The Galactic Exodus Chronicles Part 2 :The Galactic Civil War

by Lord Exar Kun

Now with the rebels dealt a mighty blow, and the renegade Moffs about to strike, the galaxy finds itself moving closer and closer to full blown war! The Galactic Civil War is about to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting galaxy, and this is not the war you remember in the least. Follow Exar Kun, Darth Vader, Leia, the Emperor, and everyone else through this next chapter of the GEC.

56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56

(Coruscant, Hours Earlier, Imperial Palace)

"A hangar is this way!" A girls voice shouted backwards as she ran down the hall.

"Alright, just slow down a bit! Why am I always chasing after you and my sister?" A boy breathlessly retorted.

"Don't know. Wasn't I in a coma earlier?" A groan from the boy and both he and the girl ran down through the hall. Mara, hidden in the shadows watched them run by and raised her brow at the sight.

"Well they're in a rush." She intoned and waited for them to pass by. They both bounded down the hall and turned a corner. One of many endless ones spread throughout the palace of course. Once out of sight completely she came from out of the shadows. Hidden among random statues of things and people Mara was sure were important somewhere in the galaxy, but frankly could care less about them in this moment. In fact she was almost a hundred percent sure they were all stolen to boost the Emperors sense of ego and superiority.

Her cowl still atop her head, concealing her hair and most of her face she made down the hall where the two others had run from. The Force resonating and pounding through the air with the sensations of dead and dying. Echoes of what was waging around and within the palace. Though what was happening inside the palace itself had her inclining her head in confusion. Admittedly a spike of fear shot through her as well.

'Had something gotten in the palace? Were things really that bad?!' She thought and turned a corner to her right. Down it another seemingly empty corridor. Filled with the usual drapes, carpeting, statues and paintings.

Glancing back down the hall she came from one last time she made down this new one. Her thoughts flying back between her master...likely off doing Force knew what now that droids were falling left and right like karking rain drops onto Coruscant. The Emperor, her old master, who but a few moments ago she had been watching as he spoke with the very men Exar would be interested to know about. That little prophet Kadann, Inquisitor Tremayne, looking as...cyborg as ever. Then ISB director Vandron. Poor director Isard looking left out of the show. A final cloaked figure. So draped in black and darkness that Mara found herself wincing at his presence. His cloak was heavy and seemed to glitter. He wore a large head piece and always kept his face out of her sight. Though she doubted it was intentional. It annoyed her to no end when it was happening.

Then of course the droids had to come in and ruin what was looking to be a 'fun,' party. Though it did tickle her to watch Viathan, the petulant boy that he was be paraded before a ton of fat and bloated senators who marveled and feigned interest in him. Only to really express their deeper, and more obvious desire to lick the proverbial boot of the Emperor, and play suck-up. Cronyism aside the little part did let Mara get a good look at all the rich and powerful the Empire had left to offer, and of course she didn't doubt her new master also enjoyed mingling among the crowd. Getting a good look at and sizing up the litter of corruption and decadence.

'The best the galaxy has to offer in that department.' She rolled her eyes at the memory and kept moving through the corridor. Winding to her right once more on a new one. Same look, same décor, and same stench of the Emperor. Although Mara did sense he wasn't near. A fact she couldn't be more elated with if she tried to be.

The sounds outside, booming, cracking, exploding, blasting, all the damn noise was grating her nerves! The Force sending little warning signals popping into her head, and causing her skin to crawl, back to stiffen and have her hand inch toward her saber, but she didn't see anything around that could possibly be dangerous. Let alone to her.

As fate would have it the sudden sound of blaster fire caused her to snap frozen where she stood and flip up her saber into her hand and activate the magenta beam. Coming down the corridor she stood she fell into defensive posture. The echoing blast fire reaching her ears, and growing closer.

Racing around the corner came little droids.

"Buzz droids." She knew what these little annoyances were. How and why they were in the palace baffled her. They were in numbers too. Several dozen of them were skittering and clanking across the floor. Others rolling in little balled up forms toward her, and others making their chirping and clicking noises, because some moronic designer somewhere thought was a good idea to make droids click around everywhere they go.

She was ready for them, ready for them to run upon her and attack. Ready to destroy the little bugs that they were. When suddenly two blew up. Her face set in stone ready to fight suddenly turned to a confused one. Lowering her saber she watched several more blow away and into heaps. The blaster fire heading for them coming from behind.

Looking up she found a man shooting a blaster pistol at the droids. Who were...running away from him? The man seemed almost bored in expression. His face set like hers had been. Stoney like and concentrated on shooting them. He wore black gloves and was taking shots at the skittering droids hitting them as they raced nearer to her.

Mara snorted. Suddenly the ridiculous sight right in front of her eyes causing the reaction, and with a snatch at her belt she raised her own blaster pistol in her left hand. Firing several precise bolts; her aim and precision aided by the Force, she brought down droid after droid. They crackled and almost sounded like they popped even as they blew back and smoked in their destruction. Until both her and the mans shot mingled to destroy every last one. The last droid shot buzzing and sputtering before it whined its last little pathetic whine and ceased moving where it was on the...once good carpeting of the palace hall.

"An excellent shot you are young miss." She looked upward once more. The man approached and was pocketing his blaster pistol beneath a large coat he wore. He did not smile. In fact he looked very off in a way Mara couldn't pinpoint.

"I see you wield a lightsaber. I have seen many men and women wield the, for the Emperor. His order of misguided dark Jedi and Inquisitors never ceasing to amaze my distinct lack of interest. The younger crowd however. That is something different entirely." Mara raised one of her brows at the way he worded that. Though she didn't sense any ill intent off him. In fact she didn't sense any of his outward thoughts and emotions.

"Have a thing for young people do you?" He huffed a small chuckle, a smirk lopsidedly played at the corner of his mouth as he rubbed his gloved hands together, and patted out his long white lab coat.

"No, no I have no preference for young children. That falls onto the resume of other men the Emperor likes to employ. All manner of nefarious activities need be done at some point for him somewhere, and thus everyone has a use for a time it seems." He chuckled some more and he smirked more widely as he peered out the nearest large viewport. The sight of war playing outside and in the skies above.

"That's a lovely thought...uh, sir. Mind telling me what you're doing going around in a lab coat shooting at buzz droids." Mara paused. "While you're at it, mind telling me where the buzz droids came from, and why you're shooting at them?" he turned back toward her, and sighed. His green eyes showing no hint of emotion still.

"I'm a doctor, in the scientific sense of course. My name is Kalev" He greeted placing his right hand to his chest as if a secondary affirmation was necessary.

"I work here at the palace milady. I am part of a deeply, and subject to secrecy, project the Emperor has me embedded in. As for the droids, well they've been skittering around the palace, and have been causing havoc for labs, offices, and even the fine living spaces throughout this lovely massive building. They're causing structural integrity issues likely, and if they're attacking the palace they are more than assuredly attacking other key facilities across the planet." He shrugs and brushes imaginary dirt from off his shoulder. Quickly clasping his hands behind his back. Mara eyed him a further moment before deactivating her saber finally. Though the man showed no hints of caring...still.

"I decided that if the palace security was so concerned and busy with other tasks elsewhere in the palace, then I myself would shoot every last one of these little pathetic mechanical machinations I come across." He nonchalantly kicked a downed buzz droid as he spoke. Mara shrugged.

"Sounds reasoning I suppose. Can't say I've ever heard of a scientist going around and shooting stuff." Kalev laughed lowly and began to pace around Mara some. Not making her uncomfortable off the bat, but still wary of the dark man. In fact his tanned brown skin, green eyes and ebony black hair made him a more unorthodox looking scientist. At least in regards to the lot Mara had seen work for the Emperor before.

"My...shall we say family is very unorthodox in everything we do. As for me? I tend to have something necessary to defend myself in any given situation. Plus these droids threatened my lab. My lab of any deserves to be protected, and kept to the utmost safe in events like this one." He lazily pointed out the nearest viewport. "Being ignored by security as I stated before only brought me to heightened levels of annoyance more than anything. A little fun blasting away useless little droids such as these was more than enough stress relief." He smoothly informed in quick and dry exposition.

"What do you work on exactly?" He cocked his head to the side, and smirked. His green eyes bright and holding a glimmer of secrecy.

"That would be telling milady. I note you have not yet told me your name. Don't you think it rude for a man to tell you his name but not reciprocate the action?" Kalev chuckled, and mocked all at once. Mara snorted, but felt a smirk attempting to form along her face. Though she wouldn't allow it.

"The name is Mara. I note, doctor," she smoothly retorted, "that you gave first name only, so you can know my first name." He nodded. His smirk remaining along his face.

"Fair enough, milady Mara. Do tell, what is one such as yourself still doing in the palace?" She crossed her arms across her tight fitting black outfit, and shrugged.

"Depends on what you mean by 'one like me,' before I answer."

"One who wields a lightsaber and uses the Force." He pointed out. Mara simply smirked.

"That's classified my friend." He chuckled once again, bowing his head and conceding to her mirroring of his own words.

"Once again, fair enough milady. Nonetheless I would think you must be on a very important mission indeed. Since the order was made not too long ago that all those in service to the Emperor would make for Imperial City and aid in the defense of the political center of not just the planet but frankly all the Empire. Well..." he snickered darkly, "what's left of the so called 'galactic,' Empire of ours." Mara found his bluntness odd, but nodded no less.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not doctor. I think though, I'll keep that to myself thanks." He once again bowed his head.

"Of course milady. We're all entitled to our secrets." He chuckled once more, but Mara did not react as the whole palace rumbled and the sound of cracking and a rumbling whine shivered through her body. She threw her arms out to steady herself as the palace shook for a moment, and watched Kalev with astonishment as he merely stood still and let the tremor shake him. When it finally stopped Mara sighed, and looked around the hall as her heart raced.

"In the name of all that is good was that?" Kalev shrugged and looked upward toward the ceiling.

"Likely a rupture in the lower structural integrity of the palace itself. This place, like the cities of Coruscant herself, has her foundation rooted in a plate. I doubt the droids are going for the plate. That would be too low and take a capital ship to destroy in a timely manner. Likely a deep support beam in the bowls of the palace has been cut by these." he kicked the downed buzz droid again.

"Oh, wonderful!" Mara proclaimed a deep and stressful sigh escaping her lips. "Just a loss of structural integrity. Are you high?! They're gonna bring this whole karking place falling down and you're just standing there like it's nothing?! What's wrong with you? They put you scientists on downers or something?" Kalev's green eyes held a glint of humor in them, and he eyed her for moment but merely shrugged after a further moment. The silent gaze fro him finally causing her mild discomfort.

