Chapter 45
(General POV)
As the Galactic Civil War wages, a new front begins from within the Roche sector in the Mid-Rim and the Roche Asteroids themselves inhabited by the Verpine species and an armada of Imperial warships under the command of Grand Admiral Zaarin. He along with his fleet were surprised when another Imperial task force numbering four-hundred ships in total arrived in the system and slipped past any Moff patrol or scouts. Zaarin made contact with the new arrivals only to be told that the Emperor himself was bestowing them and their numbers under his command, and thinking this must be a mistake Zaarin contacted the Emperor immediately.
"Your highness, I would never dare question your insight and command, or wisdom, but I must protest to what you offer." The holo of the Emperor cocked a lopsided smile, exposing his yellowed and horrid teeth and laughed a throaty cackle.
"You would, as an officer of the Imperial navy, protest to having your command expanded and powers broadened? Indeed I must be speaking to the wrong man if you lack such ambition admiral. A pity, I had, had such high hopes for you." Zaarin lowered his head and suppressed a frown of anger before returning his gaze to the old man.
"I do not see myself as lacking vision your majesty, however, my concern is that I am not comfortable taking command of such a massive armada and doing what you ask of me. The re-conquest of the Roche sector is a great task, and while I have the full support f the Verpine, I am not sure they can handle the load of repairs and building we ask of them."
"You will make them handle the task before them or they will be destroyed." The old man lost all his laughing nature and suddenly turned frighteningly cold and sinister and Zaarin bowed his head in full submission and regret for even daring to suggest something different than what the Emperor wanted.
"Of course your majesty, as you command. I will do as instructed. The Roche sector will be retaken in the fastest possible time." Zaarin mechanically droned out and the Emperor nodded his head satisfactorily and with a grin.
"Good Admiral, I expected nothing less from a Grand Admiral of the Imperial navy. Now let me offer you another position within the Empire. One that I am sure you will take to with not a second thought. After all you have had history of...taking interest in technological advancement for the betterment of the galaxy and the Galactic Empire." Zaarin furrowed his brow but nodded along with the Emperor. "Yes your majesty...I have had prior experience with starship design and experimentation, but I fail to see what-"
"Of course you fail to see, because you lack vision, and have yet to hear my words, admiral Zaarin." The Emperor coolly retorted with a sickeningly smug grin upon his holographic face. "I am placing you Zaarin at the head of the reformed starship, and primarily starfighter and bomber development under the 'Imperial Directive to the Advancement of Naval Technology,' a trivial name developed by those who are beneath me, but let's just call it IDANT, admiral. I am placing you in command of the research and operation of this new organization for the further development of technology in the more practical means to destroy our enemies. The Moffs, and I know them well, will focus on numbers and their firepower currently at their disposal, but they lack vision for the future and advancement of their weapons." The Emperor added with a wicked grin and Zaarin had to agree, though he did not say it openly. He had known and worked with many Moffs when they were still part of the Imperial structure, and many if not all lacked vision, and a sense of advancement. They were all of them frankly...morons.
"No," The Emperor said and Zaarin snapped back into attention. "the true enemy we must begin development against is the URM and their droid armament. I...know just how capable the droid forces are at developing newer and far more capable weapons against their enemies, and that comes along with their allies and in particular their Geonosian scientists. The Verpine I feel will more than suitably makeup for our losses in Sullust, Sluis Van, Geonosis, Dac, and so on and so forth." The Emperor said, and Zaarin caught an odd sense coming off the Emperor when he mentioned his knowledge of droid weaponry.
"Of course your majesty. It would be a most honorable pleasure to take this assignment from you. I will employ the knowledge and abilities of the Verpine at once. They feel they owe a great debt to the Empire for our most generous protective actions taken against the Moff incursion, and they have fully repaired all of my ships damaged in the ensuing battles, and I feel will do all that is asked of them." Zaarin replied tactfully and stiffly as the Emperor smiled in glee and gave a nod.
"Good. Then I will leave you to your work admiral. The fleet before you carries all the scientists, schematics, ideas, materials, and war plans you will need to fulfill your tasks. I look forward to all your success admiral." The Emperor disappeared and Zaarin released a heavy breath and sneered.
"That man and his dogma of fear will be the end of us all. Yet, Moffs are no better." Zaarin laughed to himself and prepared to make a call to his new additions and begin work on the ships and battles within the Roche sector, and he needed to call into the Verpine as well. It was going to be a long campaign indeed.
(Gladiator-Class Stardestroyer, Domitor, above Aleron)
"It is something that we all must understand, and the both of you will learn this as well." Exar declared as he paced slowly and assuredly before two kneeling figures. Behind him was Arden Lyn who watched the exchange with bored fascination, and behind the two kneeling figures were the Massassi Zar and Grash who were watching and waiting for one of the kneeling figures to rise and join them in battle training.
"The dark side is the path to freedom, and the light is a side of the Force the Jedi claim to be right and only right, however, the light is not as safe as one would seem. For it has always been that the Sith have always returned from within the ranks of the Jedi. So what does this mean I ask of you both?" Exar had his hands clasped behind his heavily robed back and had a very professor like demeanor about him as he asked his two students.
"It means that the Jedi are inherently doing something wrong, something to turn those who want to express themselves away from them. Hurt them, and destroy them with their dogma which constricts while the Sith give freedom." Kira answered with a look of success in her blue eyes and a smirk of victory on her face as she cast a sideways look toward Viathan who stared forward from his place to her left with his knees under him.
"Indeed. I am an example of this, as are many dark lords of renown throughout time. The Jedi are in a constricting place in the galaxy. They deny freedoms while declaring they serve us all. It is a very constricting life where you do as told not as desired. Many would say that the Sith are similar in the commanding dogma, however, the Sith allow for you to go and do as you please, so long as you follow your commands when given, and do as told when told. Then go and do as you will, achieve your own power, become that which you desire. I will be making many changes with my order, and in time the Sith will be an order that far outshines both the Jedi and Sith orders of old." The Sith declared and had a far away and contemplative shine in his eyes before turning back toward his students.
"Tell us Viathan, what does your teachings under this, Ruin teach you about the dark side?" Kira's eyes widened at the mentioning of Darth Ruin and she snapped her head toward Viathan whose crimson eyes eyed his master and then looked toward Kira warily before he spoke.
"My lord Ruin has taught me his creed though I am still learning it myself. It is a creed apart from the Sith code and deeply delved into his arts of solipsism. Te mindset of solipsism being that you cannot be sure anything but your own mind exists." Viathan explained and Exar nodded.
"You have the holocron of lord Ruin?" Kira asked and Viathan again eyed her and gave a curt nod. "Oh what a treasure it must be! To learn from the Darth that like you lord Kun, assured the galaxy of continued Sith existence!"
"Indeed, I very much enjoy learning from lord Ruin. His gatekeeper, his holocron representative is very philosophical in his teachings. He does not desire to teach me any of his deeper powers, until I understand his creed."
"What is his creed then Viathan?" Exar asked as he continued to pace ad found it funny that Kira looked jealous that Viathan had access to Ruin's holocron.
"Uh, very well, I shall recite it." Viathan replied with a seeming and odd hesitation in his voice.
"There is no passion…there is solely obsession. There is no knowledge. There is solely conviction. There is no purpose. There is solely will. There is nothing…Only me." Viathan recited with his eyes closed and recalled the words and Kira looked a bit confused at the creed and Kun as well looked thoughtful on the creed, while to the back Arden lifted a brow interested in the differing creed from the Sith code she had pounded into her skull by the Emperor unnecessarily as she was no Sith nor ever would be.
