendship, and throw it out of his consciousness in total. Otherwise she shall be his undoing." Exar remarked aloud as a massive gust of wind slammed into his hair from a AT-AT blast and sent several troopers nearby flying backward. Causing Exar to nonchalantly look the scenes over and sigh. "These Stormtroopers are pretty dreadful soldiers. What ever happened to a god, proper, and standing army?" The Massassi near to him chortled amongst themselves at their lords words, and Exar smirked as well.

Then he felt a prickling upon his senses once more and he cocked his head upward and aw a small blip in the sky, and it neared his position and bobbed and weaved from enemy AA fire, but there was not as much as there once was, due to the near endless bombing runs that had leveled several whole city districts. He took in a breath to calm his obvious annoyance with his wayward apprentice, and readied himself.

"Stay here my servants. I have an apprentice needing tending to." He ordered without looking to his Massassi, and he sensed their compliance and he moved forward, or rather back into the central region of his oval defense where his units had set down their extra ammo, and provisions as well as a small officer command station atop a stationary AT-TE transport that was lined with heavy repeaters and posted marksmen troopers fro any Moff forces attempting to breach the outer defenses.

The ship seemed to be some run down freighter that Kun did not dare guess its make or age, and cringed at its decaying metal and rundown image. It neared closer to him and he lazily waved his hand toward the surrounding troops and made it clear it was okay, and watched it slowly angle itself into a clearing free of rubble and provision containers. He crossed his blood stained arms across his chest and allowed his dark robes to envelope and give him a commanding look as done many times before and wiped all emotion from his face and rested his gray eyes upon the descending loading ramp.

From the fully descended ramp and beyond the fog of the steam being released by the ship came the silhouette of the target of his full attention, and from behind the steam he walked forward and Exar had to admit he cringed at the sight of the boy. His once long hair similar to his won was now gone. In its place was a decently presentable shorter head of his jet black hair that could best be described as seeming naturally prickly and forward facing. His eyes were not yellow, but red, a dark side effect upon someones body, but Kun knew for a fact his eyes had been yellow before. He had burns marks across his face, and had a slight limp in his walk that seemed very painful indeed. His clothing was dreadfully ripped and torn, or singed. His tan toned skin was a bit paler than before, and he had an oddly passive look in his face save for the betrayal of his crimson red eyes.

Viathan came before his master and without a seconds pause bent down and fell upon his left knee and placed both hands upon the raised right knee and he bowed his head low. "I return to your service in full my lord and master Kun. Forgive me for not returning before you sooner, but I had what I believed a calling needing answering." The boys voice was coarse and rough, and made Exar cock a raised brow at the boys wordings all the while a war raged around them in the distance.

"Do tell me then, Viathan," Exar intoned darkly as he bore his eyes upon the kneeling teen before him. "What was so great a calling that you did not return to Coruscant, or even make contact with me after being left behind on Tatooine? I already know as does Lord Vader that you were left due to...lapse of memory. The fault was not your own." Exar watched the boy stiffen and sensed anger boil within and beneath the surface.

"I was weak master. I was defeated by that same Jedi woman from Dantooine. She is allied with the rebels, and has defeated me twice now! It was not the actions of lord Vader that made me not return. Not entirely anyways." The last sentence was said under his breath but Kun caught it clearly.

"I needed to become stronger my master. I have been since you found me a boy attempting to ascend to Sith status, but remaining held back by my weakness. My lack of knowledge, and power. It makes me sickeningly weak, and I needed to go and gain more power, more knowledge and wisdom, and form my own thought, and philosophy master! To better serve you and do all that you ask of me, and to never be forgotten again." Viathan finally looked up to his master with his red eyes flaring with emotion and anger, and Exar had to admit now that he probed the boy a bit more he did sense something different. Darker, more seething and full of raw energy. Pain was radiating through him, and feeding him as well with more power, and there was a confidence within his very aura that Exar could not truly understand where it came from, but in this moment he did not choose to.

"If what you say is indeed true apprentice, the you can prove it to me through actions and leave all petty and meaningless words aside for now." The Sith lord motioned for Viathan to rise with his face maintaining his passive and unemotional stance as Viathan rose but kept his eyes staring low, but did chance several glances up.

"As you can see the war goes on without you apprentice, and we are actually surrounded right now on all sides by Moff troops, but luckily no armored divisions remain. Their sheer swarm tactics are keeping these oh so wonderful troopers of your old master pinned down, and all I require is a single opening to our center so we can slowly push through, widen the breach and puncture past and choke the Moffs in the central plaza." Exar explained throwing his hand up toward and past the AT-AT at the blocked off main square entryway.

"You say you want to be remembered? Then take what forces you need, and come up with a means of getting me my breach through their very forward defensive positions. If you fail, then you shall have died upon the field of battle as it seems you desire Viathan." Viathan looked past Kun to the rubble blocked entryway that was lined with heavy-repeaters and troopers with their own blasters being lined up and stabilized along the rubble pieces as they fired into the loyalist forces behind their own rubble pieces for cover and firing positions, and it looked to be one great mess. Though Viathan did snap his head upwards when the AT-AT moved one of its massive legs towards the left and angled its canons toward a building inside Moff territory and fired a loud bout of cannon fire into that building and sent pieces flying outward and into the main plaza and struck several troopers and other buildings, causing equal amounts of damage.