"No, nothing like drugs milady Mara. I have been told by...peers of mine that I lack a certain level of fear. I find the trait appealing frankly. While everyone else is losing their minds at the slightest hint of chaos I stand unaffected and accept any given situation. I still can feel you human emotion of fear, however not in this matter." Kalev made sure to pronounce the word 'human,' in a mock robotic voice. Mara lifted another brow and wondered if that was a joke or if he was openly mocking her for her admitted fear.

"Care to explain why someone shouldn't be freaking out that this big hunk of metal is being cut down by little insect droids like these?"

"Simply put, it would take them far too long to get to every necessary support beam." he flatly stated. "There are hundreds, maybe a thousand and some. The necessary amount to cut through to cause imminent danger to anyone is a highly improbable task for anyone. Let alone buzz droids. That snap you heard, the one that just shook the whole palace was one massive metal support beam snapping. I'm sure security is sending a small army down into the caverns of the palace to shoot every droid they come across. Your fear of the unlikely as it were, is unfounded." Mara hated when these types, the overly numbers and probability knowing people, talked to her like she was an idiot. Though she couldn't get a read off of this one. His thoughts and emotions being cut off to her detection made her annoyed, and intrigued...but mostly annoyed.

"So, we sit around and let them trooper boys handle the situation? Yeah, forgive me if that idea does nothing to inspire confidence in me." Kalev only continued to smirk in reply.

"Guess that leaves only one thing left to do then." She sighed after another moment of silence. Minus the booms and bangs of war outside. Kalev raised an inquisitive brow.

"Oh? What might that be, my young lady?"

"Go down into the lower levels myself, and take care of those droids before any further, and unnecessary, damage is committed by them." She retorted and finally holstered her blaster pistol once again. Kalev bowed his head to her once again. No real inflection being given off by the motion though.

"If you so desire to, then who am I to try and stop you. Though I stand behind my analysis that your worry is unfounded." The palace whined once again, but did not shake. The creak of metal upon metal and sounds reverberating from deep below reaching their ears.

"There is, however, always room for miscalculation of course." Kalev added with a dull smirk remaining on his face. Mara rolled her eyes in response.

"Well that's comforting. Good luck on...killing droids?" Kalev shrugged. Again not giving away what he was feeling or intending to do. Or even if he was paying attention. That was growing more irritating for her.

"Oh, before you go! I do have one thing you may wish to have." He announced as she made passed him down the side of the hall he had come from. Mara turned, and he approached with a small electronic device in his extended out right gloved hand.

"What is it?" She plucked it out of his hand, and he returned to clasping it with the other behind his back.

"Well you may have noticed that the buzz droids were running away from me in a manner of speaking when we first met. In fact they were not running away. Droids, well I should say well maintained droids, don't have a sense of fear. Even those who are allowed to develop personalities never truly grasp what fear is."

"So why were they 'running,' away from you?" She asked, and eyed both the man and the device. Obviously it having something to do with it, but why not ask him anyways?

"It's not cheap, and not well known technology, but most droids have photoreceptors that on principle 'see,' as you and I do using complex wiring and all manner of technological implants that I don't wish to go into detail about." Mara nodded. Though he was sounding a bit more condescending again. Making her force herself not to allow her eye to twitch in annoyance.

"To make a long and overly complicated explanation short this device here scrambles their ability to visibly perceive within a three foot radius of the device in all directions. Activate it and they cannot 'see,' you in the usual sense. They see an anomaly, a black void in their vision, but they do not perceive a threat or target as delegated to them by the higher-ups of this rabble of rebels." Mara looked down at the device and felt a smile crawl along her face. The idea of being 'invisible,' to the droids was enticing indeed!

"And, you're just giving it to me? No strings, requests, nothing?"

"Not a thing. What could a man such as I demand from one such as you anyways? I figure you will make better use of it then I can. I think I am done shooting buzz droids today anyways. Unless one of them strays toward my lab again. Then I shall do as I feel necessary." He assured. His cool and unemotional smirk still placed firmly along his face.

"Still," Mara retorted while clipping the device onto her shirt along her collar. "It feels like I'm missing the catch. You gotta want something doctor."

"Oh, it's not purely because I am looking out for your safety I assure you." He chuckled deeply. His green eyes once more holding a mischievous and dark glint within them.

"The fact of the matter being I have a vested interest in the continued operation and safety of the palace. My lab and equipment, plus all my research is held within these walls. The possibility of its collapse I must admit does not please me." Mara smirked back at Kalev.

"Thought you were sure it wasn't going to come down?" His smirk lopsidedly broadened for a moment, but quickly subdued itself.

"It is never a bad idea to cover all your bases milady. Your tenacity and fear for the palace's continued operation and structural integrity inspired me to give what little aid that I could. Nothing wrong with that is there? We are, after all, both working for the same cause within the same government are we not, young ms. Jade?" She shrugged.

"Guess your reasoning is sound." She once more began walking down the hall Kalev had arrived from initially.

"I best be on my way and take care what likely an army of stormtroopers can't. Best of luck to ya and all your...endeavors I guess the word should be." She called back to him. He did not reply, and Mara kept on walking toward what she knew to be a turbolift nearby.

It took her a moment to realize it, but when she did it was like something had hit her right in the face, and made her pause where she stood for a moment.

"That karking son of a Hutt called me Jade!"

She hadn't told him her last name. Her hands balled into tight fists. The sudden blinding need to know how he knew her name, and what exactly it was that he did took hold of her. Her vision going red and body beginning to shake. It took a moment of breathing and calming within the Force for Jade to once more get onto that turbolift, activate her 'gift,' and ready herself to fight droves of the buzz droids in the bowls of the palace. All the while the vision of dear Kalev smirking as he looked at her running through her mind, and making her spine crawl.

(Coruscant Skies, Hours Earlier)

"Okay Shira what say you that we follow my lead?" Luke broached from behind the controls of a simple TIR fighter. Next to his was the screeching and rising form of another TIE fighter. The pilot of it obviously being Shira.

"Why your lead Luke? I've flown, I've had plenty of training by lord Vader. What experience do you have?"

"Plenty!" Luke retorted, and immediately regretted.

"Oh yeah? Say that 'experience,' of yours wouldn't happen to be mostly based on speeders and the like back on that sand dune of a planet you called home. Would it?" Luke loudly sighed into their shared comm channel.

"Knew it!" Shira triumphantly blurted. Her TIE inched a bit ahead of Luke's as they raced their two ships over the burning and crumbling spires and cities of majestic Coruscant below. They had blasted off from an internal landing port within the palace and were racing toward Imperial-City like everyone else was.

"Shira I may not have the experience you have, but I can fly! I can pilot a ship, and frankly of the two of us which one of us is in a better state to fight?" Shira didn't respond right away and Luke grew more anxious by the moment as they neared the heart of the city. AA fire and ships flying through and across the skies in dogfights and blazing shows of cannon fire and explosions.

"I may be beat up physically Luke, but that don't mean my trigger finger is broken." Once more sighing Luke inched his TIE ahead of Shira's as the city grew closer still.

"I'm not worried about that! I'm worried about where your head is. You've kinda been in a coma for a few days now, and the last time we got in a fight it didn't end well for you. Let me take the lead, and take the brunt of the counterattack. Keep you-"
"Safe Luke? Is that really what this is all about? Pent up guilt?" Luke turned silent. She wasn't wrong. Which annoyed him.

"No...not entirely Shira. I just want things to go right this time." This time he heard her sigh into her comm.

"It's war Luke. War rarely sees things 'go right.' You have to accept the unexpected will happen. As for me," she trailed off, and Luke heard her giggle. "Don't worry bout' me!" Luke was fairly sure she purposely said 'bout,' and not about, and found a small smirk forming on his face.

"I'll think about it Shira. Only if you let me take lead today. Next time you can." he promised and heard her hum thoughtfully.

"Aright, you gotta deal moisture-boy!"

"Moisture-boy?" Luke repeated. It only took him a minute to remember he was raised on a moisture farm. He shook his head at the brief foray into nostalgia and memories as he and Shira flew their screaming TIE fighters over the now collapsing and one time majestic spires of Imperial-City.

"Alright. Besides the city looking like Raxus-Prime in some spots it looks like most AA fire is coming from positions I think are Imperial."

"Any enemy fire so far?" Luke asked as the TIE's skid across the skies and dodged seemingly random Imperial covering AA fire launching upwards into the skies.

"can't say that I have, but I think we got bigger problems. That goes double for the AA boys on the ground." Luke cocked his head to the side to look at Shira's TIE fighter. Nothing seemed out of place, but he didn't like the way she said that last sentence.

"That being Shira?"

"Well about twenty Vulture droids coming down on us fast. That and reports of Tri-fighters making close air strikes along the entire length of the city. Oh! I almost forgot about the dozens of bomb squadrons; all of them Hyena class bombers I think, hitting vital support units being kept outside the main center of the city. You get all that Luke?" Luke was about to send a snark laden comeback when his TIE console began blaring and a sudden boom outside his TIE caught his attention.

"Got it Shira. How about we worry about these Vultures after my backside first huh?"

"No problem." Luke gripped his steering console and sped his fighter forward. The TIE sped forward and led on a whole squadron of Vulture droids. The red blaster cannon fire exploding alongside and too close for comfort to Luke's cockpit. Making the boy begin to feel the nerves rattle. Along with his teeth, and the Force began to prickle at the edge of his consciousness. Guiding him, and it was most appreciated.

"Shira I've lost you. Where are ya?" Luke groaned into his comm as he banked right and his TIE slammed him against the wall of his own cockpit as it turned and the Vultures followed on his tail.

"Keep your pants on. I'm on them." Shira announced, though Luke couldn't find her visually. Looking down to his console he found her friendly ping coming behind the Vultures.

"How in the heck did you get back there?!"

"No time for that. Just keep leading them on please. I almost got a line on them all." Luke grunted and leveled his Tie out along a path clear of spire. Both hit and smoking or otherwise untouched. He banked lightly from left to right. Each subtle sway of his ship bringing further fire from Vultures on his tail. The red cannon fire exploding all around him like flak of old.

"Okay...this is not as fun as I had hoped." Luke muttered as he bit his lip and kept swaying. His console once more started blaring and he quickly glanced down to the console monitor. His vision narrowed at the blaring words.

"Missile lock what does that mean?"

"Rockets on your tail Luke! Move, move now!" He reacted more on instinct rather than Shira's shrill scream in his ears as he threw his full weight into turning the TIE left though it didn't add to its turn in the end. The lead Vulture on him had unleashed two rockets. The things flew through the sky carrying an oddly blue streak to them as they approached his TIE fighter, and followed his every move. Up, down, left, right and even rolling it mimicked his every move.