"That makes no sense! How can there be no passion? It is a sacred and perhaps the oldest introduction into the dark side and Sith philosophy! Without passion there would be nothing but the Jedi code!"
"Then your vision is shortsighted." Viathan retorted with a cool voice and Kira snapped her head to him with a frown and sudden spike of anger flowing through the Force.
"The dark side and the Sith code, if as free as you think it, as all Sith have thought it, should not be confined to a one code, a one ideal, and a one master. The dark side is freedom from the confines of the light and to shackle yourself in the rules created by the Sith co of old makes you no better than the dogmatic view of the Jedi order as well." Viathan explained and Exar made a 'hmm,' noise intrigued with his apprentice while Kira snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Passion is a fallacy. To give yourself into passion and to allow yourself no restraints, you will make yourself out to be a fool, and you will be shackled to overindulgence, pettiness, and lack focus. The dark side is the ultimate means of acquiring power, and to forsake your search of power, and furthermore you forsake your own individuality and search for greater wisdom is the ultimate betrayal of the original Sith ideals. The strict Jedi codes and rules are what drive those who become fallen Jedi and Sith away. Every being goes through a time of self discovery and self fulfillment, and to limit and control or deny this will lead to outright rebellion. The Sith code are guidelines, not commandments to be followed or killed by. Take from it what you will and discover your own means to release yourself from the confines of slavery." Viathan declared with no more enthusiasm as if he were reading the ingredients of blue milk off a carton, but his ideas were nonetheless taken into account by Exar who seemed thoughtful, Kira looked mildly more interested but no less against the concept of denying passions, and Lyn was more intrigued. Indeed the idea of self discovery and becoming your own person through the dark side was far more appealing than simply forsaking the Jedi code for another that was all about petty worldly pleasures. 'Narcissism is no better than the lack of it. There should be a balance. The Sith are no less dogmatic than the Jedi and it is naïve on their part to not see this or even consider this as a possibility. It goes to show their blindness.' Arden mused to herself and continued to watch the engagement.
"Obsession; do you find the concept of obsession to be preferable to passion Viathan?" The boy nodded to his master and Kira looked on skeptically.
"Obsession is a driving force unlike passion, passion is shear indulgence in what makes you feel fleetingly good in the moment. A show of power, torture, or even the lusts of the body, are all acts of momentary flashes of pleasure. However, obsession is a mind dominating feature, a stance, and a mindset in itself. It leads to a one goal and nothing else it drives you. Albeit and arguably one could take obsession into the degree and manner of passions for a normal Sith but to do so is to lessen the creed and the reason. The argument for knowledge versus conviction is a whole other matter really." Viathan explained out still in his monotone voice as his red eyes stared forward and didn't even follow his masters steps.
"I understand that part on my own, and I find Ruin's idea fascinating." Kun declared with a smile.
"Knowledge and wisdom are two separate things and it is such a simple yet barely discussed or explored thing. Knowledge without the wisdom to use that knowledge is nothing. Conviction to gain wisdom and use that knowledge to greater lengths is what will drive us to greater power and glory. A fallacy of the Jedi, knowledge is primarily, not of the Sith." Kun chuckled.
"Indeed no one ever said you had to be in any way bright to be a Sith, and trust me I knew of some Sith that couldn't qualify as geniuses or even standard grade keepers. I must say I rather like some of the ideas this Darth Ruin has come up with. They contradict the Sith and Jedi code at once while staying true to certain tenants that are useful of both."
"The one thing lord Ruin desires of us all master is that we attempt to forge our own understanding of the Force and of the dark side apart from what others have taught to us and told us what the nature of darkness and the Sith are. To come to our own conclusions and to have our own ideas our own desires, and our own will apart from that of others and to truly be individual while agreeing to the very basics of the Sith code is a liberating force in my opinion master." Viathan added and Kira again seemed to not agree as much and Kun finally took note of the young girl's distaste for Viathan's speech and the ideals of Ruin.
"Care to add something Kira? I can see that you are just dying to let something off your chest."
"Yes my lord Kun." She spoke. "I feel as though Ruin has much to offer, and it is an interesting thought to consider individuality amongst the Sith, but I feel as though a betrayal of the Sith code is taking place here."
"Speak then of what you find so treasonous Ms. Offee." Exar spoke and again paced before the two teenagers.
"My lord, the code of the Sith is a very basic code I admit, but it also has led many to ascend to greatness by following their passions and strength their power to victory! To abandon it for a solipsist creed is to abandon any ambition I feel and to fully engross yourself into very basic philosophical internal debate upon every action you take. To be Sith is to do, take, become, attain, and desire all that you will! To be a Sith is to be power and to be that which others would deny you, take from others what they would take from you and make your will be done."
"A very purist form of Sith code understanding and philosophical stance Kira, but no less one worthy and desirable by many who have taken the title of Sith lord, or Sith in general. You both see the philosophical aspects of the Sith in different lights and that is not a big issue, and not something you should the both of you be overly concerned over. The philosophy of a Sith is very important, but what is greater is the application of your philosophy and power over anything else." Exar came to a stop and looked at both his students and they both bowed their heads understandably.
"So long as you both understand that the Sith code is where we all must start, it matter not to me where you end up so long as you are Sith. My future order will dominate all Sith in kind. Until then we are simply a House of Sith, House Kun." They both again nodded their understanding and submission to the idea.
"Good. Now, both or neither or one of you it matters not which, may know of Arden Lyn. If not then may I introduce you both to our lovely guest." Exar swept his hand toward Lyn with an amused grin as she rolled her natural gold eyes at his statement.
"Madam Lyn, it is an honor to meet with you. Like others I know of, I know you were a Hand to our...I mean the Emperor." Viathan greeted and bowed his head low. Arden inclined in turn. "It is a pleasure in kind young Viathan. I hear that is what you call yourself and not Zalliste any longer, correct?"
"You are correct madam Lyn." Viathan assured, and Arden smiled. "I'll be sure you to call you as such then young Viathan. Your Sith ways are odd to me. Always have been, but I will respect them as I respect everyone else and their odd Sith manners." Arden declared and stepped further forward toward the Sith, and Kira gave a proud smirk.
"I'm Kira Offee, but you may already know that!" She cheerily and almost sickeningly so greeted Arden. "I know of you Arden Lyn, my master, or shall I say our collective ex-master let me in on all his Hands, and what other ridiculous bodily extremities name he gave to his followers." Arden cocked a brow.
"Oh really? Then you know of all the Hands, and Inquisitors and the Prophets even?"
"Yep! I know em all." Kira declared with her blue eyes twinkling in further arrogant pride well suited for a Sith.
"Well now that we know who is who I would like to announce that Ms. Lyn will be tagging along with us throughout or mutual quest to dominate the galaxy and rid it of the Emperor. I expect the both of you to extend to her the amount of respect necessary." Both bowed their heads once again and Lyn rolled her eyed yet again and smirked.
"Aw, you care about my being respected Kun? I'm flattered, really I am." Arden mockingly and sarcastically thanked the dark lord and ran her left hand down his right shoulder and mess with him and he turned to her with a lopsided sneer and in turn rolled hi gray eyes and shook her off him.
"Your sarcasm aside woman, I will desire the both of you to be respectful and becoming of both Sith and Imperials. We are after all, not animals and rude. So forgive milady Lyn and her seeming lack of ability to take an extended nicety when it heads her way, and you will nonetheless treat her respectfully."
Lyn huffed a laugh and crossed her arms, both real and mechanical as Kun gave her a deathly annoyed look that though unspoken assured her that he wanted her silence. She thankfully did so and stayed quiet.