"I can do that master. Just give me a few squads of troopers, and a few Massassi if you have them." Viathan coolly replied at last and Exar smirked. A small sense of disbelief coming over him.

"Surely you haven't formulated a strategy already apprentice. You only just looked at the Moff lines!" Exar declared with a laugh but Viathan merely kept his eyes trained on the Moff lines in question. He clenched and unclenched his still in need of repair left hand and within his mind he was indeed forming a plot.

'Obsession. Obsess and you will find your way to conviction, and gain victory through sheer force of will.' Viathan reminded himself and he saw one point on the line. A single insignificant repeater nest on the very left hand side of the road alongside a building wall. Two troopers firing at random to keep loyalist forces at bay, and lined with three more troopers in various states of watching over the Imperial forces.

"Yes master. I have indeed found my entrance." Exar stopped smiling and followed where his apprentice's eyes lay. He frowned when he saw the usual number of front-line Moff troops and nothing seemingly missing.

"Where you see nothing different master I see potential."
"Explain." The Sith demanded in a new more cool voice and Viathan bowed, before doing so.

"They are lined up on rubble piles with heavy nests to fire heavy repeaters into oncoming Imperial troops. Our troops. They have a secured position alongside the wall of the very end building. We have several buildings along that side of the road, but I assume they maintain that one, correct master?"
"Correct..." Exar intoned as he brought a hand up to his chin as he began to very slowly get where Viathan was going.

"Then we can work with that master. We assault that very end building from the rooftop of the one we control next to it. We, myself and my troops jump from roof to roof, and take the building floor by floor. Begin an assault then from within and beyond their forward lines and attack their rear. In conjunction with this assault I would recommend you move that beast of an AT-AT up on their lines and disorient them with a pincer attack from behind and forward positions. I can and will handle the brunt of the attack master. All I'll need is three small squads, and a few Massassi, or at least one." Exar nodded as he began to like this idea more and more, and he laughed as he began to see the plot come together in his head, and turned to his apprentice with that old gleam of excitement in his gray eyes once more.

"Then you're in luck! Your companion from Alderaan is here, and he has proven himself greatly capable in battle." Exar pointed toward the Massassi waiting their lord and Viathan found the Massassi young blood he had trained with and Zar'kai bowed his head respectively and Viathan did so in return.

"You will take he and another of his kin. Take with you three squads of ten troopers each. Prove yourself to me once more Viathan, and either succeed or do not return and die with honor upon the field of battle. If you should return, then all transgressions are forgiven and we shall begin your training anew once more, and from scratch."
"Yes master. I shall not fail you." Exar nodded and Viathan made for the gathered command group of officers, and Kun ordered Zar'kai and another Massassi picked by Mattizz for his brutality and skill, and had them join Viathan over by a walker that began unloading several dozen troopers.

"I see you have collected your troopers apprentice."
"Indeed master. These troopers were not yet assigned position along your defensive lines. They will make good on their desire to fulfill their duties for the Empire. Greetings onto you once more, Zar'kai." Viathan bowed again and the Massassi returned the gesture.

"It will be a great honor to serve both the master and his second, lord Viathan."

"I'm not a lord Zar. Not yet anyways." Viathan retorted using the nickname for the Massassi he had befriended some time ago.

"Just call me Viathan, and I shall call you Zar."
"As you desire Viathan." Zar conceded and Exar nodded in approval as everything seemed fine and dandy. Now all he wanted was for the puncture to get underway.

"Well now that introductions and re-introductions are over, and you have your troops gathered apprentice, I Suggest you get underway with your operation, and 'prove,' yourself once more my boy."
"As you command of me my master." Viathan smiled and sharply jerked his head to the left and both his two assigned Massassi and troopers all filed toward the nearest charred and broken building. The final thing Sith master and apprentice did for one another were give each other a lingering and hardened look. The apprentice filled with uncommon confidence, and a hidden underlying seething nature about him, and the master a cool but underlying desire to see his apprentice succeed. For Exar Kun needed his apprentice whether he liked to say so or not, and so with a final curt nod from Kun, Viathan made for his troops and began his mission. The first of many more to come.

(Viathan POV)

Viathan ran toward his troops and lined them up alongside the wall of the nearest building. It too like the rest was scorched and burnt all across and missing pieces and battered with holes and missing entire floor walls, but that was of little importance.

"Form up behind me, and follow my orders to the letter, and we'll breach the Moff lines." Viathan commanded with a louder bu equally cool voice and all the troopers nodded and the two Massassi formed behind him, and he took hold of his saber hilt, and kept Darth Ruin's saber clipped to his belt.