Luke grit his teeth and allowed a growl to erupt from his throat and decided to play it a little more daringly. Banking down and to the left once more the TIE flew in close and screamed as it approached a still standing spire. The Vultures, trailing the rockets followed Luke.

"What are you doing Luke?! Pull away!"
"Hold on a second!" he yelled back into the comm and felt his body tense as the side of the spire grew too close, and he sent a small plea to the Force that no one was in the spire upper levels. With a yell he turned right and just swerved away from impacting the building. The two rockets that were following flew one after the other into the spot meant for Luke moments ago. A fireball erupted upwards from the now exposed gash in the building. The Vulture droids pulled away and veered to either side of the spire away from an impact. Though one did slam into an adjacent building in the frenzy to pull away.

"Ha ha! Got one!" Luke cheered. A broad grin beaming across his face as he swerved back into the open air above the city. Once more entering the open air, and 'field,' of booms and cannon fire from below.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't let it go to your head Luke. Now instead of me getting all of them you got one." Shira's voice dipped with mild humor warned him.

"I don't see them on us anymore." Luke intoned in reply. Just as his annoying blaring console began to shockingly blare again.

"Never mind." Luke sighed as he and Shira met up once more in the open sky. The Vultures were forming up behind them again.

"Okay I got an idea Shira." Luke announced as he glanced to his left and right. The line of approaching Vultures forming a closer knit line in the sky rather than a bulky mess of ships layered in stacks.

"I'm listening." Luke began idly strapping himself more securely into the fighter seat. Leaving one hand on the steering mechanism, and on going under and through straps. His earlier thrashing while turning sending a small warning to him. A small curse going through him as he realized he didn't have a mask or helmet. Just a comm piece.

"Okay, on my mark we both break on opposite sides and hit them head on. Take out as many as we can and then swing back around to chase after the rears of those left still flying. Clear the skies some." Strapped in and ready Luke began swerving his fighter once again from left to right as cannon fire blew along his sides.

"Guess it's worth a try. Aright then, on your mark Luke" Shira began to mimic his movements and dodge incoming cannon fire as the air around them began to be pelted on all sides, behind and in front of them, everywhere I fact by cannon flak as the bolts exploded around them. Luke felt the adrenaline rush and his body tense as he clutched the steer and the cannon trigger.

"Alright, now!" His TIE turned right, Shira' went left. Both Tie's breaking away from each other and quickly banking around to face the fleet of Vultures head on. Luke clamped down on the trigger, and so did Shira, as both fighters released their own green cannons. The bolts flew into the Vulture group and slammed into two for Luke. Both exploding with debris flying down to the ground. Shira hit several, but Luke couldn't count how many for sure. The Vultures kept on coming and Luke spun his TIE in a roll as his breath caught in his throat with cannon fire attempting to hit him dead on.

Finally the Vultures swerved over, below and to his sides to evade a collision, and Luke ceased spinning, but his stomach did not cease churning as he let out a sickly groan.

"Nice one Luke! I think I got four on that run. You?"
"I think two, but can't be certain." Luke mumbled as his stomach continued to grumble and he tried to not think about it. Shira's TIE was ahead of him some as they both then broke again and Luke banked to his left and Shira to the right. The Vultures were however flying upwards and turning back to meet them head on.

"Kriff. Alright let's go for round two Shira." Luke didn't wait for a reply and banked upwards and began firing a flurry of green cannon fire that flew into the undersides of three Vultures. Two went spinning and fell into the city. Crashing and sending and explosion of fire and metal into the air. The third swerved away as the rest of the ships slanted downwards toward Luke and all began firing their red cannons upon his TIE. Luke once more began dodging, rolling and spinning away from incoming fire, and noted he didn't see Shira anywhere.

"Shira? Where the heck you get off to now?!" He cried as his Tie narrowly dodged a flurry of red bolts coming right at him. So clear and surreal looking from within his cockpit Luke could hardly believe it. Though it did not stop him from feeling the pure rush of adrenaline being pumped through his body as the Force kept warning him and shocking him even with every massive canon bolt that came his way to try and kill him.

He fired on them as they on he. Green flying next to and passed red. Their red blasts missing him time and again as he expertly dodged and swerved away from assured impact. His green bolts ripping to shred Vulture after Vulture as the fighters descended down upon him.

An explosion followed another and several more Vultures were blow into chunks of metal strewn about the skies, but these came from their right. Luke furrowed his brow but quickly banked his TIE down in a spin and avoided colliding with the remaining five or so Vultures.

"How'd you like that Luke?" Shira's voice came through very much sounding pleased as it carried a giggle with it, and Luke rolled his eyes as he pulled back up. Her TIE came roaring in from the side and joined up alongside him once again.

"You could've told me you were gonna do that. Instead no let's just keep Luke guessing!" Luke heard her laugh again.

"Just keeping it close to the chest Luke. Now come on let's finish them off!"

"Yeah, yeah. Alight follow me in and let's pick em off." Luke flipped the TIE over and turned back toward the Vultures. Assuming this time Shira was alongside Luke opened up fire on the six Vultures in sight. Hitting one along its top it blew and the other five scattered.

"Shira to went right."

"Got em!" Her TIE flew down toward those and opened up a stream of green cannon fire on them. Luke continued down toward the three to the left. One lead two. Luke began firing a spray on all three, but the two along the lead broke away both left and right. Luke cursed but redoubled the fire on the main one ripping into and watching it explode brilliantly. He led his TIE through the fiery debris and let out a sigh of relief as he flipped the TIE back around.

One Vulture screeched passed him and Luke recoiled at the startling sight as his TIE shook from the near miss. The second Vulture closed in and fired a hail of bolts. Luke rolled his TIE to the right and away and quickly aimed back upward and led the Vulture. Firing his shots where the fighter was heading. The first several missed and Luke led closer to the fighter and finally sent one blast shooting through its main body. A grin grew along his face and he slammed his TIE left and swung back around and once more the enemy Vulture zoomed pass him.

"Alright then, you little-" Luke cut himself off and slammed right. His TIE zipping back around as the Vulture did the same. Both Luke and the Vulture opened fire. Green ripping passed and into red in a flashy display of light and power. Luke yanked his TIE steer back and his TIE burst upwards into the sky. The Vulture flying, and shooting where he had been seconds ago. Luke turned and dived his TIE down hard feeling the g-forces slam against him he unleashed the fire of his fighter ripped the Vulture to shreds before an explosion burnt through the open air.

A smile once more broadly shown across his face as he turned his TIE back toward where Shira and he broke apart. Her TIE came into sight from behind a pair of spires closely knit together. One was burning and rumbling the other oddly fine and undamaged as Shira seemingly steered out of nowhere from behind them.

"Got those two out of our and the Empire's hair for good. How about you Luke?"

"All taken care of." Luke replied, and audible sigh upon his voice. The skies were clear where they were for now. The ground still alight with blaster fire and explosive cannon fire flying back and forth. With AA fire blasting out and upward blistering the sky with fire and smoke.

"Alright then, Shira lets-"

"Two TIE's in the open. This is bomber lead of bomber squadron two-eighty-eight, can you read?" Luke was interrupted, and his eyes went wide as an obviously grown pilot contacted him and likely Shira over their comm.

"Uh...yes we can read you." He stuttered as he and Shira kept their TIE's close together and meandered their way over Imperial-City below.

"Confirmed. All fighter and interceptor units battle capable are tied up and engaged in fighting across the city. We are in need of escort. Any fighter capable units capable and freed up are very much welcome in any support capacity they may add." Luke switched to the comm channel between he and Shira alone hoping it would work.

"Shira can you hear me?"
"Sure can Luke."

"What do you think?" He asked though he felt, or even sensed rather what her answer was going to be.

"If they need help we're free to provide it, and looks like to me they need it. From what communications I've received we can't get our bombers in for much needed assistance." Luke nodded to himself and switched back over to the open comm.

"We'll assist bomber lead. Send your position, and where the site is. Or objective I mean." Luke stumbled for the right sounding words, and cringed at the sound of the words leaving his mouth.

"Sending coordinates and mission objective to you now." Luke breathed a renewed sigh of relief, and figured the squad leader must have been tired or too stressed to notice his rather young, and inexperienced voice.

"Got it, heading for your position now." He quickly switched back to the secure comm for he and Shira. Audibly sighing again as he did.

"Alright a little escort mission on our hands? This should be fun. Where they headed Luke?" Rolling his eyes at her apparent enthusiasm, Luke checked the coordinates of the objective.

"I can't tell. I don't know Coruscant that well, but it's west based on the coordinates."

"The Works?" Shira immediately responded. Luke shrugging though again Shira could not see him.

"I guess so. What's in the Works?"

"Factories, pumps, stations. Though...I suppose the droids could be after the control systems in the area." Luke rolled his eyes again. 'Could be?'

"Well what exactly are these control systems for?"

"Weather control, power, and water. Maybe others, but I don't know for sure." Cocking his head to the side Luke figured that would be a logical assumption. Breathing another sigh Luke moved his TIE, in unison with Shira over a set of particularly high spires and found the TIE bomber squad moving through the skies.

"Well I guess it's safer to assume whatever the droids are after it's bad enough on the ground that aerial support is needed."

"True." She quickly replied, and Luke nodded to himself as he once more turned to the wide comm channel and both his and Shira's fighters moved in front of the squad of bombers. As the squad reached the works a hail of AA fire slammed upwards toward the bombers and fighters. None hit their mark, but a look downward for Luke showed him the haphazard and mashed state of the battle below.

Nonetheless, the bombers dropped their loads and several factories ceased to exist following the rocking explosions. It wasn't until after this that a hail of Tri-fighters and Vulture droids came down from orbit and opened fire on the fighters. Giving both Luke and Shira plenty of enemies to pick off, as the afternoon, soon turned to night.

(Coruscant Orbit, Earlier)

As the hours passed by and the Deep Core responded to the call from Coruscant to send naval assets and all capable reinforcements. Other fleets from across the stars also received the call, and some even arrived sooner, due to the way hyperspace travel worked. From the Colonies came several warships under the command of Grand Admiral Octavian Grant.

Grant had come not at his own volition, and not out of a need to prove his loyalty to his lord and Emperor. Rather it was by the unseen grip of the Force around his throat that he came. A young girl draped in her dark cloak had watched the scenes of war playing over the HoloNet on Coruscant. Her blue eyes growing wide with excitement and desire even to join in the, 'fun,' as she saw it. The dark side beckoning her and toying with her!