"Now, last piece of business. I and madam Lyn will be heading back to Coruscant for some business needing taken care of. The Emperor has a few dirty secrets and they will need to be addressed before we ever consider even making a move, and as such I will be leaving the two of you here in Tapani, and I will expect you both to take initiatives to clear out the Moffs, and further our eventual victory. The war is entering its second month, and already we are the bloodiest of the campaigns all across the galaxy, except for that massacre on Dornea that took place between the Dorneans and URM. That's is besides the point however, so let me make some things clear. Mrlsst is still being blockaded and things are getting hairy down there, but I will require some anger stirred down on the surface and I need the people of this sector's hub to desire the Empires return. As such, Kira, you will go to Mrlsst and due so quietly, and you will begin uniting the people against the local Moff forces and urge them to rebel openly against them and all but beg for Imperial intervention."
"Yes my master, anything you so desire of me, and it would be a pleasure to break the will of both Moff and civilian alike." The girl nearly giggled and Viathan halfway sneered in annoyance but luckily no one caught it.
"Excellent then! Viathan," the boy snapped back into attention, "you will continue the status-quo of this campaign. I have assigned for you your next world of station and reconquest from the Moff stranglehold. We will begin moving away from the Shapani Bypass, and deeper into Tapani and push the Moffs back into the Expansion Region to coincide with the general push planned by the Emperor and the massive Core fleets now reactivated and ready for all out war. Your target is the world of Tavya along Procopian Shipping Lane, as we make a general push for Procopia the sector capital and the likely command center of the Moffs and Moff Gustavu himself maintains his residence there. You will maintain the push along the Shipping Lane and halt any and all movements of forces and supplies as well. Once and if you reach Procopia before my return you will assault it and take full command of expelling all forces from it that do not align back with the Galactic Empire. The worlds of Nista and Cesya will also be under assault by admiral Ulan and admiral Kinti as they take pressure off your push and begin the lead a general attack deeper into Tapani." Viathan took in every bit of information and slowly nodded his full understanding.
"I will do everything as told master. Not a single world will stand in my way...and will I have to continue to chauffeur Randull Marcs and his droid around alon-"
"Yes my young apprentice, yes you will continue to be our poster boy and keep them near, but there is no need to protect them twenty-four-seven Viathan."
"Yes master." Viathan huffed and rolled his crimson eyes, and Exar chuckled.
"Now that, that is settled the both of you have another day of rest ahead of you both and I will maintain contact from Coruscant and inform you both through your coms when I am on way back to the front. Dismissed." Exar watched both rise, both give one another unimpressed and distasteful looks and go their separate ways, Viathan found himself tagging along with the ever patient Zar and Grash to no doubt go train elsewhere, and Kira was likely to be delving into her secrets she brought with her of the ancient Sith. Thus leaving Exar to speak with Arden Lyn alone.
"Now we have just a minor thing to discuss."
"That being high and mighty lord of the Sith?" She mocked and Kun growled in annoyance. "Your sarcasm and oh so delightful commentary aside Lyn, when we reach Coruscant I will make my moves around the Intelligence offices and speak with Ysanne Isard myself, you will make for the Jedi Temple as we spoke of before and search for anything, anything at all that is useful to me. I will also speak to lord Vader, and make some moves on the capitol to our benefit. When all is said and done we will rendezvous at coordinates I will transmit to you on this comlink." Exar held out a comlink and Arden took it from him, pocketing it quickly. "We're also taking that lovely ship of yours with us. I find it visually appealing to my eyes." Exar grinned and Arden cocked a brow.
"Oh? Another man who finds ships and mechanical things pleasing to their eyes over other more living objects?" She snickered and Exar cast her another half sneer.
"You are indeed more infuriating than what is necessary for me. Do you know you are adding to my already quite high stress levels?"
"Oh I know milord, but I am afraid it is too much fun." Arden continued to laugh and Exar decided t was time to play her game and play it to the next degree.
"You know something you're right Lyn, ship and machines are far less appealing than the sight of a beautiful woman's figure...too bad one is not nearby for me to appreciate." Exar laughed and turned on his heel leaving Lyn with an opened mouth look of incredulity and heat rose to her face.
"I beg your pardon Kun but I will have you know I will not be so blatantly insulted by you or anyone else!"
"Then form a committee my dear, because if you want to play this game you are bound to win some and oh you are so bound to lose some too!" Exar laughed and reached the hallway with Arden soon hot on his trail and running up alongside him.
"Fine then. Thar's fine. I am fairly sure the game has just begun Sith lord, and I can guarantee you, you have never met an opponent like me before."
"But of course! I look forward to playing and winning this petty game of words. You have spiked my interest."
"You sure that is all I have spiked?"
"Don't go there woman, for I can assure you, you are but a Bantha to me."
"Then I can assure you a half dead rot smelling, lazy-eyed, snorting Gamorrean is a far more appealing creature and has doubly more sex appeal than a man with as long of hair as you and as enraptured with the sound of his own voice."
"Oh, ho, ho, good one, but I can assure you I love the sound of my voice, only because I know it sends chills down your back no?" Exar asked with a wide grin and Arden snorted as the two continued to play a most unbecoming of dark side users game all the way to the Sith Infiltrator stolen from Mount Tantiss. From which they quickly departed and made for Coruscant. Albeit they were more quiet and awkward along the ride, they arrived in one piece and made their separate ways. The game they played was to be one rife with awkwardness, and really everyone around them would have a laugh at their expense in time.
(Viathan's POV)
"Insufferable woman that she is! How can my master stand that girl?!" Viathan demanded as his Massassi comrades marched beside him, with various straps and covers around the crimson red bodies covering various wounds across their persons. Zar growled out a deep and throaty chuckle at Viathan's expense while Grash asked in the Massassi question what made Kira so insufferable.
"She is one of the most arrogant, insufferable, better-then-though, and sickeningly sweet faced, vipers I have ever had the 'pleasure,' of meeting!" He growled out as his crimson eyes flared and the Force bristled around him.
"Oh I didn't know you felt so nicely about me Viathan! I am so pleased." Viathan froze in step but not a hint of embarrassment or fear crossed him as he turned and found Kira with her regular revealing outfit, arms crossed, a sweet smile on her face, and a deviant gleam in her blue eyes, as his Massassi friends turned and stood by his side, almost protectively.
"Let us not pretend we like one another nor have any sense of camaraderie or friendship Kira Offee. We may be of the same ilk the same realm of slavery to the Emperor, but we are obviously not very impressed or interested in the other as equals. He was my master before he was yours and I was not the one to attempt to kill him on my first meeting, and that reminds me, try to kill him again Offee, and I will end you so quickly they will be looking for bits and pieces for the next generation." Viathan watched her sweetly grin in return, and she giggled.
"Oh Viathan, I have no reason to kill our master...anymore. Lord Kun will lead us both to greatness, but I'm afraid you're the deluded one if you think you are more powerful than I." She sweetly intoned but her blue eyes glared in on Viathan and dared him to challenge her otherwise and Viathan, much to her hidden anger, did not rise to her unnecessary challenge.
"Offee, I know your name, and I know who your mother, and your father were, and I know what you did to prove your worth to our ex-master. You may be different than me in many ways, but you are no better than me in so many ways, and as such it would do you well to not consider yourself as such or act as such." Viathan's retort sent an immediate crack through the Force and her eyes turned yellow in such a speed that the two Massassi fell back some and gripped their spears at the ready as if staring down a rabid Nexu in the jungles of Cholganna.