Ahead of the group of thirty three, was another building, and beyond that was another. The first one ahead was under Imperial command, but was their target. The next one up was under Moff control, and beyond that was the main plaza, but so far the Moffs have kept up a strong amount of resistance and the pressure on Imperial troops to ensure Kun could not penetrate their lines even with his AT-AT.

"Follow me, and keep your heads down. You ten to the back provide covering fire!" Viathan called and in a flash dashed forward and directly into an open area. Moff blaster fire rocked toward him and his advancing troopers and Massassi, but he activated his saber and blocked the oncoming bolts as ten of his troopers to their rear lined their blasters and fired back at the Moffs from the cover of their building, and both sides fell into a game of pot-shooting and retaking cover. The other twenty troopers and the two Massassi quickly made it into the next Imperial controlled building where Imperial troopers on the upper levels added their own blasters into the fray, and fired back at Moff troops, and Viathan stayed stationary and flipped his saber before himself and sent all the blasts coming for his group flying back and slammed a few into the Moff troopers who shot them.

Flipping around Viathan sent another set of bolts flying back, and landed nearer back to his last ten and ordered them to now move up and they did as ordered but slower and continuing to fire at the Moffs as they did so and Viathan made it his job to protect them as well and stayed just ahead of them. The AT-AT fired once more and struck near to the Moff troopers and sent a massive plume of smoke into the air and blocked their view, and Viathan landed and took his cue, and dashed into the building with his troops.

The building interior was a mess. Shattered glass upon the floor, and some bits lodged into the wall, with furniture and décor all flung about and destroyed with dead troopers lining the hallways and the smell of rot filled the air, but Viathan tossed all thoughts save his objective from his mind and pushed past his troops and came came up to Zar.

"We can't puncture their last held building from the street. They'll mow us down with the sheer amount of shooters and the repeaters they got lining that barricade wall. So we'll take the secondary approach."

"Secondary?" The Massassi repeated inclining its head to the side, making his fleshy growths tumble to the side like hair, and Viathan nodded.

"Yes, secondary approach." Viathan pushed past him and ran up to the wall, as the battle raged outside endlessly.

"Beyond this wall is the next building over, and as we all know the Moffs hold it, and beyond that is the main plaza. I'll get us through this...oddly sturdy wall," Viathan intoned after running his hand across what felt to be a smooth and seemingly thick surface. "Once we're through we secure the ground level, and repeat the breach into the main plaza. We throw them off, make them think our company is bigger than it really is and force them to concentrate fire on our position. Cause enough mayhem and allow lord Kun and the main forces to advance and fully puncture the forward lines. Once the plaza begins to fall all the surrounding troops advancing on us will withdraw to the plaza. Or that's the hope. We bleed them dry from that point and take the capital and Tallaan falls soon thereafter."

He turned back around and all his forces nodded their understanding as his troopers held their blasters close and Zar pulled his massive blades out and the second Massassi held a spear ready with a glint of excitement in his and Zar's eyes.

Nodding approvingly Viathan held his saber up and ready. "Okay then. I breach the wall, and I want five on my left, five on my right. Zar you go right, and you," Viathan pointed to the other Massassi. "You go left, and lead the charge. I don't want anyone going up to the next levels. Once we clear out the floor, I want five more to take station on the entryway to the upper floors and you ct down any and all troopers who come down to face us, but do not move up, and that is an explicit order. The last fifteen you're on clearance duty, and I'll be with you." Viathan saw everyone once more nod and he took in a breath and allowed the dark side to flow through every inch of his body and exhilarate him. He could sense many people beyond this wall, and the Force whispered to him. He would cut them all down, and he would feed off the death he wrought.

That in mind he slammed his saber clean through the wall and watched the surrounding space begin to burn and melt away as he cleaved downward and started to create a scolding hot circle breach through the wall. On the opposite end several Moff troopers stopped and looked at the sight of a red tip piercing the wall and moving in a circular formation. They looked at one another before lining up their blasters at the sight as it finished its circle, but then the red tip retracted and the burns faded ever so slightly. Then as they began to ever so slightly lower their blasters the section of the wall weighing several hundred pounds came flying at them and struck three head on and broke bone, and armor alike and sent them flying back and to the ground before being utterly crushed.

A red light came flooding through and swept into the room. Impaling one trooper then flying across the room and decapitating another, before he one wielding it turned and with a wave of his hand more trooper lining the windows went flying away into the walls, and some flung out the window and into the blaster-bolt riddled battle outside. Behind this figure came running in two roaring red aliens with bladed weapons in their hands. One had a massive sword that ran in great fury and swept to its relative right and rammed the blade straight through a Moff officer, before it pulled it out; splattering blood about the room in doing so, and pushed the limp body into the nearest trooper who fell back shooting into the air, before it jumped atop the trooper and removed its helmeted head, and dodged oncoming blaster fire, as troopers from the breach ran in and fired back into the Moff troopers, and the beast swept itself into a group o other troopers.