"Why should I be confined to the quiet and lull of war here in Tapani? Whilst my lord, my master, the Emperor himself and a whole two armies clash on the single most important world in the galaxy?!" It was a simple question and an even simpler answer. That being that Kira was not going to sit by and merely watch.

The grand admiral had needed some persuasion of course. Nothing a little Vader inspired choking couldn't fix. A small girl in the eyes of the ship and its crewmen her opinion at first mattered little now that the battle on Mrlsst was all but over, and she was in what they had foolishly thought their domain. Striding easily onto the bridge and closing the Force around the throat of grand admiral Grant and lifting him into the air as the men looked on, and demanding he take his ship and his forces to Coruscant at once. Kira found the sheer terror in his eyes and those of his men all to exhilarating.

Once arriving above the planet and thrusting Grant and his ships into the thick of the battle above the capital. Kira found herself an Imperial TIE Interceptor and took off from the chaotic bays of the stardestroyer. Flying with the Force at her side through the swarm of enemy and allied fighters and bombers, blasting away a few at her own leisure. Kira eventually came down into the planet's atmosphere, and beheld the glorious sight of burning cities, blaster fire flying and explosions rocking across every sector of the mighty Coruscant. It brought a grin to her face. It was a glorious sight and one her adrenaline pounded at the sight and sound, and soon at the smell of it all.

Burning metal, dead bodies, explosions rocking with smoke rising into the air met her nostrils. Sending a thrill along her spine and making every inch of her skin cover with goosebumps. After landing the TIE near to an imperial base, Kira had jumped out of the craft and activated her curved crimson lightsaber. It was not long or hard to find the nearest enemy forces.

(Coruscant, The Works, Present Time)

Another artillery blast flew overhead and slammed int the nearby line of rooftops sporting streams of droids. The blast landed dead in the center of the roof and sent pools of droids and their many parts flying in all directions.

"Send command to all allied forces inside the zones of URM control and along all rooftops. They are all ordered to pull back and join the perimeter around the three control stations!" Viathan ordered and called over the resonating impact of explosives going off all around them. The troopers forming a massive circle around the important stations of control on Coruscant, Viathan had assumed regional command. Several million droids were reported from orbit to be surrounding the stations now as afternoon turned to night. Only the explosives and fires raging around lighting the skies. Lights were also around and glinting. Allowing troopers to see. Now the droids wished to take this from them as well and Viathan; taking a page from Morlin's defensive books, formed the best perimeter he could.

Both lightsabers in his hand Viathan jumped over the perimeter. It was lined and manned by thousands of troopers and mobile metal barricades and ray shield barricades. Several dozen walkers and tanks adding to a metal perimeter with the troopers. He dashed forward and dodged a flurry of bolts from above and from the streets as droids endlessly stomped forward. His saber flew in front and around himself as he ran forward and sent bolts flying around his body and behind himself.

Reaching the line of droids coming from a factory sector along a massive walkway he leapt up and slashed down. Spinning in a wide arch dozens of droids fell in broken heaps. Stopping he sent of a wave of energy through the Force and sent dozens of more droids fling back against factory walls and off the sides of the walkways into the abyss.

Coming around the walkway corner came several droideka's rolled into balls, and fast. Behind them several hundred at least droids clustering for a chance to move forward and attack.

"Oh great." He sighed and charged head on once more against the droids. They stopped at seemingly break neck speeds and uncurled, quickly forming their bubble of a shield around their bodies and four of them unleashed torrents of blaster fire upon him. He flung left and then right, each time the bolts following and he jumped over them altogether they followed and shot upward before he landed into a roll right next to the droids and between two of them. Throwing his hands out the two flew sideways and both hit their neighbor. All four skid across the walkway and off down into the abyss.

A sneer was upon his face and his eyes wee snapped shut as he let out a shaky and breathy groan. Looking to his right, along his ribs was a nasty blaster burn leading through the fabric of his clothing and scorching his flesh. He flushed and forced the pain into himself and allowed it to feed the dark side the swelled within. The droids advanced and a wave of blaster bolts came his way. Viathan ran sideways and used the power of the Force and his own momentum to carry himself running along the side of a factory. The droids attempted to follow and shot hundreds of bolts where his boots were moments ago. Until finally with a roar he dived off and landed deep within the crowd of droid soldiers. Knocking dozens over with the Force spreading outward from his landing.

Spinning around and slashing up dozens of B1's were ripped through. Landing back down he cleaved a B2 in half. Tossing his saber it went flying through a literal hundreds of droids and cleaved them into an assortment of parts and scrap. Taking his left saber into both hands he blocked every incoming bolt with liquid ease, before sending another wave through the Force and sent more piling and clanking and even whining against one another until they crushed each other against a nearby building wall or fell into the abyss.

His saber returned and he caught it; quickly slashing hard right from over shoulder to under arm cleaving another droid down. Before spinning left and slashing through four more. Slashing over right down left then hard slash right, Viathan couldn't keep count how many droids he brought crashing down. Only that more kept coming and shot bolt after miserable bolt upon him. He panted as his arms grew tired once more from endless slashing and then his eyes went wide as the Force screamed within him. Only looking up in time to see a bolt fly and then slam into his left knee.

He fell onto his right and unleashed a scream of pain. His eyes clenched shut as the pain radiated out from the center of his knee, as the flesh burned and the whole of the leg felt numb.

"Son of a karking Hutt!" He howled and his eyes grew glowing red as he slammed both saber hilts onto the metal floor below and threw both hands out and from them came a crackling and roaring torrent of lightning that bounced from droid to droid. The blue lightning illuminating the night and flying into the air as it hit dozens upon dozens and then into hundreds of droids beyond and their pitiful voice rung out in odd shocking gasps. Until at last the endless torrents once more brought the droids to explosive ends. Blowing their chassis wide open they slammed down as the charge continued to course through their downed bodies.

"Hah." He half laughed and half groaned as he ceased the attack. A weakened and tired smile crossing his features as he fell forward onto his hands as both palms met the metal. He panted further. His back refusing to move out of its stiffened position it found itself. Little droplets of sweat ran down his hair, his face and fell to the metal. Pooling and allowing Viathan to huff at the sight. Thrashing his right hand across his brow a slew of liquid came splattering off and to the ground as he forced himself back up and called the saber into his hands. A new wave of droids turned the corner, tossing and pushing their fallen allies aside as they did.

Viathan fell into a Niman dual wield defensive position, that drew heavily on Shien and Makashi. To the front of this group were a line of B2-HA droids. All of them extending their left rocket arms and right at Viathan. His breath calmed and his arms not as steady as he would like, he awaited the coming assault upon him. All seven of the massive droids fired their cannons upon Viathan and he awaited them to near as they shrieked through the skies toward him. He grit his teeth and sucked in another breath, but as they neared they slowed. They were rocket projections, and they stopped short of his body. Just floated before him. He raised an intrigued and flabbergasted eyebrow, but then he sensed it through the Force and found himself unable to control the eye roll that came over him.

"We really ought to stop meeting like this Viathan. This will be but the second time I've saved your sorry backside. Without so much as an honest thank you." Viathan glanced upward and found Kira Offee standing idly with both arms crossed. In one hand her saber hilt awaited, and upon her face was a satisfied smirk of confidence. She extended her right hand down lazily and with a snap of her fingers sent all projectiles flying back into the droids who had begun aiming at Viathan. The projectiles flew back and slammed into their originating battle droids. Sending several of them and lines of lesser battle droids flying from the successive explosions.

Kira eased herself down with the Force to stand beside Viathan, as he nearly collapsed once again, but held himself up. Refusing to bow before this...witch of an ally.

"Offee. What in the name of all that is good are you doing here?" Viathan groaned out as he idly noted he was leaning to the left, and forced himself to straighten. Though he caught her eying his wounds, and a smirk crossed her young face.

"I got word from a roaming mynock along the wind that dear old dusty and beaten Viathan of the world Coruscant required aid in his time of trials." Viathan growled. His teeth visibly baring like a wild beast. She only giggled furiously before thrusting her left hand lazily out and sent dozens of further droids flying away.

"Keep your pants on, Viathan. Grand admiral Grant heard through the HoloNet oh and the big ole Imperial recall broadcast that Coruscant was under attack by the big ole mean droids." Her matter-of-fact and near condescending tone grated his nerves further.

"So when he said it wasn't his problem or any of his men. Then I persuaded him to remember his place, and decided I would find a good source of conflict to thrust myself into. If you wanna hear me say I came here JUST to irritate you. Well I wish I could, but I actually came for some fun, and to show our master just who among us is the absolute best." She smiled sweetly and her eyes held the mischievous glint Viathan had seen before. That and they were a mash of her natural blue and yellow as the dark side grew within her.

"That's fine and dandy Kira. Now do me a favor and get out of my way. If you haven't seen the most important stations of the whole works are under karking siege! This walkway is one of the main vessels into the region. I am maintaining the defense and I'm in charge here so-"
"Yeah, yeah, blah, blah blah! Why are you so boring?!" Viathan felt his whole body go rigid and he fought the pain aside to stand tall and hang above Offee by a few inches at least.

"Excuse me?!" She rolled her eyes and patted his shoulder much to his desire to physically recoil and snap her little fingers in his left hand.

"You're far too serious. Ya'know that? I'm here and obviously Vi," He didn't appreciate the nickname. "You look like a Rancor riding a Krayt dragon chasing a heard of bantha ran you over. Thrice at that." Viathan didn't let it show. He wouldn't be caught dead agreeing with her assessment! Though...she was right. His wounds from Neona began to ache and the new wounds were exacerbating those old wounds. Along with the electrical burns across his body he was surprised himself that he was standing at all.

"So..." She sweetly began to add and placed both her hands on his shoulders His sabers were still active in both hands and he caught himself inching them dangerously close to her arms.

"Let misses Kira handle all those big baddie droids trying to break your little circle of peace and serenity. Or defensive line whatever, and you milord grouch take a break. For Force sake take a break." She grinned broadly though her eyes more fully took on the glowing yellow of a Sith deep within the dark side. Most likely delving into an assortment of thoughts and raw emotions to ready herself for battle. Nonetheless, Viathan deactivated his sabers and tossed her arms off of him. She continued to smirk in his face nonetheless, and he absolutely hated it.

"You can manage this walkway. It is one of many of their veins into our zone of defense. I shall command the defense of the others. This is my assignment, my command, and lastly MY rules!"

"Yes oh might one. Rest assured I shall defend you and your men on those other walkways as well." He growled.