"You know nothing spawn of Kalev Zalliste! My mother and father were what they were, but they at least are not the monster that, that man is! And your mother...-"
"That is where we both know you're lying Offee. Through your teeth too." Viathan retorted smoothly and she growled. "Not a one person save for the Emperor or my father know who my mother is, and don't play your games with me! He would not tell you who she was, and it matters not as she is long dead as well. You know nothing of my mother, and granted my father is a monster but at least the Emperor did not make me kill him to prove loyalty!"
"Shut your mouth you wretch! Or I'll bleed you dry!" She grabbed her curved hilt and held it at the ready and Viathan huffed out in a very unimpressed manner. "I need not shut my mouth Offee. You know as well as I that our master would be most displeased to see you trying or even kill me, though that is unlikely. Now if you want to put your credits where your mouth is and do this here and now, I shall oblige you and we shall see who is the more deserving and more messed up in the head to be the apprentice to our lord." Viathan pulled forth Ruin's and his saber and held them in dual-form Niman stance rather than Jar'kai and readied himself for her attack. Both Zar and Grash fell behind him but kept their spears pointed out toward her at the ready. Kira glowered at the human before her as he almost looked bored and fell into position to duel her. She felt the Force bristle around them and also sensed...things were not in her favor this day. This boy, Viathan, there was something about him that was unsettling, and though she did not fear him and would easily run him through, not all the variables about this scientific spawn were known. She was nowhere near dumb enough to attack an enemy she knew nothing about, and as such she fell out of her battle ready stance and returned to full height and clasped her hilt back to her belt and ran a hand through her shortened hair and laughed.
"Not today Viathan, but in time, all in due time, we will see who indeed is more worthy among us, and I know the answer, but we have work needing done before that day arrives."
"I look forward to that day then Offee, and until then it's best you keep away from me, and I'll show the same respect in kind."
"With pleasure spawn of Zalliste." She snarled and turned on a heel and walked down the hall and soon out of sight, leaving Viathan to clasp his sabers once more and let out a breath he had ready for battle.
"She is dangerous Zar. Think of me what you will but I have our lords best intentions at heart. She has hers at heart. A true narcissist." Zar growled out an agreement and Grash agreed with his kin in kind.
"I would, if I were you, ensure that she is watched even if followed by your kin out of respect and need. The Massassi will be played by her, and I can assure you she will see your kin as 'deserving' a new and 'better' master, otherwise known as her. She will use you as nothings to serve her will. Keep me up to speed but do not bother the master with this drivel. I'll handle it and her in time." The Massassi agreed and the three of them made for their training room to get themselves ready for the coming attack on Tavya.
(General POV)
The all out attack into the Moff holdings in the Outer-Rim by the URM forces was a shock to the already thinned Moff command and solidification and also their legitimacy in the Outer-Rim. The Codru system was the first to come under the unstoppable stomp of the fully reactivated droid armies. The world of Munto Codru was fallen upon by the forces under command of Specialized-Field Commander Jodo Kast and his Maverick squad who led the droids to victory. Attempting a stand against the onslaught of the URM forces the Moffs sent Moff Diedrich Greyshade to head the defense and eventual counterattack against Kast and the URM forces. Moff Greyshade though not know for any greatness was not to be so easily cast aside. The Moffs gave him a sectors fleet, and another. Two whole sectors fleet versus the massive URM invasion forces, that were launching a straight path through the sector on their way to the Nilgaard sector. The battle at Munto Codru entailed seventy-eight thousand droid forces headed up by Kast and Maverick squad. While the main task force of the fleet kept the general push and disoriented the Moffs who considered the doctrine of overarching protection and defense of every world the main doctrine of war, and not this URM movement of force entering deep into Moff space and launching dual pronged attacks on either side of the general fleet push.
The Munto Codru Moff forces consisted of over a hundred and thirty thousand troopers, and the Moff numerical superiority was what made Moff Greyshade confident in his ability to hold the URM back, however, with Commander Kast at the head of the attack the Moff attempts at defense were easily crushed.
(Munto Codru, Three Days into Moff-URM battle)
"Captain! Moff troopers are closing in on our forward units! Full pincer!" Boom-Boom called out from his perched position on a mossy rock as a large gorge divided the URM from Moff forces and in the gorge were the two opposite forces in full engagement with one another. The Weequay fired off two successive projectiles that went flying into the face wall of the enemy side of the gorge and a Moff artillery emplacement blew outward and three troopers clearly went flying out and off screaming in their death fall. Jodo launched his jetpack and flew forward from his position further back from the cliff and landed, peering over to see Moff forces enclosing from the left and right entrances to the gorge on his droid units who were scaling down the wall into the gorge with crab-droids providing chief support.
"Shadow! I need your keen eye girl! Fir on the advancing officers on both sides! Disorient and draw off the troopers before they choke out our units!"
"Copy captain." The sharpshooter was somewhere in a mossy laden tree hidden, and unseen area behind his forces but able to see into the gorge and she was covered in forest camo as blaster bolts wildly exchanged from either wall of the gorge at the opposing forces. She lined her sniper-sights and found her marks, the Moff forward squad and platoon leaders still wore those obvious and dumb as all Sith-hells helmets on their heads and greenish-gray armor.
"Firing on marks!" She called into the team coms, and fired three precision and successive shots and in a flash one officer, two officers, three fell with head wounds burning through their helmets and they fell face-first into the bloody soil and hardened rock or dirt of the gorge and their troopers suddenly stopped and looked worriedly about themselves.
"Efficient shot Vila, Crash, use that damn cannon of yours and give the droids some overhead covering rapid-fire!"
"On it boss!" The Zabrak laughed and lugged his cannon over to the side with Boom-Boom firing off more covering projectiles into the enemy gorge wall. Crash held his cannon over the side and the rapid blaster bolts howled forward and down into the advancing troopers who actually heard the crack of the cannon and looked up to see a flood of blue bolts rain on and through or into them and they fell one by one and ran back to find cover and return fire which didn't reach. Crash laughed like a madman as his Z-6 Rotary Blaster cannon went off and unrelentingly fired into the Moff troopers. Kast behind his mask laughed in kind and turned his attention to the other advancing side, to his relative right. Sly, Slicer, Gearhead! To the right! Fire low onto those advancing troops, take your droids with ya!" The three other team members diverted their fire low and right and fired into the oncoming Moff forces into the gorge as some of the troopers were haphazardly brought down by rapid sniper fire from Vila who was grinning like an idiot at every clear shot she made.
"Hey you! Big boys, get over here!" Kast commanded to three dwarf spider droids moving behind him, and the massive red 'eyes' focused on their commander.
"You three can scale walls, get down on that gorge wall and give suppressing fire support on that line of advancing enemy troopers! All organics in the gorge are enemies! Leave that directive to the gorge alone." The three dwarf spider droids made odd acknowledging noises and stomped to the cliff of their position, one of them firing to the opposite gorge wall and blowing out rock chunks in all direction with dead troopers. Jodo stiffened where he stood as three red bolts flew past his helmeted head and he slowly turned to see three burn marks on the wall behind him and with a growl he brought up his carbine and rifle and flew into the air and fired rapidly into the enemy gorge wall as the spider droids went over the edge and fired their main weapons down into the gorge and with the fire from Sly, Gearhead, and Slicer, B1 and B2 battles droids, and shots from Shadow the enemy forces found themselves being pinned, especially as the main droid forces in the gorge fired on them with crab droids providing support.