Another red creature came through and jumped into the air and brought a spear through the chest of a trooper who came running from a hall, and slammed the body down, and then pulled the spear up with the body still run through and blocked oncoming blaster fire with the troopers body, and ran at the shooting group and ran the tip of his spear through the neck of another trooper before pulling out another blade and slitting the throat of a nearby trooper, and more Imperial loyalist troopers ran in behind this one and fired into the other Moff troops shooting for this red alien beast.

As loyalist troopers flooded in and over rubble and dead bodies and began firing into their traitorous Moff brothers, Viathan ran deeper into the buildings bottom floor and entered into a hallway lined with rooms. At the end of the hall was a turn to the left and rising stairway to the next floor and as he entered the hall enemy troopers came running down, and with cold split-second reaction he sent his saber spinning through the air and carved through all the enemy troopers and left them in varying displays of missing body parts and those that lived howled in pain through their masks.

Viathan called the saber back and caught it as he then went from room to room and looked for any Moff troopers and if he did he was sure to cut them down. However he only found two firing out a window into loyalist trooper positions, and he silently swept in beside them and removed both their heads in one fell swoop. Back in the main room Viathan heard blasters firing at a seemingly endless pace and the howling roars of the Massassi, and made his way back. When he came back around two Moff troopers had their backs to him and he quickly used the Force to grab one by the throat and lift him up while impaling the other with his saber, and finished the other by snapping his neck with ease and a passive look upon his face.

He noted that his troopers were firing down a hall that the other Massassi was also in killing Moff troopers left and right and Zar was in the main room where the windows were and was slaughtering troopers like a madman. The other Massassi was practically killing one trooper before jumping into another, then another, and another. Viathan halted his troopers from firing and used the Force to fly through the air and land behind a set of troopers, three in total who turned to aim at him. However, Viathan ran one through the side and slammed a kick into another before carrying his momentum and landing behind the third and brought his left robotic hand into his neck and threw his to the ground and pulled his saber from the dead trooper and brought it down into this third one.

Breathing ever more heavier he looked up and saw the other Massassi breathing hard with a toothy grin of enjoyment and blood-lust on his face, and the troopers staring at him, and he sensed awe coming from them, but he did not care for their awe. There was a battle to be won after all.

"Five of you head down the adjoining hall to your right and at its end is the stairway up. Secure the bottom and cut down all trooper who dare come down. They're no doubt waiting for use to come up for them rather than wait for them." Viathan reasoned out and walked past the troopers and pointed down the hall with the rooms he had come from, and five troopers ran down the hall and took up position and Viathan turned back to the remaining force he had. He was missing about eleven troops from the assault but it was of no concern to him. He had fourteen troops to work with minus the five guarding the stairwell and two bloodied and eager Massassi warriors.

"Alright, now the rest of you line the wall. Seven on this side and seven here." Viathan ordered pointing to the far wall opposite his breach and the troopers did as ordered and began reloading their blaster clips. "Zar, you and your friend stand behind me here, and when I breach the wall both of you sweep left, and I'll take the right. Cause as much chaos as you can and make as big a scene as possible. We must draw the Moff attention to us." The hulking young Massassi bowed his head and he directed his ally, and Viathan also noted his troopers down the hall firing at what was no doubt the troopers above finally attempting to come down. The younger Sith also ducked his head down and looked at the sky from a shattered out window and saw the star beginning to fade as night loomed, and he grimaced.

'I don't want to fight this at night. Better get to it now, and fast.' He thought as blasters and the sound of walker fire filled the air as did TIE's flying by and over. Again he closed his eyes and focused on his soreness and pain. He focused on every death committed within this building and drew n the darkness that swept across the world as death covered it, and he became reinvigorated. He could almost see the battles raging all across the world thanks to his power learned upon Lehon, though he did not go too far lest he end up going so deep into focus that he allowed time to pass him by again. Opening his eyes from his momentary pause he steadied himself and quickly unclasped his comlink and entered in his master com channel. The image of his master appeared with arms crossed and Viathan could see several troopers surrounding him and blaster fire haphazardly flying past and by him, but he seemed totally unfazed.

"Master, I have taken the bottom floor of the building, and will begin my breakthrough in moments. I recommend you push the main force in a few moments as well. Once they are disoriented by the breach and confronted with an advancing line of our troops they should recall their forces to mount a counterattack and repulse our units. A tactic we will not allow them to succeed in master."

"Very well apprentice." Exar replied with a cold and satisfied smirk. "We will begin our attack in three minutes. Do what you can before then, Viathan."

"Yes master." Viathan bowed his head and Exar cut the connection and the boy clipped the com and approached the wall. His troopers lining either side of where he was to make the breach all had the stench of fear upon them and Viathan could sense the stress and anxiety come off them in waves, but payed them no heed, as the Massassi counterbalanced them. Their auras were bright with excitement and desire to carry out further death and stain their blades with more blood. It was endearing even, and Viathan let out a breath and once more readied his saber and then quickly plunged it into the wall with ease again.

Viathan noted that his troopers down the hall again began firing and more ferociously this time, and so he pushed his saber down even harder and thought of nothing more than getting this breach finished, and ever moment felt like an hour as a knot of anxiety entered his stomach and made him only angrier at his 'weakness,' and allowed this to feed his power within the Force.