"Watch yourself Offee. I am in no mood to play these games with yo-"

"No give me a break Viathan. I have been on Mrlsst for weeks while you and our master have been parading around doing this and that. I want some action and will let myself loosen up and have fun gutting some droids. Nothing you can say or do will stop me from watching them break and fall by my hand. Plus just look at it as you...using me for your needs." She shrugged and offered the thought with both hands extended toward him as if physically offering him something. Viathan only huffed a final snarl before turning and making it back toward the main defending perimeter.

"You got droids on your ass Offee. I suggest you watch it!" Viathan hollered back to her. Kira cocked her head but turned to see a host of B2's turning the corner, and leading into the walkway a line of AAT's into sight of the perimeter.

"Watch my ass he says." Kira rolled her eyes and snapped her curved saber to life once again, and allowed a grin to return. Charging forward the B2's unleashed upon her, and so too did Kira unleash herself upon them.

---

Dodging a hail of blaster bolts raining down from the factories surrounding the perimeter Viathan jumped over the defensive wall. Red bolts slamming into the tank he hopped over. It caught sight of the attacking B1 battle droids and a trooper climbed out from the tank and manned the cannon. Swerved it and unleashed the beam along the row. Slicing an entire column of droids in half. Only for another to run forward and fire into the perimeter and restart the cycle.

Viathan stalked toward the center where the command base had been set up inside the top floor of the power control station for all of Coruscant. He wiped another sheen of sweat from his brow and opened the door guarded by two jumpy troopers who jumped at the slightest of tremors that reverberated around them time and again. Inside, as the room rumbled and shook, Viathan took note of several officers looking over a holoboard that showed unit placements. Both for the enemy and allied units. They were arguing amongst themselves, whilst others who saw Viathan gave salutes to the young commander. He returned the gesture weakly, but kept on walking toward the back room. He needed a place to think, and to rest.

"Commander Viathan!" He paused and groaned. Turning he found an officer walking toward him.

"Yes officer?"
"You have someone waiting to speak with you." Viathan squinted and cocked his head to the side in clear confusion.

"I have someone waiting for me? Who? Where?" The officer pointed toward a wall with a large viewport that displayed the fighting to the west of the perimeter line. Viathan's eyes went wide once again, and his mouth fell agape some.

"Th...thank you officer. I got it." The officer bowed and made back for the others, and Viathan approached the viewport. A mix of shock, horror, and astonishment flooded though him.

'Okay. Too many surprises for one day, in one battle.' He thought as he approached the figure now turning to greet him.

"You look terrible Vale." Leia greeted. A smile upon her face as her arms were crossed across her chest. She still was wearing her dress from the celebration thrown by the Emperor.

"Leia...what are you doing here? I seem to recall your father expressly stating-"

"He expressly states too much." She cut him off, and shrugged.

"That may be true, but...being out here in the field of battle I hardly think it's any place for a princess. Let alone in what you're wearing." She wrinkled her nose and lopsidedly curled her features into a frown.

"Well unlike some people I was dressing to impress. Even if Vader was breathing down my neck about the proper dress to wear. But, that's all besides the point really. I heard you Imperials needed some help so decided I'd give it a go myself." Viathan scoffed and crossed his arms. Momentarily forgetting his aches and pains.

"How did you even find me? How'd you get out of the palace?" A tinkle crossed her eyes and a smirk once more broadened across her features.

"Wasn't too hard. The troops were all too busy getting everyone of those senators packed away to...wherever it was they were being taken that me and Luke could easily slip away. Besides I don't think dear old dad didn't exactly inform all the military that me and Luke were supposed to be confined." Viathan shrugged.

"Okay. How did you find me? And for that matter why did you come here?" She raise d brow and cocked her head to the side again.

"What? You don't want me to be here?"

"No, it's not that. I am merely questioning how and why you are here with me. The battle rages across the surface of the planet. Even in space above. To find me on accident would be unbelievable. So to me it seems only logical that you sought me out." She nodded along, and at the end shrugged.

"A good and reasonable assessment on your part Vale." He rolled his eyes.

"Thanks." A small smile formed onto his face. She reciprocated.

"Okay. Well yeah, I left the palace. Luke went off and is doing...who knows what. I sense him though, so I'm not too worried. Like I can sense Vader too. They both are up there somewhere." She pointed upward toward the ceiling. Though Viathan understood what she meant.

"I left on a shuttle transporting some troopers. They were dropped off, and luckily ignored me, close to here. The Works, but a bit further out. I helped them out some, and broke a few droids here and there. They were appreciative. Then...the spider walkers showed up." She sighed.

"Spider walkers? You mean large ones?"

"Big legs main cannon and secondary. Big central ball body. I'm pretty sure they were spider walkers." Viathan nodded, and motioned for her to go on. "The group I was with wasn't massive. A few squads large, but not really a platoon." Viathan cocked a brow and she rolled her eyes.

"I know military sizes Vale." He simply smirked and motioned for her to once again continue. "The droids I guess got tired of us, and well they brought in those walkers. I...didn't really know how exactly to react or bring them down. I'm still learning after all." Viathan nodded. Noting her eyes averting to the ground. Memories undoubtedly playing through her mind of the attack.

"What did you do next?"

"Ran." She looked up at him. Viathan only nodded a single, and what he hoped was an understanding nod.

"I ran." She huffed a laugh. Heavy with anger as she clasped her hands onto her arms whilst crossed along her chest. "The walkers, they blitzed through the area, and last thing I saw was half the walkway collapsing where those troops were. So...I found the nearest group and asked where 'commander Viathan,' was fighting. They informed me you were here, and I got a shuttle over here transferring reinforcements as usual." Viathan idly looked out the viewport. Another explosion erupted along a row of nearby buildings as artillery shelled the area. The roofs collapsed and the sound of cracking and snapping metal boomed.

"You do know, troopers die by the thousands, and have died in the millions on this planet in this battle alone. It is not your fault those few men got caught up in an explosion. The droids outgunned you, and you are still learning. The fault is not yours." She cast a sideways glance toward him, but only sighed.

"Maybe to you it's easy. To my father it's even easier, but letting masses of men get killed for any reason bothers me. I don't care if they are seen as expendable by anyone. I don't want to see. I don't need to see it either." Once again her eyes darted around. Viathan figured, despite her attitude, the battlefield was getting to her more than she would ever let on.

"Fair enough milady." A momentary silence came between the two as the battle waged outside. The viewport bursting with lights and fire in front of them, and momentarily capturing their full attention. Viathan finally cast a glance her way. She still looked distant, and her eyes were staring out the viewport, but he doubted she was actually watching the battlefield. Not this one at least, not in her head.

"So, why are you here?" She shook herself from her thoughts and turned fully back toward him.

"Well, I figured I'd help out, and like I said you were the first person that came to mind for me to look up and come out and help. Because, well I was doing so great on my own and all." Viathan found her self deprecation odd. Someone who usually got on him for his own self hatred to be talking down about themselves felt out of place for Viathan.

"Leia, I don't think it's such a good idea to be-"
"Now you listen." She threw a finger his way and immediately brought about silence from him.

"I want to help, and can help. I refuse to be sidelined anymore. The pampered princess everyone thinks I am, can go shove it! My fath...I mean Bail refused to include me in on what he was doing, and look where that got him. Look at this oh so righteous rebellion. Droids going around killing people by the millions on not just this world but across the galaxy!" Her face grew red with anger, and Viathan could sense her fury through the Force as it came off of her in striking waves.

"Now my father, my real father, wants me to be the princess he expects me to be, and apparently is overprotective to the point of suffocation. I will not be made to sit by and watch people die while he goes around killing and throwing himself into harms way. If you and he, if everyone wants me to be apart of this karking empire then I'm going to play a part in protecting what parts of it I can fix. What parts of it I will make better. Don't ask me to take the sideline, because I wont." Her eyes were hard, as her jaw was set. Her face was a hardened mix of anger and stubbornness. It was what Viathan had come to expect from the one time Alderaanian princess.

So he threw his hands up in defeat.

"Okay, okay. Calm down." He pleaded and she finally recoiled her finger still pointed at him in a very much accusatory manner. She even took a steadying breath.

"If you're this keen on fighting I suppose there is really no point in me trying to stop you. It's clear you are beyond stopping. Besides," he added with a small smirk, "I've decided fighting you is futile." She smirked back. "Very smart of you." Viathan rolled his eyes but maintained the smirk along his face.

"Well anyways I think I could use your help along the east of our-"
"Commander Viathan, you have an incoming transmission from lord Kun." Both teens turned as an officer approached. Viathan held a shocked look upon his face...for the third time in the past hour, and nodded.

"Very well. Is it via comlink or...?" He trailed and the man motioned toward a larger holocom terminal.

"On the terminal sir. He relayed that he has orders specific for you, and that it is urgent." Viathan nodded, and motioned for Leia to follow nonetheless. The officer made no mention of her not coming. Viathan figuring the man didn't wish to argue the specific nature of lord Kun's order.

The three reached the terminal and the officer pressed a single key along the console. Springing to life in full blue holographic glory was a full body figure of Exar Kun. His robes still seeming flawless. Well save for the bottoms of his cape. That region was ripped and shredded. Worn from the battle at large. Otherwise his figure seemed untouched. His arms were crossed and he seemed to be glancing into the distance as buzzing noises were heard. Likely explosions and blasts in the distance. He looked back down and seemed pleased to see Viathan.

"Thank you officer. You may now go. This conversation is more private." Exar eyed Leia for a moment but said nothing. The officer bowed and turned on a heel away from the terminal. Leaving the two alone with the towering hologram of Exar.

"An unexpected surprise to say the least to see you here milady." He greeted Leia.

"I'll go where I can and help where I can lord Kun. Though I did just get here." he smirked and nodded. Turning his attention to Viathan then.

"Commander Viathan," He greeted still as if they were not master and apprentice. Viathan understanding why. "I have been made aware of your defense at the Works. It is a noble effort. However, buzz droids have been dropped along the entirety of the pane and have been reported traveling deep into the under-cities of Coruscant and are disrupting power and communications through these means."

"Are you suggesting my defense of the stations here is futile?" Exar shook his head.

"Not at all. I am merely stating that in the end it may not amount to much aid other than protecting the power generation facilities themselves. What is in the heart of the power control station is necessary for protection no matter if all power is lost or not." His hologram fluttered as explosions quaked wherever his master was and the sound of men screaming orders at one another came through as did a flurry of blaster shots being fired.

"That being master?"