Above them all Vulture and TIE fighters engaged in a rapid and brutal equally haphazard set of dogfights through the skies of Munto Codru. However the droid space forces were faring far better than their Moff counterparts as no less that two Lucrehulks shadowed the world and wave after endless wave of droid fighters and bomber flew forth and pelted the enemy Stardestroyers and Imperial classified vessels with so much fire some ships blew apart from the strain of endless fighter waves alone. The URM fleet consisted however of the Lucrehulks but also eighty Providence, thirty Munificent and fifteen Recusant class ships that overwhelmed the minor five Stardestroyers the Moffs sent in and in a matter of days the Moffs game of attack and retreat did little to weaken the enemy fleet and day after day Moff ship after Moff ship lost engines and hyperdrives.
The battle above Munto Codru ended in URM total victory, the battle below ended in the primary gorge being decimated and all Moff troopers shot on sight, even the near dead ones were given a bolt to their heads on directives set forth from high command and SC Nelrain herself. Something Maverick squad was not made privy to until after the scene was discovered by Kast and the team as a B2 fired a round of bolts into a mercy-pleading troopers helmeted head.
(Two-days after the battle of Munto Codru, Munto Codru)
"You never told me we would be killing all downed and alive enemy forces Nelrain! What am I?! A murderous lackey of yours?!" Jodo asked with his face contorted in seething anger barely kept in check with his helmet being held under his arm. The hologram of Kellia had a very bored look upon her features and she sighed while rolling her eyes.
"Kast...there's no easy way to say this to you, but, YOU'RE AN EX-BOUNTY HUNTER!"She cried and Kast retorted as the speakers to the communications holo-projector shrilled a loud wail. "For Force-sakes man you run around in a Mandalorian outfit hunting people for credits and killing for the same, and now that you and your team of rag-tag killers and hunters are in the big leagues in something that actually matters you wanna grow a karking bleeding heart?! Are you kriffing kidding me?!" The woman folded her arms and had a sneer of indignation on her face as her dark eyes bore down upon Kast who conceded some of her points in his own head, but maintained his defiant demeanor.
"You may have a few points, but I am not up to watching your walking, clanking, killing machines mindlessly kill men begging for their lives!"
"Oh Force save me from the foolish bleeding hearts I am doomed to deal with!" She cried and sighed deeply and heavily.
"They are all of them mindless, useless, and evil karking clones! They are the same stock I took care of upon Kamino, and they would and have killed thousands of rebels across the galaxy like the droids have. Mindlessly! Don't you get it Kast? This war is not gonna be damn pretty! It's going to be bloody, painful, and full of heartache, and in the end we all must come into service understanding bits and pieces of ourselves will be sacrificed in our effort to bring back a semblance of peace and order in this galaxy rampant with hatred and the iron rule of the Emperor! At least I can admit to what I am, a necessary monster to bring back something for the future generations to be hopeful for. You want to throw it all away because some of these clones, who would kill you in an instant begged you for mercy?! I shall not, and for the love of the Force I hope you can come to understand Kast, that we do what must be done, and we shall pay for our sins when the galaxy has been taken from his grip. If you cannot wait until then, then you are welcome to leave." She finally ended her tirade and she was breathy and fuming and despite being a hologram Kast swore her eyes seemed...brighter, as if they were a lighter color than brown and somehow glowing, but that was a crazy notion!
"Alright, clam down! I just don't like being left in the karking dark is all, and you didn't say nothin' about killing everyone, whether they be up, down, healthy or blown to pieces!"
"Then congratulations you have learned your first lesson in discretion and in inferring what is to be done by those under my command. Kast, I will not justify my actions righteously, but I will justify the actions as necessary." She barked back to him in as cool and collected a manner as she could likely muster and Kast threw his hands up in defeat.
"Alright, alright, I get the picture. Just next time, maybe throw me more of a bone when you want a world bloodied more than I am likely to want to allow."
"Your grievances with my command carry-out manner and action is noted and I'll be sure to not involve you in the more nasty parts expected and to be expected of war. Now, return to your main fleet and continue the push forward. Turkana, and Refnar are under attack by your commanders, and they are going swimmingly. Now you will attack and secure the Shaylin system and then move out of Pakuuni Galactic-Eastbound and take the world of Drongar. I hear it was a major battleground during the Clone Wars. Let's remind these people what battle droids look like and expel the Moffs." Kast sighed and nodded a few times, before Kellia stiffly nodded back and the transmission cut out.
"That woman is hardcore alright. Issues, issues, and might I add issues!" Kast mocked in a voice he found to be close to hers, and slapped his helmet back onto his head, and gathered up his forces and left the appropriate garrison of droids on Munto Codru, as the URM made for the regions commanded by SC Nelrain, and within a month all worlds and systems ordered were taken, and the main assault led once more by Kast was brought down upon the world of Pakuuni itself. The battle would last three weeks and entail over a million battle droids and four-hundred thousand Moff forces. It was up until then the greatest URM and Moff battle in the galaxy.
It once again ended in URM victory and fame and glory for Jodo Kast and Maverick squad. All the while every single trooper upon Pakuuni, Drongar, Turkana, Refnar, and above Shaylin died, and not a one was left remaining.
(General POV)
The stomps of droids was not alone felt within the Calamari, Pakuuni, and Dominus sectors either, for within the Arkanis sector Supreme Commander of the Allied Rebel Armies of the URM Nelrain, was leading the very obvious and brutal charge against the Moff forces. The great first wave of Geonosian made droid armies was set upon the mostly Hutt controlled Foroon worlds, A-Foroon, B-Foroon and C-Foroon, were three worlds tightly knit together along the Triellus Trade Route that were dominated by their Hutt overlords and their crime organizations. As the URM landed and peacefully incorporated the world of Ooo-temiuk Nelrain was speaking to the local Rodian representative who informed his new allies to the Hutt dominion along the trade route which could help funnel supplies to Geonosis. The Hutts however were bound to unleash pirates and attempt to put Hutt 'taxes,' on the shipping, or what a Hutt called taxes was really extortion and obvious at that as well.
Kellia smilingly ordered a fleet to attack all three worlds and bring them into the fold. With Geonosian warriors acting as auxiliary units the droid armies swept onto the three Foroons, and the token Moff garrisons were obliterated brutally by the droids and Geonosians. Then however, in preparation perhaps for her eventual assault on a certain sector Kast was to make a road to, Kellia ordered a house to house raid upon everyone on the Foroons. All the Hutt barons, the lords, the whatever you want to call those fat slugs were taken before their subjects and slaves and personally executed by Nelrain, who was then seen as a savior among the populace who readily joined and became radicalized as new rebel soldiers for the URM.
From the triple conquests of the Foroons, Kellia and her fleet moved up the trade route and arrived Piroket, another Hutt hub that was also rife with Bothans, who added their skills and services to Nelrain's already massive and still growing arsenal. The Bothans ensured that all Hutt abilities to contact the wider galaxy were shut down and the token Moff garrison was left in the dark as the droid armies fell upon Piroket, and like the Foroons they committed an unspoken genocide across the world and every Hutt, and every man and woman who followed them was put to the blaster and tens of thousands were slaughtered, and those that rebelled against the Hutts were made hero's and into URM soldiers for the coming battles.
From there the URM fleet traveled onto the Trans-Gulf trade route, and fell upon Vuzsa, and easily swept aside the five-thousand strong Moff forces, and they too like the Hutts were slaughtered as Nelrain developed a reputation she did not hide from as the Hutt slayer, and Trooper killer of the Outer-Rim.