Running the saber up to meet where he plunged it into the wall to begin with Viathan stepped back and allowed the wall to cool for a moment like before and then releasing another breath he sent it flying back into the main city plaza and ran through first. The second he ran through he extended both arms out to either of his sides and sent groups of Moff troopers aiming at him flying back before he landed and snatched up Ruin's saber along with his own and activated both sabers.

Immediately beginning to block and deflect blaster fire Viathan flipped through the air several times to his right knowing he neared the barricade wall, and dodging fire and or sending it back at the same time. The two Massassi followed by their seven troopers came running out next and began attacking the downed troopers and several more squads that were inside the plaza in all manner of places and positions, but the troopers focused on firing on Moff troops that lined adjoining building rooftops and found themselves being pelted by blaster fire from all directions and above.

Viathan flipped once more through the air and this time when he came down brought his saber into a troopers helmeted head and landed behind him and swung around across another troopers chest before dodging several bolts back at the shooters who fell with blaster hols in their armor. The entire line of troopers along the barricade began noticing him and began turning to fire and Viathan only smiled at the sight as they all refocused their attention to him in desperation and abandoned their pressure on his master main force.

Viathan also sensed and moved out of the way of his own seven troopers who ran forward before suddenly stopping and firing randomly into the enemy troops who fell at the fire and some ran aside to get cover from the loyalists, and Viathan. Two of his troops fell quickly and Viathan jumped through the air and landed atop one trooper with his saber through his head, before falling with the body and rolling and slashing another troopers legs off at the knees and spinning around in a full circle and slashing and hacking at three more Moff troops. More and more from the barricade line began firing at him and he did all he could to send them flying back or away but he had to constantly fling around and block fire coming from behind or above him and then sweep back to blocking fire from the line.

Finally he landed once more and sent a massive Force blast down the barricade lien and sent a whole squad sized force flying back, before he swung around and sent his saber spinning toward troopers along the rooftops as his remaining four troopers fired at all sides and killed ever Moff enemy they could. As the two Massassi did their best to run up and slaughter every trooper they met as well, but both began to get hit but allowed the pain to merely feed them and they kept on going, and they only roared louder and sent chills of fear into the troopers facing them down from the other street barricades that they neared to.

Viathan ran at the trooper lines and sent a lightning torrent into a group of three before spinning into another trooper, ran him through, then swept under another and cleaved through him in half, and arched a slash into another, before flipping over two shooting at him and running one through while turned and flipping back through the air and landing his blade into the last and back-flipped behind a rubble piece and just narrowly missed oncoming fire as he called his other saber to him, but he seethed when he felt one bolt slam into his left shoulder. He brought his right hand up to it and felt the burn singe and all but melt his already torn fabric into his skin and he quickly ripped the shirt off his skin to minimize the damage and cried in pain as he did so but then he allowed the pain to feed his power even more.

Viathan ran back out and slammed his saber out ward and immediately connected with blaster bolts that went flying back and hit three troopers back, and he flung Ruin's saber out at a running in squad and could have laughed when they dropped down without even a single shot being fired off, and he recalled the saber and on its way back it went through two more troops. Viathan flipped over a flurry of blaster fire and landed in front of four troopers and sliced through them all in a dazzling dance of his two red sabers and quickly jerked to his left and blocked more oncoming bolts in an X formation with his sabers from the main plaza.

Viathan grimaced as he noticed nearly three dozen Moff troopers closing in on his now cleared position from the open area of the main plaza just across from the Moff military headquarters. He glanced to left and saw his last two troopers firing wildly over two rubble pieces they were using as cover and one was then shot three times in his head and upper chest. The final one saw this and once more came over its cover and fired randomly into the crowd of Moff troopers before being mowed down by a hail of fire and falling to his own death in a heap of blaster riddled scorch marks across his armor.

Viathan sneered and with a build of energy he returned his attention to the while line of Moff troopers and in what seemed like slow-motion to the boy he threw both saber at the line of troopers and extended his hands out and from them came a massive released torrent of lightning that hit the central mass of troops and the two saber hit the outer most troops and spun into the other who had foolishly lined up beside each other.

Then in a flash Viathan stopped and called both sabers back to him and caught both and released a heavy breath, and surveyed what he'd done. Over thirty dead Moff troopers lay before him, and all his were dead, and he couldn't see what had happened to his Massassi allies, and their troops, but he wasn't in a position to think on them really. As before him he noticed dozens of further Moff troops rounding from separate streets and run in o his position and take aim on him in one massive group. Thee were dozens more than even before and Viathan only growled in frustration. He was out in the open and even with his two sabers there were too many of them to block them all.

"Kriff it." Viathan seethed under his breath and fell into a full Jar'kai position with one saber held at his waist level and another saber over his head toward the enemy and he lowered down into a ready position. The entire forty-plus army of Moff troops readied to fire, and Viathan felt the adrenaline pump through him.