"Well the planetary shield power supply is based in the bowls of that facility. From what I have been told that supply is secured and buzz droids would need several days at the least to reach the supply route. I do not think the battle will last that lone, but needless to say everything can fall with minimal losses to defensive integrity. Save for the planetary shield. If that falls the URM will have free reign to launch orbital attacks along the entire planet. Though I'm sure I don't need to tell you that." Viathan nodded. Leia glanced between the two and merely watched the conversation in silence. Though she did note how Viathan was entirely submissive in his stance even as he looked up at Exar Kun. Who seemed to stand tall as ever with an air or superiority and power about him.

"Despite all that I just said, however, that is not why I have contacted you."

"What is the reason then, my lord Kun?" His voice was calm and equally as submissive with the Sith lord.

"As warned by our mutual ally, your father lord Vader milady." He pointedly looked to Leia whose attention was peaked by that.

"An attack by the droids has been reported by the communications ministry."

"How is that in anyway odd my lord?" Viathan questioned keeping his face stoney.

"For one thing the communications ministry is inside of Imperial-City, but outside of the political centers by some miles. The region the attack has been reported from is for the greater part untouched by droid forces. No large scale deployments were reported nearby. As such all forces in the region were swiftly called to the fronts across the rest of the planet. The attack itself was reported as ferocious. Not only that, but before communication was lost there was a report that caught my and I'm sure will catch your attention."

"That being?" Finally Viathan cocked his head t the side as his eyes narrowed. He began to feel the adrenaline rush through himself again though. As something whispered to him what his master was about to say.

"The ministry is considered important enough to protect. So there was a healthy amount of units at the ministry defending it or a possible attack. However, it was not expected to come under attack, and as such defenses were light. When the attack began, besides the ferocity of the attacks the front line defense commander reported a lightsaber wielding attacker. A Jedi." Leia glanced back to Viathan. The boy's face contorting into a barely repressed sneer, and hardly kept at bay anger. It was her turn to sense the anger that came flooding off of him, and she could see his hands ball into fists and shake with that hidden rage.

"Is it-"

"I don't know Viathan." Exar cut him off before he could actually say her name.

"What I do know is that this attack fits the mold of what lord Vader warned. I haven't an inkling as to why an attack against the communications ministry could be the goal of the droid forces or this Jedi. Whomever they may be, but you will go there personally. You will discover the reasoning behind the attack, and then end it." Viathan bowed his head.

"Of course my lord. I will see to it at once. You may not know this but Kira Offee has landed on Coruscant, and brought some ships from the Tapani front into the orbital battle. She is here and I think more than enough to lead the defense against the droid attack." Exar reclined his neck back some. Apparently he hadn't known. Though it only took a moment before he seemed to accept that fact and he cleared his throat.

"Yes well. That's good. I will speak with her in time. As I said Viathan. Make for the communications ministry. I have ordered a shuttle to your position. I will drop you off outside of the security zone of the ministry building. From there you can figure out the rest I'm sure."
"Yes my lord." Viathan bowed, and Exar bid him a silent farewell as the hologram faded and then quickly ceased to be.

"Kira Offee?" Leia repeated and crossed her arms. Casting Viathan a questioning glance. He groaned and pointed outside.

"I will direct you to the madwoman dancing around with her lightsaber outside." Leia glanced over Viathan raising herself up some. Outside the entrance wall viewport were several successive explosions rocking down the very main walkway. A red saber dancing across the sky as it slammed back down. Droids were falling left and right mingled among the troopers firing endlessly along and around better never near to her.

"Well, she seems like she's having fun."

"Too much I would argue." Viathan sourly spat and made toward the exit. "It would seem I have business elsewhere Leia. Seems like to me you will have to st-"
"Like heck I'm staying here while you go off and fight a Jedi leading a bunch of crazed killer droids! Besides I already made the speech about me not being sidelined. It is not invalidated by you being assigned to go somewhere else by dear lord Kun." She crossed her arms, and Viathan groaned once again. His hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Fine, fine. Just...please do as I say and follow my lead. If this Jedi is who I think it is then she will be an opponent I think shall at this moment in time outclass both of us."

"Whom do you think it is exactly?" Leia quickly asked as the entrance slid open, and Viathan ducked out as fire flew around.

"Why Kellia Nelrain herself." He spat her name as if acid itself burnt his tongue. The mere thought of the woman almost making him physically ill. Viathan ran up toward the nearest ground commander, refusing Leia the ability to reply to him. The officer was garbed in the breastplate of armor standard of ground based commanders, and had one of those ridiculously massive helmets atop his head. A blaster pistol in his hand as he aimed down sights and fired shots down at the hordes of endless droids everywhere, and all around them.

"I have been reassigned commander!" Viathan called over the roars of fire exchange and explosions. The commander turned and nodded furiously. Seeming to understand but also be distracted by the great array of bolts flying.

"Kira Offee is to be shown as much respect as I was. Relay those orders, and be sure to take hers and follow through with them."

"Of course commander." The man yelled back over a nearby explosion that shook both of them some. Viathan nodded and turned back toward Leia. A silent good luck was sent by Viathan to the men fighting here alongside Kira. They would more then need it he was sure.

With AA fire blasting around and abound through and splintering into the night skies above a shuttle flew its way through the thick of it all and shoved its way onto an open stretch of platform where it made a shaky landing. Viathan waited with Leia seeming oddly determined to come with him, and as the amp fell both bounded up and into the shuttle. Where the pilot slammed the ramp back closed and lifted the hulking transport back into the air, and zipped through the sky once more.

"Nelrain. She's the leader of the whole URM ain't she?" Leia asked breaking a shaky silence as the metal of the shuttle shook and twisted with both teens within fighting to keep steady with the pilots turns and swerves.

"She might as well be, but she is technically the military supreme commander. Along the same vein as your father in regards to the Empire." She scoffed.

"Well that's comforting. Considering how the attack has gone here I can see she's learned a lot from his methods." She sounded oddly angry. Viathan nodded as images of the woman swinging her cerulean blue saber and attacking him with his own lightning ran across his mind. Images of her removing his left hand. The dull throb that suddenly went shocking through his wrist a reminder of the blue beam of light seamlessly slicing through flesh, tendon and bone.

"She took from me my left hand, and has humiliated me twice. I shall not allow her the pleasure of beating me for a third time. Or taking another limb." Leia nodded. Though slowly. Oddly sizing Viathan up. He didn't like it but she seemed to be fully taking in his body language. What she saw was not exactly flattering. Indeed she grimaced. He was almost shaking with rage. His eyes dead set and looking forward filled with a terrible red glow. His face stony but stuck in a sneer. His fingers twitching toward his saber hilts hanging loosely and dangling from his belt. So she sighed, and crossed her arms.

'Good thing I'm here.' She thought, and inaudible snicker within her. 'Looks like I'm not the one who'll need hep by the end of this battle.'

As the shuttle shook and flew across the skies; holding within it two occupants readying for a new slog of the night, the war carried one across the world, and above it.

(Earlier)

Two troopers stood walking along the rooftop of this random building. This building, a small one once again nestled between the towering spires and among them. Down below was a square. In the square were several mounted heavy repeaters. Troopers patrolling the square, where in the center stood tall a large statue of a common officer with stock features raising his hand in salute with a stiff back and propriety to him that was to inspire vigor and rigidness in the men who looked upon it.

To the other end of the square across from the building the troopers patrolled lay another building nestled between two spires. One on either side of it with a massive central tower rising upwards and reaching the levels of the spires in height. A beacon lighting from the top, and continuing to broadcast endlessly out as its purpose dictated it do. As it was made to do.

To the entrance several troopers standing and idly staring forward. Numb to the booms and explosions in the far distance. They could all of the see the political heartland of the Empire, of Imperial-center itself burn, but it wasn't their concern. They almost lacked the ability to care. These stations were their reason for existing. These posts were their reason for continuing to exist. Until their superiors, until their lord, and until their emperor, master of them all ordered them otherwise it ere these plots they would remain. These plots they would defend. To the death if it must be.

Along this building, opposite the one where men stood guard and turrets remained primed and ready, climbed along the wall dark and unseen figures. Several of them, but two were scaling the walls faster than the others. Three large and rectangular fingers clamped over the side of the building. Two sets of them. Two cone shaped heads peered over the side and boots of troopers passed right by them as the men silently and dumbly patrolled in the same routine over and over again.

Dead seeming white eyes as one could call them looked to another similar set. The sets of eyes caught each other and both cones nodded a single nod to one another. Metal legs silently angled up high and planted onto the ground like some creature from a horror story and then the second leg as the whole creature came over the wall and kept its body low to the ground. Its ally following close behind.

Both beings, BX commandos they were designated, silently eased their arms over their shoulders. Attached to their backs and gripped by their hands they both crouching eased their way closer to their targets, and pulled forth a single but disgustingly sharp and ribbed vibroswords. The troopers, both carrying heavier assault blaster rifles faced the edge of the square toward the communications ministry. Their silhouettes barely seen in the lights of the city beyond and battle waging elsewhere. Neither one seeing or hearing the commandos as the droids silently rose to stand in full height behind the men. Both left arms flung forward wrapped around the men. Right arms flew around and the men began to struggle began to possibly scream. Then both blades flew under their helmets and pierced the flesh of their necks. Both droids yanked the blades from left to right and both heads flung about limp and shocked at the sudden pool of blood that began to spill and burst from their necks.

The men gargled and clasped limply and weakly at their necks and fell to their knees. Their droid assassins standing over them and towering above them as they fell defeated and writhing to their knees. The gargles meeting the audioreceptors of the droids satisfying the mechanical killers. Not because they felt good about killing organics. Such a notion was preposterous. Rather their death gargles as blood spit into their masks and fell beneath their bodies as they crumpled was one piece of a part of a whole of their mission complete. It was satisfying for the droids because it brought them one step closer to completing the mission.

"Take sights. Down range. Signal secondary groups." The deep and menacing voice of the captain droid ordered as he clipped his sword onto his back once more and produced a standard E-5 blaster. Both droids took aim down range and advanced to the edges of the building rooftop. Both fell to a knee. The captain kept his baster aimed down at the troopers on the ground level. The second BX-commando raised its hand and waved a few motions. Pre-planned by the commandos of course. The captain did not need to look as along the surrounding buildings more BX-commandos, hidden and keeping to the shadows caught sight of the gestures. Similar and precise like their captain unit before them the commandos proceeded to clutch and slit the throats of their unwitting prey. One by one the troopers fell, and the commandos took up aiming positions down from their respective rooftop vantage points.

"All units, take aim on targets. Fire on command." The captain unit; only distinguishable by the others by white stripes that were painted along its head piece, ordered to his fellow commandos that now lined all surrounding rooftops along the square. All units ran toward their respective rooftop edges and kicked aside the bodies of men still gargling and dying beside them. Taking aim the captain laid his sights toward the barricade of troopers in front of the building entrance. A line of heavy mounted repeaters lay waiting for any assault, but the men were lounging and standing around. Doing nothing, and expecting nothing. It was to be their greatest folly.