Kellia would also become known among Moff and Imperial circles more fearfully for her broadcasting galaxy wide the execution of governors, Moffs, and officer who she labeled war-criminals, and laid bare their actions of blood and death to all, and around a wall of droids and crowds of cheering and very angry people from the Outer-Rim, who for too long have gone exploited and uncared for, cried in cheer as the heads of the enemy men and women at times were removed by either Nelrain herself or a Geonosian warrior.
Following this the fleet under Nelrain attacked the final world along the Galactic-Northern border of the Arkanis sector at Pii III which fell in an hour. The people of the mostly barren world in terms of population had more apathy for who controlled them than anything, but yet for this apathy Kellia punished them as well. The main export of the world known as Greel wood was by SC Nelrian's orders burned to the ground and far above from space the ships could see miles high plumes of smoke as entire forests burned to the ground and all the Greel wood was lost and burnt to the ground. Thus ending Pii III's ability to self sustain on luxury exports, and thrown into full obedience and survival upon the URM and its or rather Kellia's mercy.
The second of her two main fleets pushed its way from Tatooine, which had fallen into the URM sphere of control, and then it took and attacked the world of Utaruun, before sweeping forth and taking the Austan system and its strategic position for early naval movement detection against any possible Moff or Imperial attacks.
The two fleets linked up above Pii III, and reorganized before making a mad dash southward and to attack the heavily Moff fortified world of Andooweel. The Moffs mobilized massive reserves of the planets population and by the end of their time before the URM invasion they had over three million men armed and ready to fight the rebels whom brought 1.2-million battle droids, and another million Geonosian and mixed organic forces. Kellia found the Moff slight numerical superiority laughable, and not only landed her forces led personally by her, but she also ordered a massive bombing campaign across the old industrial sectors and then the city and living centers, which created a two million civilian death toll on the world. Especially as Munificent class ships entered orbit and provided close ground bombardment and leveled an entire city on Andooweel.
In the end Andooweel fell I another three weeks of brutal fighting where two-hundred thousand organic rebel soldiers were killed and over four-hundred thousand more battle droids while all Moff troopers were slain but many thousands of the recruited surrendered and were thankfully given asylum, but ordered to repay the URM for its troubles of 'liberation,' and made to work in the reopened factories of Andooweel and produce standard battle droid forces to replenish lost units. The people were taken care of and provided pay for their work, but they were also left to rebuild their world on their own as the URM broke Kellia's massive fleet into two more again and as the war continued they assaulted both the worlds of Obana and Cranan.
The Arkanis Campaign of the Galactic Civil War was costing the Moffs unspeakable hardships, and the URM was not but a month and a half nearing two and nearly a whole sector once heavily fortified was under assault while they were losing at least three others across the Outer-Rim and another to the efforts of Admiral Thrawn in the Tion Cluster after the URM took it fro the Moffs first.
Meanwhile in this time period the war continued elsewhere. For upon the world of Mrlsst, Kira Offee arrived in secret as the Moffs still maintained a large AA array planet side, despite the massive bombing runs, but she had the full support of the Imperial naval blockade above headed by admiral Grant and Refflet. When the alien girl landed she immediately met with loyalist sympathizers in the back alleys of Mennaa the capitol city. The streets were ravaged with burnt holes, husks of bodies either dead from lack of food or blaster bolts or maybe a bomb here and there. With the buildings of the capitol burning and smoking with Moff walkers patrolling the areas around their bases, depots, and hubs as they horded the food, weapons, and communications arrays. Needless to say, Kira didn't need to stroke the fires in their hearts too much to make them ready for an all out attack on one of their supply depots. The first strike at the Moff ability to control on Mrlsst.
(Mrlsst, Over Two and a Half Months into the Galactic Civil War)
Kira peered her blue eyes over the fallen over piece of stonework from a nearby rubble made building and watched the Moff searchlight pan from left to right as an AT-ST moved behind a gated and likely electrified fence. She snorted in disgust at the ease of this operation and moved back down where she returned her gaze to the dozen or so men, and she used the terminology 'men,' loosely here. Most of them being moronic teens looking for food and glory to bare before their eventual returned Imperial overlords. They were all dirty, as the plumbing stopped working over a week ago, and malnourished and carrying blasters that made even the most backwater world blush at how old and useless they potentially were. Ragged clothing and embarrassing assortments of armor, and many of them human, but a few Twi'leks here and there, a Weequay or two, at least one karking Ithorian, three...she thinks, Mrlssi, and a couple dozen Togruta and Chagrians.
"Now you all know the plan, and if you don't, where the kriff have you been?" As usual the assortment of males all looked a bit thrown off by Kira's attitude and she rolled her eyes and giggled to herself.
"I get those lights taken care of, take down them heavy repeaters they got mounted, rid the tower of its very blaster capable occupants, and you all charge the gate and I promise ya all that we'll have some decent food rations and blasters by the end of the whole ordeal." The girl assured and one idiot decided to speak up.
"Of all people why did the Empire decide we needed to be led by some alien girl and not someone capable like that Kun or Viathan?"
"Because you karking moronic male self-superior, laser-brained, humanocentric, bulbous blemish on the face of the galaxy; I am the best you got and better than Viathan I can promise you that, and you don't gotta be here at all, if you're too scared and afraid of a girl leading this team. It's okay we all understand." Kira added the last sentence in a mockingly motherly manner that had the other boys laughing and snickering and the unseen idiot from before said not another word in reply. Kira laughed but rolled her eyes yet again at this petty foolishness she was forced to deal with and unclasped her curved saber hilt from her belt and held it at the ready.
"When I give the signal, or for those of you hard of hearing, when I kill the troopers in the towers and you hear the 'boom,' sound then rush the karking gate, and be sure to not draw unnecessary fire from the walkers. I have to deal with those and frankly all you idiots would do is get in my way, and then you're fair game to me and the walker. Kay?" She asked sweetly and everyone chatted and looked among one another before all of them nodded, and she sighed.
"Good, now just lay low and don't try anything...at all. I highly doubt any of you could rise to the occasion anyhow." She jumped high out of her hiding position as the night skies illuminated barely anything of the road before her but she could see fallen bodies and building parts and speeders here and there, but that was mostly it. The tower lights fell from right to left this time, and Kira used the Force to jump onto a protruding ledge of a broken out building to her right. She lowered her body close to the rubble floor where she was and watched the light go over the road and sweep fully over her body but the idiot guards in the towers couldn't see or tell she was there and she grinned at the fact in kind.
Placing one leg out and lifting herself back up into a kneel she pulled her saber up and held the curved saber in a backwards form before activating it and catching the gaze of the nearest tower guard who began to move the light back over to her but in a flash she jumped high into the air and flung the saber, spinning into the tower, and it went flying to the side and then into the tower where it went through the guard who even from her position she heard gurgle his last breath. The saber came spinning back at her as the searchlight flew up as its holder fell limp and died and caught the attention of the tower guard off to her far left who panned over to the other tower and saw the guard missing and a burn going through some of the metal support beams to the tower roof. Kira laughed and spun her red saber before her almost dancing in her mirth as the light caught her and fell directly on her and she merely kept smiling and twirling her saber.
"Enemy spotted! Northern gate, tower one down!" The guard called and the depot exploded in baring horns and noises as the guards and troopers went nuts at the mere idea of an attack. Two flares shot up and exploded in the sky to illuminate the whole city block and Kira suddenly went from dark mirth to a frighteningly cold dead and blank face as she flung her body back and then forward with the Force and she landed atop the tower as blaster fired from the troopers and jumped off and into the tower kicked the guard within to the tower rail and the white clad trooper grunted and fell as his blaster went off and she moved aside from the first set, and twirled, taking his head from his body.