Then a blast filled the air, and the troopers all staggered as a massive explosion hit their left side and Viathan snapped to his relative right and saw three AT-ST's push past the next barricaded position over and fire into the Moff positions, and behind them came running a whole company's worth of loyalist troopers. He turned around as he began to register massive steps and above him came the AT-AT and it fired into the crowd as well and scattered the now screaming Moff troops and then focused on other Moff defensive position at streets entering and exiting the main plaza where other loyalist forces were also converging. Over the barricades behind him dozens of more troopers hopped the barricades and rubble pieces and began firing at random into the Moff troopers and they all began firing back in rushes of desperation and others began breaking rank and rushing back toward the HQ building that had several massive AA guns mounted all around it that had long since stopped firing. Viathan let out a long breath and eased his body as his allies ran forward and mowed down Moff troops left and right.

"Excellent work Viathan." He turned to see his master come over a barricade with a satisfied smirk on his features. Viathan fell into a kneel. "I only desire to be the apprentice you are deserving of my master. I only seek to fulfill all tasks you give to me." Exar's smile only broadened and he chuckled. "Then you have outdone yourself today my apprentice! You've allowed us to successfully break the Moff defenses here at the main plaza! They will soon fall after losing the capital and all of Tallaan will follow in its wake. We will have taken our first three worlds of the Tapani campaign!" Exar laughed as he said so, and watched the AT-AT break past the barricades and join the AT-ST's and advancing Loyalist forces march on the Moff troops who were flooding back to their HQ for a final stand.

"From reports we could gather, a general by the name of Leonhard is commanding all Moff troops planet-side. I have not a doubt in my mind that he is inside that building, and I want him for a little bit of questioning." Exar said aloud as he crossed his arms and looked at the building. The image of this general looking at Veers' AT-ST squad and his own AT-AT advancing on his position made Exar smile to himself.

"Your friend Zar seems to be okay as well." Exar noted as the hulking Massassi walked back over toward them with the other Massassi limping and being held up by Zar.

"This was indeed a victory, and nothing of greater personal use was lost either! So rise o your feet apprentice, get some medical treatment from the medic units, and patch yourself up. For tonight we end the battle of Tallaan, and finish phase one of out Tapani operations." Viathan nodded and rose to a stand before his master.

"You are worthy of being my apprentice, Viathan. Now take this new conviction of yours and ready yourself for more battle, because I think it will be the center of both our lives for a good long while ahead of us." Exar said laughingly and watched the battle continue before them and Viathan joined him in this momentary reprieve. For this was what victory looked like, and it was glorious.

(Coruscant, Vader's Palace)

"Don't you two ever give it a rest?" Leia asked as she watched both Starkiller and Luke enter into another struggle of sabers. The Starkiller boy was being obviously less aggressive then he was used to, and Luke was the clear learner in this situation. However, Luke was proving to be a very quick learner under their fathers observation, and Vader continued to demand she join in the training but Leia continued to delay her father every time. She just didn't want to learn anymore. Hard to say why but she missed Viathan's approach to teaching. It was more...friendly she supposed.

"Come on Leia! If I give it a rest then father will go crazy with both of us not doing anything. He already gets more frustrated than a Bantha with a bad itch when you continuously tell him you wont train."

"Charming analogy farm boy."

"Hey!" Luke groaned but Leia some her brother smile and she did too at his infections manner. It still awed her that they got along so well despite barely meeting a few...weeks ago now! A very few days above two weeks. Not a month ago was she princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. Now she was Leia 'Vader' of Coruscant. Being called Vader made her sick at first, but now? Now she was getting oddly used to the ring of it.

'Luke and Vader are rubbing off on me I think.' She reasoned as both of her actual male family members did have certain qualities about them. Even Vader, who in person was far more manageable and easy to deal with, but Leia wasn't a fool. She still knew he had and did things she abhorred, but now that she knew he was her father, her real biological father, she found herself being unable to hate him anymore. How can one hate their father, especially when he declared that he wanted her ad Luke, but was lied to for thirteen years and believed she Luke, and her mother dead? It was enough to make her groan in frustration because this was now the umpteenth time she had this same mental conversation and retrospection with herself.

"I could always train you as I do Luke Leia. I know you have said many times over you do not wish to do so, but I know you and the apprentice of Kun trained some. I can easily pick up where he left off." Starkiller politely said as he parried off Luke's strike at his head, and Leia sighed from the observers bench again as her two Noghri guards stood to either side of her in content silence.

"No thank you Starkiller. I'm not up to it, and probably wont ever be."

"Is it that you fear the dark side? For it is the most freeing and invigorating thing anyone can ever know milady." Starkiller declared and jumped clean over Luke and attacked the blonde boys back, but he brought his saber over his shoulder and blocked Starkiller who smirked and they broke their sabers apart.

"I don't fear the dark side. I know what it feels like to use it, and to be honest it's scary and shocking at first. Like something inside is fully cracked open and you can't control it. It's not the greatest feeling thing ever to me, but no. I don't fear it, and I can still feel the Force. I just don't wanna learn anymore. Right now anyways."