"All units, open fire." The captain easily ordered, and with a sudden flurry of light and sound the bolts flew down into the square. Men turned and snapped at the sounds, and suddenly fell and were hit by torrents of bolts slamming and singing their armor down to their bodies.

"To your posts men! Open fire, along the roofs!" An officer, his voice prissy, loud, and obnoxious ordered from somewhere in the shadows. The droids could not see him. The troopers ran and fell as they flew about the square. Dozens of men flooding from buildings. Likely meandering and waiting inside as they made into the square and shot up toward the roof lines. Red bolts flew back and forth, but for every one commando that was shot down, ten troopers at the least fell.

The captain unit fired in shots of three. One man fell, his body flinging upward and down. Another one was hit in the head and his helmet flung to the side and back dead. One by one the troopers fell. Troopers began to mount the repeaters. The first squad manning them slumped over and dead along these weapons were flung off by secondary rounds, and the men took them and aimed them up toward the commandos. A burst resounded and shocked the air splinting and firing upwards. Still the droids fearlessly fought on and fired torrents down toward their organic enemies.

"Grenadiers, to the front." The deep voice of the commander ordered aloud as he sent the orders over the comm system. The secondary lines of droids scaling the walls reached the roofs, and wielded RD-4 grenade launchers carrying timed thermal detonators in them. The secondary squads of three for each of the three buildings came to the front their first tier allies firing covering fire. They raised their launchers and fired the little explosive balls up into the air. They arched through and down and landed next to the repeaters and behind their lines. One trooper looked down to his foot noticing one of the explosives. Turning and running the whole block of area the repeater nest and their barricades took up exploded in several successive booms that rocked the whole area. Sending one dark and smokey plume into the air.

"Secondary targets." The captain simply said and the grenadiers began firing toward several regions of the square. Blocks of permacrete used for decorative purposes and now also as cover for troopers. The blocks exploded and sent men flying and exploding. Parts of them being torn away and sent flying up as their howls of pain resonated. Other grenade launcher carrying droids fired directly on the statue of the saluting officer. Successive explosions rocked his body and blocks began falling and crashing around the men using him as cover. Removal of the statue as a barrier for men was a secondary objective, but it was carried out with ferocious efficiency. The men still abounded around the square and some stood motionless. Firing upwards toward the droids. Most bolts missing but drove some droids to move and reposition. Some hit would recoil but still be functional returning with burst shots on their targets as red beams lit the region.

The captain aimed down sights again and fired several burst rounds toward the communications ministry entrance. The guards at the door ducked and fired back. One bolt nearly hitting the captain. Causing him to pull back as a grenadier shot a long range detonator at the entrance. It exploded and both men flew into the entrance walls. The captain however grabbed the droids arms and shoved it down.

"Proceed with minimal damage to walkway entrance. Advancement via ground walkway necessary." The droid nodded and proceeded to clip the launcher to its back and fling up an E-5 of its own and fire in a wild spray on the troopers now mingled with smoke from the detonator explosions.

"Secondary wave now clear for entry into square." The troopers were not all yet dead, but their numbers were falling by the dozens. The entrance from the walkways leading out into the city districts were now more than cleared enough for the next wave of forces to come in blasters primed and ready to unleash hell upon the Imperial troopers. A new resonating sound went through the square. A tumbling and rolling sound. Piercing through the smoke, and seeming like phantoms of death came rolling several droideka's. Chirping to one another in their binary language they uncurled and activated their shields. The troopers screamed to one another to fire on the destroyer droids, but it was too late. The droids began firing and slowly moving forward. No fear and no sense of self preservation upon them. Their repeating blasters shredding through and burning the troopers one by one into piles of meaningless and useless flesh.

Great stomps coming forward also began to resonate as bolts flew around and about. Three massive droids came through the smoke. Hulking and towering over all other droids and men. They were three B3 ultra battle droids. The one to the front pointed its massive arm left and the other right. Both other ultras fanned out and their smaller secondary rapid fire arms unleashed a wave of blaster fire upon the men cowering behind rubble bits for cover as the BX and droideka's fired an endless torrent of fire. That caused every man to shake and fear with total dread the unstoppable force descending upon them all.

B3-4Z launched a rocket from his left shoulder attachment. The missile flying and shrieking through the air before slamming into a building entrance way. Not the communications ministry but an adjoining building. The entrance was being used for cover, but his missile spun upwards and then slammed down and body parts flew in all directions as the doorway collapsed in on itself.

"Now Fourzee. Don't you think that is a bit overkill?" The voice of his mistress was clear over the booms and bolts, the screams and cries. The hulking droid general turned and bowed its massive head awkwardly. As her robed figure appeared, whipped and covered by the smoke that abounded. Moving in columns silent save for their footfalls were two rows of Magnaguards leading EG assassin models into the square.

"No amount of overkill can be neglected for the success of the mission and all parameters, mistress." She smiled and moved passed the droid and forward. The bolts flew close to her and missed, but still she activated her blue saber and its glow illuminated her equally as blue robes. Easily allowing her reflexes to take over via the power of the Force each and every bolt that strayed too near to her was sent back and flew into the men that shot them or the rubble they hid behind.

Kellia neared the last line of several men that remained, and with her saber easily deflecting every shot they sent her way she lazily raised her left hand as a dark smirk came across her face. Her index finger raised alone among the other four of her left hands fingers, she pointed to one man, and raised her hand. Her pointing hand brought the man easily into the air as he kicked and gasped at floating above the ground. Then flinging but her finger alone the mans screams echoed the air as he was sent hurdling miles upwards into the air. Never to be seen again. She quickly pointed to another man. Flung him right, and his body slammed into a building wall. Crushing his armor and every bone in his body as he died, with every organ splintered with fragments of his very own skeleton. Then another man was sent flying left and his head slammed against a permacrete awning above a building entrance. The helmet crushed inward as blood leaked out of the helmet crack at the neck and broken segments in the front.

A chuckle erupted from her and came from deep inside her chest as she watched and took pleasure in feeling the life fade from these pathetic clones, and recruits. Her left hand bursting open with all fingers extended a slew of men, nine total flew into the air and gasped and choked as she suffocated them all together.

"Brothers in arms! You live, fight, and kill together. Now your lot shall choke together!" She gratifyingly mocked them as their gasps through their masks gave sickening noises. She nor anyone else noticed the one dying trooper radioing for support before he eventually died, and none realized the Empire was sending an agent to see what was going on. For in this moment, Kellia saw every sickeningly disgusting clone she had ever had the displeasure of knowing choke before her eyes. Within her mind at least these nine gave her a more universal pleasure.

She would release the Force from their windpipes and allow them to take in a gulp, a burning gasp down their throats before constricting again and depriving them of precious oxygen. She wanted to and thus did prolong their agony and their slow deaths were made even slower. The droids silently moved forward toward the door. Still a small army as the BX commandos repelled off the rooftops. The commandos running to take positions on the entrance way and others planted explosives on the door and awaited their mistress to once more join them. They could not nor desired to stop her from partaking in her torture methods.

Finally she slammed her hand shut into a fist and all nine men flew forward in the air and slammed their bodies against one another, before she turned her hand palm facing up and flung her hand toward the sky. All nine flew flailing and screaming high into the air like their friend before them. Only this time they could be seen flying in all directions. Their bodies slamming and those slams echoing against nearby buildings before falling to the abyss, their bodies likely to be lost in the depths.

She sighed. More a feigned sigh, but among that fake sigh was an actual content one, as she smiled and joined her droids front and center once again.

"I look forward to the day all clones and their progenitor culture is wiped from all existence." She ran her hand along the smooth and cold metal of a nearby ultra battle droids arm.

"You my dear droids shall by the instrument of a new age dawning. Sadly we can only take one small baby step at a time. It, however, begins here." She smirked and nodded to the BX captain unit who clicked down on a small detonator. The doors blew and the meta cracked inward and blew clear open. All three B3 ultras aimed their flamethrowers and unleashed the roaring flame inside the hole. The screams and terror filled guttural cries reached Kellia's ears as she sensed the raw and intense pain that enveloped the men within.

The entry hall was smoking from the ruin of the dead men with armor burnt black as their skin now was. The commandos entered very much in tactical formation. Blaster drawn and aimed down scopes as they looked from left to right watching all possible flanks. Though Kellia sensed no life in the hall now that her lovely droids had taken care of the problem. She entered the hall as did her whole miniature army. A wicked smile crossed her features once more. Very soon now. Everything would come to fruition. Everything done upon this planet would come to its grand finale. Very soon now indeed.

(Present, Imperial-City, Coruscant)

Ending his call with Viathan, Exar keyed into his com once more as he kept himself behind a pile of rubble made by the droids firing on he and his men. He had one more call to make. One less now that Kira Offee was on planet.

"That girl doesn't know how to wait for further instruction. I shall rectify that in due time I see." he mumbled to himself and keyed in a few more keys along his com device, and awaited for the call to go through. Once it did the holoprojection portion of the device buzzed and began to form the figure he called.

"Exar Kun." Coolly did madam Lyn greet him. Her arms, both human and droid crossed across her chest and clasping her other arm. Exar sent her an equally cool but obviously not in the mood for banter greeting nod. His features devoid of mirth or happiness. Or even whimsy.

"Madam Lyn. How goes things on New Shella?" Exar asked and knew full well she could hear the mingling of roaring and explosions behind him as men called to one another over the chaos. It was an open challenge to her to claim to be having a tough time. A challenge she did not accept.

"Very well. The added reinforcements you sent including your Massassi have cleared out all remaining Moff forces resisting in the forests, and open fields. As for the city centers they have been sufficiently pacified. I have heard that Coruscant I under heavy droid assault though. How are things for you my dear Sith lord?" Exar grumbled just as an artillery blast struck behind him and sent his dark cloak and cape billowing forward.

"Quite pleasant I assure you." He tersely quipped. She nodded, a half smirk upon her features.

"Need any further support?"

"None." Exar was quick to retort. So quick in fact that Arden once more found herself raising a curious brow.

"The situation is maddening. Millions of droids are spread across the planet and we were caught off guard. However, I feel that this battle is soon approaching its zenith before the high begins to fade. In a manner of speaking of course." Arden shrugged.

"If you say so Kun. If you don't want my help you can easily just say so."

"It's not a matter of wanting. It's a matter of perspective." He chided. Bolts ripping overhead and zooming safely around him and the rubble he used as cover.