Kira found herself admiring the dead body for a moment...or her work rather at easily killing the dumb trooper and his ally down the fence line as both failed to even lift their stationary repeaters up at her, and she giggled, but then fell on instinct low as her tower became pelted with blaster fire, and she heard the walker close in.
"Now time to get the fodder out." She laughed and puled out a batch of four thermal detonator she had wrapped together and activated one before throwing it over the side an into a group of running troopers who stopped and looked down before screaming, but it was too late, as the detonators blew and rocked the whole depot and sent many troopers falling and flying away as the walker stopped walking to steady itself and Kira held her arms out to the sides of her little tower to steady herself. Then she heard the cries and random moronic howls of the men as they ran over their protections and the other small groups around that road came rushing out like rabid Kath hounds with no fineness about them as they wildly shot at the depot fence and wall, as the walker turned and homed in on the loud cries, and the Moffs launched two more illumination flares into the skies above.
The walker fired off two successive shots and blasted its own gate like an idiot but struck two clusters of men who went flying and dying as more ravenous and hungry fools charged the gates with their blasters and fired at random as Moff troopers came into view and fell into a lined position and fired into the crowd. Kira jumped back up and then out the tower and flipped backwards back onto the tower roof and reactivated her saber before sending a nasty bout of Force lightning into the troopers below who didn't understand or know what hit them when they all dropped their blasters and went sprawling to the ground in utter pain and howling.
She laughed and twirled her saber as the walker turned back on her and fired at her and she cartwheeled though the air itself and allowed the massive blasts to go right past her. Over and over again, and then she fell low and ducked as more came at her, and she laughed. The men stormed through the broken gates and fired into more Moff troopers, who frankly had them outgunned and easily suppressed the civilian rabble easily and watched them fall quick and hard with bodies mounting all over. The men soon had to scale a pile of their friends and comrades to get a line of sight on the Moff troopers who still mowed them down.
"Oh boys, you are definitely not the brightest ones." Kira laughed and dodged another walker attack, but the AT-ST noted the attacking civilians and quickly banked to fire on them, and Kira saw her chance, and wit feral eyes fixed on the walker she pounced forward and onto the walkers head, stabbed her saber into it forming a circular hole, and using the Force she lifted it off the walker and the men inside fired a bust blaster round up at her and she flung back to escape and flung her arms about as she nearly fell over and lost her footing and growled in kind. Drawing the Force to her, she allowed the dark side to flow through and around her as she called her arcane knowledge to her once more and her eyes rapidly turned a sickly glowing yellow, as she grinned and flung back over the breach and extended her hand down upon the two men who pointed their blasters at her but suddenly looked deathly pale, and sick as they began hacking and holding their heads as they seemed dizzy, not knowing that this girl had just used an ancient Force power of plagues upon them, and the Force itself had a virus floating through their veins of unnatural creation, and as such she fell into the walker and allowed her booted right foot to slam into the officers face and she slammed her saber down and through the head of the piloting trooper, she turned slammed her left hand onto the officer face and scrunched him to the walker interior wall as she smiled into his horrified and pain filled eyes she used the Force without raising a hand and suddenly and grotesquely snapped his neck and he fell limp with empty light-devoid eyes staring off and she sighed and moved the dead trooper aside and took command of the AT-ST walker.
"Ooh...nice and snug." She giggled and turned the walker around as the fools still attack the Moff lines, and when she aimed her main cannon down at the Moffs she could sense the sudden realization coming from them and laughed like a shameless maniac and fired the cannon into the Moff lines and the men ran as the first set hit and sent four flying, another three were eradicated. Two she didn't see how they died but sensed it, and the others she had running as she fired at full random at the depot towers along the side and had the towers flying away and leaving smoldering nothings where they had once been. She moved the walker forward and fired a few rapid fire rounds into the depot main entrance wall and had the metal straining in as it began to fail. She sniffed the air for a moment and grimaced and looked to the bodies beside her.
"Kinda cramped in here boys, and I almost forgot that corpses smell like Bantha poodoo." With the Force the two bodies suddenly and unnecessarily violently flew up and out of the walker into the field of growing dead, as the civilians armed with their piss poor blasters formed behind her walker and used her as cover as they fired pot shots into the Moffs who were hiding behind and to the sides of the depot entrance. Kira laughed and frankly didn't stop the entire time she fired endless rounds of her walkers main cannon at the depot entrance and watched the meta finally and fully buckle before giving way. The civilian soldiers all cheered and she rolled her still deeply yellow eyes and turned to fire on the Moff troopers as her moronic allies ran for the food and weapons with Moff fire firing into the crowd that didn't seem to register the assault and just ran for the food. Kira kept the fire up on the Moff troops as they hid to the side of the depot main building, but it was not today that Kira knew the Empire was going to win. Not with these fools at least. No these fools, who lined the road, the gate, and now the Moff depot land with bodies, blood, and burns and the smell of horrid rancid rot filled her nostrils and she quickly jumped out of her walker and with a wild grin and gleam in her eyes she leaped with the Force off the walker and out of the depot area entire.
Blaster fire, some minor explosions still in the distance Kira waited and watched Moff MAAT gunships flew overhead and hovered over the depot and began firing full fire down into the civilian forces and she head the screams, the cries, and wails, and the death was echoed through the Force and she crossed her arms and took it all in. All the wanton death did was feed her power, and what was the purpose of this whole attack then, one could ask. Well it was to weaken the Moff general hold and hurt their legitimacy of course! Kira giggled to herself as she began her trek away from the depot as Moff reinforcements from one of their main holds began flooding toward the depot and blaring on speaker for all civilians who didn't wish to die to stay indoors. She went through the alleyways and around the advancing walkers full of Moff suppressing platoons, and she would find another rabble of hungry and foolishly in over their heads fodder to send into the meat grinders. Tonight though? Tonight was a victory! So tonight Kira returned to her hidden shuttle and fell into a peaceful and empowering meditation within darkness.
(Coruscant, Several Days after Departure from the Domitor)
The Sith Infiltrator had entered the Coruscanti atmosphere without the Imperials even able to pick up their entrance into the worlds skies. It was glorious as it was hilarious. Kun directed Lyn t land the ship on a random civilian docking lot and he payed the fee, and not a one recognized him, and for that he was both glad and annoyed at. They both descended the ship after a few days being cramped in the thing with one another it was nice to be free.
"Alright then Lyn, you know your next task go to the Jedi temple find what you can, take it all, and get back to the ship to await my arrival or the other way around if I'm done beforehand." Arden rolled her eyes, and moved a stray strand of wild jet lack hair from her face.
"I can remember simple instruction dark lord. You do what you need done, and I'll do what I need done, and we'll both be happy and hopefully back to the good stuff in no time."
"The good stuff?" Kun asked with a genuinely confused lopsided cock of his brow and she sneered.
"War you dimwit. I would rather go back to my roots and that is battle you bumbling fool. Besides I think your tactics could use a feminine touch."
"So long as that's all you're touching I'll be fine." Kun laughed and she growled again, but raised a dark hood over her head and they both parted ways, only Exar was laughing as he made his way to a nearby air-taxi and was taken to the Imperial Intelligence secondary command center on Coruscant, as he did not desire to be known to be back by the palace yet if at all while he was here.
Exar exited the taxi and paid the damnable driver whatever he was he was fat blue and frankly he didn't care what alien species he was but he also smelled of rotting fish. He approached the main entrance and as expected six troopers came at him and with a wave of his hand they all flew back and he had them pinned and everyone around him all turned and looked stunned. The II building was a large boxed building seated and nestled between two spires but there was a large platform fully devoted to the building and thus around him Exar found himself surrounded by officers, agents, and trooper guards. As he had six of them pinned to the building wall a nearby agent dressed in standard white with a ridiculous black cap which was oddly angled down off the head toward the face of the wearer. Exar grimaced at the getup.