"You know, she's gotta point." Luke decided to add as he circled Starkiller who inclined his head quizzically.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, have I used the dark side yet?"

"Well...no, actually no you have not." Starkiller realized with widened and almost horrified eyes. Luke however only smiled his boyish smile.

"See! I've been keeping up with you and my father all this time and not once have I used the dark side! Leia has but feels no real difference or need to use it again. Not to say I don't ever want to learn about it, but come on! Dark side of the Force? Sounds a bit...cliche I guess. Too general and 'evil' sounding."

"That's what Viathan said in a way." Leia added as she recalled the Imperial telling her how the term 'dark side,' almost sounded unrealistically evil.

"It is true that it sounds worse then it is, but the dark side can and has been responsible for what the Jedi would call corruption. My master, your father has taught me to use the Force, and with the Force the dark side. Learning of the Force does not decide ones alignment but their use of it and their actions in life." Starkiller began philosophizing aloud and parried a jab by Luke who had a very concentrated look on his face.

"I willingly use the dark side, but unlike people like the Emperor I do not continuously bathe in the dark side and my darker emotions, and neither does my master. Being forever seeped in darkness tends to cloud ones mind far more than free it. However so does the light. What I'm saying is; it's best to use and draw on what alignment you are when you need it, but don't sit down everyday and just focus on the dark or light. Give yourself time to relax from your choice of alignment. The Force is my ally, and through it the dark side, and to be honest the dark side is the better choice, the more powerful of the two."

Leia shrugged her head to the side and conceded the wisdom in the boys argument but she still didn't feel like learning anymore from anyone was her desire at this time. She had no will or drive to do so.

"I see you three are keeping busy." Everyone once more stopped what they were doing and looked over towards the doorway and saw Vader enter. However Leia was the first to see someone else with him. A girl with red hair and green eyes. She seemed oddly cool for someone as young looking as she was.

"Hi father!" Luke replied at the sight of Vader taking the extra mile as he was used t and calling Vader not 'dad' but father very respectfully like. Which made Leia smirk and nearly call him an overly polite farm-boy again. However, Luke's smile faded at the sight of the girl and he bent his head to the side quizzically and looked back to Vader as if he knew Luke's mental questions.

"Greetings my master." Starkiller bent to his knee and Vader had him rise back up, and he looked toward Leia who smiled and inclined her head.

"Father."
"Leia." He replied as the two of them still were working on their relationship to each other.

"It pleases me to see you keeping to your training Luke. Has your sister bothered to at least attempt to train?"
"She's right here you know!" Leia retorted from where she sat with an annoyed look about her and Vader behind his mask nearly chuckled. "I can see then you have not." Leia did roll her eyes at that, but remained quiet.

"I have come to introduce another apprentice of mine. She has been training under me for a year now after I discovered her among training cadets from among the top children o her class and cataloged by COMPNOR. I want you all to meet Shira Brie." She stepped forward ad bowed to Luke and Starkiller, Starkiller gave her a hardened look, but the boy remembered Vader telling him he was not his only apprentice back upon Tatooine, and he was his master.

"Greetings." She said, and Luke brushed past Starkiller who cocked a brow at the boy.

"Hi, I'm Luke!" He extended his hand and she stared at at before slowly taking it and shaking it, but Luke did so vigorously, and Leia from across the room rolled her eyes.

'Oh brother. Luke do you already have a crush for Force-sakes?' Leia already knew the answer based on the confused waves of emotion coming off her brother and she giggled to herself as Starkiller gave Luke a funny look from behind his head.

"A pleasure to meet you Luke...can I have my hand back?"
"Oh! Sorry about that." Luke laughed at himself uneasily and embarrassingly and rubbed the back of his head with his now free hand and she gave him a small smile in return.

"Shira will be joining us in our mutual endeavor to be rid of the Emperor. We, all of us, know why we're here. We are a new breed of Sith now that my master has freed us all of the Rule of Two by Darth Bane. The dark side shall be our ally, and with the aid and partnership of Exar Kun we shall win this war and take from Palpatine the throne." Vader declared as he stepped off to the side and was able to look everyone over. Everyone of course paid their full attention to him including Cahrir and Kohr. Whom Leia could sense felt just as invigorated at the idea as her father did.

"This war will be the greatest trainer of anything I can come up with for all four of you. We are still loyal to the Empire of it shall be ours in time, but for it to be what we desire we must cleanse it of the corruption of the Moffs, the Emperor and the rebel elements like Kellia Nelrain and her reborn armies of droids. This war will not be easy, and it may take years to end, but we shall be the victors by the end. Of this, I have not a doubt in my mind." Vader declared placing his hands on his belt.