'When I own this galaxy I will be changing this horrid dress code the Empire seems to have a fetish for. Some of it's alright but look at this!' The Sith lord thought and rolled his gray eyes before turning to the agent.
"Excuse me sir, but I am going to assume you are a member of the Inquisitors branch or perhaps part of one of the few 'Force-using,' branches of Imperial operatives."
"Why's that agent?"
"Well you are pinning six grown men to a wall with but a wave of your hand, so otherwise you are a deity and I need to get religious now, or a Force user and servant to the unseen deity called the Force, yes?" Exar awkwardly looked back and over the men he had pinned and they thrashed in pain and discomfort and he looked back to the agent who patiently had his hands clasped behind his back and a stiff head raised high that spoke well of his propriety.
"Hmm, yes you're correct. I suppose they should be let down then."
"That would go over well I think my lord." Exar let them go and they all slouched to the ground, some of them coughing, and the agent inclined his head to all his sides and everyone merely went from staring to going back to whatever it was they were doing beforehand.
"I thank you very much my lord for releasing the at times overzealous troopers were employ as guards. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes there is, and it will require full discretion on your part, but I need to speak with Ysanne Isard at once."
"Daughter of the director? Hmm, Ms. Isard is off duty right now I believe. I shall take you to her office within the main complex...discretely of course my lord."
"So trusting are we agent? What if I were a Jedi pretending to be a Sith?" The agent cocked his head to the side conceding Kun's point.
"It is a possibility, however I do believe that you are lord Kun are you not?" Exar went a bit wide eyed but then smirked. "So Imperial Intelligence knows who I am already?"
"We know about most things as we are given incentive to know them, and you are top priority level on the need to know for us agents, my lord." Exar huffed a laugh and motioned for the agent to lead on.
He silently did so and led them toward and into the building past the guards who were still shaken and gathering their barrings. The inside of the building was as to be expected. Dull and sterile gray. White marble like flooring, dull gray walls with holo-pictures and paintings of various Imperial figures but especially the Emperor. Many agents lined the interior and there were so many rooms and doors that Kun found himself endlessly peering into all the rooms. Many agents idly looked back to him and many would have momentary looks of recognition, and some would bow their heads.
However it wasn't long until the agent stiffly but speedily led Kun to a simple office, no different than the others, and motioned for him to wait. He went inside and after Kun sensed some surprise, and some annoyance as well the agent came back out and swept his arm into the office and Kun thanked him and entered, and left a very strong suggestion upon the agent's mind to keep to discretion at all costs.
Once inside and Kun ensured the door was closed he found himself with a red clothed Ysanne Isard.
"Welcome lord Kun. I was not expecting you so I ask that you kindly forgive the state of my office. It is a mess." She declared her voice a very smooth yet cool sound coming from her mouth, and as Exar looked around the office, he couldn't see a one dirty thing about it.
"Not a problem at all milady Isard, but I am admittedly here without the knowledge of some who may otherwise desire to know." She cocked a lopsided smirk.
"Do you mean by that my father, or the Emperor, maybe lord Vader perhaps, or is it even, dare I say, all three?"
"Ha, third time is the charm, though lord Vader may be receiving a surprise appointment such as you are madam Isard." Kun laughed and she offered him a seat as she leaned into her chair, her off-putting red and blue eye going over Kun and analyzing his every movement.
"Now I am here on matters I would desire you not speak with anyone but me about, as to limit the possibility that we should be executed and or hunted down firstly. It concerns a certain degree of power grabbing, new leaders, doing away with old and overall cleaning up a system inundated with cronyism and disorganization." She laughed coolly and pushed her hair back behind her head and seemingly found nothing wrong with the line of conversation they were heading into and that gave Kun his prompt to continue.
"Then we may get right into the thick of it. I and lord Vader both have our own designs for the galaxy, and I am sure a woman of your intelligence doesn't need to be talked down to by me on what a Sith and a Jedi is, and how we Sith tend to see conspiracy and power grabbing as a job prerequisite."
"Of course my lord. The model is quite interesting." She said coolly still.
"Now surely you know that you are far more deserving of that precious position your father holds, and to be truthful I doubt lord Vader nor the Emperor see that. Indeed I am sure they see you as part of the sociopath league of Imperial agents and members, and not very productive. However, from that one meeting we had in that gathering after the Dubrava fiasco I could and still can sense it from you." She had a raised and inquisitive brow.
"Sense what?"
"Potential and indeed greater intelligence than your father. Who in his own right is good, but he lets a lot slip through the cracks, and misses a good deal, and I am beginning to think Vandron and the Imperial Security Bureau knows more than II and is far more well managed." Ysanne frowned at that statement but then tilted her head in agreement even if it was begrudgingly.
"So your flattery aside milord, what is it that you are offering then? Besides telling me things I may or may not already know and or feel."
"Ooh sketchy on what you do and don't know, I like that in an intelligence officer. Very well then, I am offering you your fathers position, and I am telling you I will be Emperor, and there's gonna be a lot, and I mean a lot of changes milady." He finally declared with an almost whimsical smile on his face and his gray eyes boring into hers, as he had his hands folded in his lap among his robes. She had hardly a change in expression and if Kun wee a lesser man he would be worried, however her feelings were obvious through the Force, and he smirked when she did not reply but merely stared on.
"Come now milady, you and I both know that you being coy is not going to worry me. I can read your feelings like an open holo-book, or very, very bad holo-drama. You and I both want more than what our higher-ups are attempting to offer, and we both know we're better as well. Imagine you as director Isard, and I can tell you would easily wipe the memory of your father away as nothing compared to you, and you would put ISB in its place, and frankly we can be rid of many you would see gone so long as I see your reasoning to doing so. After all many of the old guard must go when we reach for the new era of Imperial glory. All it requires from you is one thing I am sure you are privy to, or already know about, and producing this knowledge will solidify your position and my alliance to you and your problems as well." She nodded slowly to that and cleared her throat with a smirk forming across her intimidating and still enticing face.
"If I were interested milord, then tell me hat it is you need to know. I mean if you don't know something, and you always seem so knowledgeable, it must be very important." She smoothly and near mockingly intoned and Exar laughed.
"Have you ever heard then milady, of a world called Byss and certain labs that are inside the Emperors citadel?" For once clear shock past over her face but was quickly replaced by a broad and impressed grin as she leaned back into her seat again, and giggled.
"I may know a thing or two on that odd little project for immortality. I could tell you many and anything you wished to know..-"
"If?" Kun asked.
"If I am given assurances I will be made director of Intelligence no matter what, and that Crueya Vandron is dead by next year."
"Oh, a little assassination between bureaus?"
"Friendly competition never hurt milord." She smirked and Kun without need or second thought nodded.
"Very well, you have my impeccable word that you will be made director of intelligence, and director Vandron will meet a bad end, this I can assure you as well."
"Then we have a deal." Ysanne with a wide and appealing smile. Kun grinned and took an outstretched hand she produced and it was now that Kun had his own entrance into II, and Byss.
Authors Note: Sorry for later than usual post guys but I am way out of my normal mode since my finals and the break beginning, but I am working on it. :) I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and any and all questions are welcome. Also please either point out or excuse any and all grammatical errors as I typed this fast and late at night, so expect them is all I'm saying. ;) See you all later!...In a manner of speaking of course. XD