"So for now on, the four of you will train, eat, live, and work together as my charges and acolytes. The Emperor will in time learn of your positions and to what extent I'm training you, but he will not be able to rid any of us due to this war. He needs capable people, and I am most indispensable at this time as Supreme Commander. Treachery is the way of the Sith...for him. However I shall not be sowing the seeds of such ideas within your heads. Some of you do not think this way already, but I shall say this but once more here and now. I am not building a cadre of Sith that will in the end try to kill me and each other for petty power grabs. What I want and shall build is a new Sith order based on cohesive action for mutual benefit, but no less amount of rivalry and struggle. In time we will perhaps be forced into conflict with one another, but I shall avoid this, and if any of you desire to fight me for my position and my power you are free to try, but you shall fail." Vader intoned but everyone was already on the same page. Not a one apprentice present wanted to fight Vader for his position. A fact Vader knew already but felt it necessary to say this drivel of a speech nonetheless.

"If you respect me and my authority, and my ability to train you and give to you power in time to do as you will and change this galaxy in your own manners as Sith of a new order, then I too shall respect you, but it must be earned. Know too that Exar Kun is our ally as our any of his future and or current acolytes." Vader added and Leia rolled her eyes at that but said nothing.

"There may be a time when we have to fight each other, but we are to not focus on that what-ifs and presumptions of treachery do nothing but hold us back, so toss them from your mind. We shall deal with any such issues when we reach that juncture." Vader declared and everyone nodded in the own varying degrees of understanding.

"Me and lord Kun discussed in private that we will be using a 'House' system to divide our acolytes, and keep you separate from the other weaklings and fools who use the Force and follow Palpatine. Thus he and his trainees are under 'House Kun.' Until we can form a true and new Sith order this is how it must be, and as such everyone here is under the rule of myself and officially of 'House Vader.' No one's names is changed but your allegiance is to me, and your loyalty is to me first. I shall make you all powerful, and we shall rise to the very palace throne itself." Vader said with a 'tone' of finality about him, and once more everyone nodded.

"Good. With that said, Shira why don't you get to know and train with Luke and Starkiller. Leia does not...wish to train as of now, s leave her be." Vader said loud enough for all to hear and Leia groaned out a sigh, and Shira looked at her confusedly, but then turned back and nodded to Vader.

"I shall master."
"Good. You know where your room is and I shall acquire supplies and amenities for you myself." Vader assured the girl and almost wearily looked at Leia who smirked broadly at him. She knowing full well that her shopping adventure some days ago made him uncomfortable and bored.

"As you will master, thank you." Vader nodded.

"I have duties needing tending to with the war, but I shall be but a floor up if any of you should need my presence." Luke and the other two apprentices nodded and he bid them goodbye but neared to Leia.

"I thought it would please you to know I received an update from Tallaan where lord Kun is leading the Imperial reconquest, and the most recent report says another agent of the Empire has arrived and acting as a secondary commander of ground forces. Wielding two red lightsabers, and matching a physical description of his apprentice save for a few discrepancies." Leia's eyes widened but she smiled broadly at the knowledge her Imperial-Sith friend, that she never expect to be her friend, was alive!

"Really?! Is he okay?!" She sounded far more excited then Vader expected and he frowned behind his mask.

"I don't know about how he is this very moment, but the latest report said he aided in breaching the main defensive lines of the Moffs with great ferocity. I would presume from the description that he is in decent physical status."
"Well that's something I guess." Leia conceded with a smaller but content smile, and Vader nodded.

"I hope this will allow for you to now at least begin some basic training alongside Luke. You need to understand Leia, that this is more for your own safety and benefit than mine. If I or Starkiller is not around or even Shira or your Noghri who will protect you against a Force trained assassin of the Emperors?" Leia sighed and hung her head, but sadly saw his logic, and sensed the very dim emotion of honest fear coming from her father for her safety, and it honestly made her smile a bit where he couldn't see it.

"I'll...think about it father. I promise." Vader stared down at her with his expressionless mask for a while but then gave a curt nod.

"Very well then. As I said if you require me I shall not be but a floor up."

"I know." She replied with another small and calm smile that reminded Vader f another with those brown eyes and hair.

"Very well." Vader repeated and gave a small bow to his daughter, though he knew not why, and turned and left the four young Sith acolytes to their own doings and made for the war management room in his palace. Where he would get the most shocking and horrifying news yet of the war, and cringed at the fact his master would demand he come before him in no time.

Kamino was under attack. By the URM, and their forces were massive.

Authors Note: Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter, and I do hope the reunion of Viathan and Kun is good as well as the battle segment again. I do hope I am developing Viathan into a OC people can respect and not into the stereotypical OC who is just great at EVERYTHING. He will be with us for a long time, so please on't be afraid to bring up any issues or questions about him in time. Also I hope everyone can see I am fulfilling your requests with dear Luke, and making him meet a red headed, green eyed girl of his canon past a bit earlier than canon, and under very different circumstances. I do want to give a belated thank you to two reviewers who gave me mountains of input and I hope will continue to do so, time2read and TheGunmaster, thank you both very much for your ideas and additions to the story and your continued reading and reviews I hope! Also your pairing ideas helped me out immensely. ;)

So as usual please everyone, point out or excuse any and all grammatical errors, and enjoy the next chapter of the GEC!