"We cannot afford to allow our fronts to collapse across the galaxy and look weak to the URM or droids in other sectors, and on other fronts. To do so would make this attack all the more successful. Therefore the likes of admirals Zaarin and Thrawn have not been recalled. They must show the Empire is not going to so easily fall like dominoes if the center one is hit."

"So you need little me to assure the men in Tapani that the war progresses on?" Exar grinned.

"Precisely."

"Great. I've become a mascot of assured continuation of battle. Still could be worse. I could be elbow deep back on Columus." She offhandedly commented, and Exar found it an odd statement but let it be.

"I'll play madam Lyn. Defender of Imperial gains in Tapani Exar. However, if the battle does not taper off, I shall make it a personal mission to see the planet not taken down by mere droids." Exar once more smirked as he snorted.

"Getting sentimental over the throne world of your one time master?" She openly sneered.

"Not even close. Still; I shall not allow the world that acts as the capital of the galaxy and has for many a year fall to droids because it is important for the morale of the men. Secondly some allies I'd prefer not die could die, and I cannot have that. Especially when all likelihood points to the Emperor being likely to survive among you all if none else do." Exar shrugged this time.

"If you say so my dear. However, lord Vader I have been made aware has in place the resources to assure us of a soon coming victory over these droids. The Tapani sector is still vulnerable. Kira Offee, my second apprentice as it were made the intelligent decision to come to the aid of myself and Coruscant taking a few of the ships left there. A lesson in patience will be met upon her later. That being said; the Moffs may feel inclined to strike where they see possible momentary weakness. Should they do that I am relying on you to see to the defenses of all worlds, and hold the line until reinforcements can be sent." She bowed her head. Her hair waving around her features momentarily.

"Understood, milord. I will be the good little helper and hold your lines for you. Just don't lose the planet I intend on living on long after that old man is dead and gone. I do so await the day I can dance across his home in victory." Whimsically she intoned, and Exar found a brow raising once more on its own.

"Keep to your ambitions Lyn. They will see you through the tough battles. Oh and please don't waste away my Massassi so callously. They are as of now few by comparison, and I would rather prefer to have some of them be of use to me at a later time."

"Sure, sure." She waved him off. Both of them then silently bid goodbyes, and ended the conversation. An annoyed roll of his gray eyes overcoming him Kun pocketed his comlink, and took in a deep nasal breath. The air smelling sickened and burning of hot metal and charred flesh. The blasts and booms resonating and reverberating in his ears and artillery or tanks blasts causing his body to shake and tremble.

"Hmm, last time I fought upon this planet's surface I ended up sending you to your higher plane master." Exar reminisced as images and words of his long since dead master Vodo-Siosk Baas flooded his mind. The krevaaki master of his teaching the young Kun to use his instincts and the Force to sense blaster bolts. His staff subtly hitting his legs as he stood with training saber in hand, and pushed him into a better standing position. The long moments of silence upon Dantooine when both student and master would sit along the grassy plains. Vodo guiding him deep into the Force. Always did his master seek to free him from that one dark corner within. That one place inside him that his master only too late realized what it was. His ambition, his drive for more. Power, strength and glory.

The old images of time long since passed soon turned to those of his war days of old. Fighting his master upon this very world in the ancient and old senate hall long since replaced. His master wanting him to surrender and return so that he could 'help' him. Exar offering Vodo a place in the Brotherhood of the Sith, his order. His refusal and the fight that followed leading to an acknowledgment and understanding on Kun's part. His master would never join him. Never give in. His master was lost to him, and he to his master. The only...person he could have said was the closest thing to a father he had.

The images and sound of that wretched creature, Freedon Nadd, calling him 'son.' Such rage did that insight in Exar. His hatred finally unleashed his acceptance of darkness assured, and the pathway to greater power and knowledge, to become dark lord opened to him. The foolish spirit of old thought to make him a pawn, and puppet to use Kun to make for him a new flesh, and new form. Exar easily dispatched of him. Nadd would never trouble him again.

Vodo? That was another story. A Jedi master, the battle master, and one who looked upon Kun with restraint and desire to understand him. It was...distracting and sent an odd feeling through Kun that radiated up from his chest almost. The large eyes of his master pleading with Exar to return to the Jedi for trial but also for absolution.

"Why? Why do the Jedi insist on saving those who fall? Not all, but certainly their masters. Is it guilt that causes them to beg for their return? Desire for the closest thing to true family to return? Do they feel blame and seek to undo something they fear to be judged for later? Or do they care little for the opinion of others, and seek to return to them their kin?" Exar asked to himself oddly standing still among the rubble and ruin of this walkway and path as war waged around.

Kun sniffed the air, and shoved all past thoughts aside. It was beneath a dark lord of the Sith to linger on such useless matters. Still there was a one lingering thought, and one he could not let remain in his mind alone.

"You should have stayed away master. You would have lived. Perhaps should..." He cut himself off and hardened himself once more. Forcefully thrashing his robes aside he called to his right hand his saber hilt. Abandoning all thoughts, and memories to the place they belonged, and hardening his mind and body. The Sith lord rounded the rubble and took in the grand sight before him. This was the time to define once more himself in battle, and in war.

Shielded by a vast line of SPMA and other artillery weapons of the empire were ready hundreds of IFT-T tank units. All of them facing forward and having a man mounted on the topside beam canon turret. Several dozen MAAT gunships were behind the tank line, which itself was behind the artillery line. Before them was the wide open court that was the vast senate plaza. Beyond them all the monolithic and imposing executive building and the senate convocation chamber, the rotunda. A great line of droids in front of that, and beyond them fellow Imperial holding a weak and thin line. Weakly and one could say pathetically holding the line from the droid swarms coming in from city walkways away from Exar Kun and his new force. Now fully under his direct command.

"All troopers rally!" His voice reverberating around and louder than ever before with the Force adding strength and power to it. "The enemy has sought to surround encircle and destroy two of the greatest marks upon the face of Coruscant herself! Two defining pieces that set into stone what one sees in their mind when they think of Coruscant. No matter what they may hold they are they seats of power and represent that power! The power of the Galactic Empire!" Exar roared. He stood now atop his tank and looked to a gathering of trooper next to the MAAT gunships resting silently on the metallic ground beneath all their booted feet. The troops mounting the beam cannons of the tanks watching and listening even over the successive and continuous body shaking blasts of the artillery line.

"On the opposite side of this grand plaza fights your emperor himself." Exar watched and felt the men fester in confusion and awe at the notion of the elderly emperor fighting the droids.

"He fights and defends this world, and with the power of the Force; though many of you may not understand it, he has defended the entire other flank almost entirely alone! I ask little of you all by comparison." He cried still over the adrenaline pounding booms of battle around. The men stood watching blank faced as it were with their stoney masks staring forward upon him, but through the Force, Kun could sense their fear and sense their rising anxiety.

"The droids have set up a massive line. Leading an assault upon your comrades defensing the senate square, and the sights of power that have thus far been monuments to the power and prestige of Coruscant! With this mass of armor, this cold and powerful Imperial metal beneath and among us, we shall drive like a knife through flesh through the droid line! Breach to the other side, relieve our courageous allies and thrash the droids at last. Showing them that the Empire is far from defeated." Kun activated his blue saber, his cloak whipping the wind along with his hair, and he exuded power and courage.

"We have in fact only just begun to show not just these droids, but the whole galaxy the power of the Galactic Empire!" His voice proud and load, booming over the booms of war themselves, and a terrible rasp within that unleashed spoke of his power, and his will. The will of a Sith lord to attain victory.

The men rose up and stiffened. Beat into them mindless obedience and silent adherence to their lords. Yet even still a cry rung out from the rally of Exar Kun. A grand and victorious grin crossed his face and he waved his blue saber through the air. The light illuminating him in the darkness of the night even as fire burst around them and smoke plumed beyond. It was a thunderous call to war, and for the first time in a long while these men among many millions, felt vigor and pride rush through their blood, and shake their very bones.

"Mount your gunships men, and bring to these droids the full fury of the Empire! Teach a droid to feel fear itself and attain glory!" Once more a roar rung out loud, and the troopers broke into runs. Squadrons running to and mounting the fleet of MAAT's. With further troopers mounting up along the tanks and readying their blaster as they were to begin their move forward.

Exar turned toward the artillery line. The cannons being slammed backward as they fired the masses of energy up and into an arch toward the droids lines returning an assortment of flying and buzzing red illuminating fire. Exar breathed in and awaited the moment they charged forward, and made history.

"Ready to go, my lord!" The commander, an interesting commander he was, the one Exar had come across hours ago along the walkway, now sitting upon his own tank, announced, and Exar nodded, a gleam in his gray eyes twinkling in the night.

"All units move forward!" The command was as booming as ever before and it resonated loud with every man that heard his voice give the command.

A buzz ripped through the air, and all MAAT's rose off the ground and bounded forward high into the air and forward. Beneath them a stampede of IFT-T tanks that as well rushed forward and meandered their way in-between and beyond the artillery line that withheld their fire, and then like a grand play unleashed a single mass volley all at once that pounded the air. The light leading their way as the artillery strikes landed and sent explosive balls high into the air.

Kun reached his hand down as the air flew by them with the legions of tanks flying forward. Their twin guns firing hails of cannon fire flying into the droid lines. The commander dug a mobile ear piece communicator for Kun out of one of his pouches, and slapped it into the Sith lords hand.

"All units concentrate beam cannons on their tanks. Leave the ground forces to main twin cannons and infantry fire. MAAT's I want covering fire on their back lines!" Exar commanded and a bursting light shone through the night as all beam cannons unleashed and flew forward. Sometimes more than twenty of them slammed into an AAT and ripped it apart as it blew apart. Those that remained turned and faced Kun's armored battalion moving forward. They fire their main twin cannon and met the IFT-T assault head on. Several tanks blown away and burst. The men riding along the tanks though being shaken about lined their blasters down sights and fired rapid streams of their blaster rifle bolts into the droids. Hundreds of the mechanical soldiers turned and their red bolts rung out and flew back toward the rushing tanks nearing toward them. Tri-droids began lankly moving toward the tanks as ell firing their assorted cannons onto the tanks. Tanks on his left and right blew away and exploded in the dust of those that continued to approach.

Exar flung his left hand forward and igniting from him came a dark side fueled beam of energy. His power unleashed sparked and singed the air itself and the pure raw power unleashed from within him flew toward the droids. The beam of power ripped a hole through the lines. Dozens of droids flew apart and broke into an assortment of pieces. The beam sent one AAT flinging up and backward landing on its head and atop several dozen more droids.

The MAAT's flew in low and banked on their sides. Beam cannons along its sides manned by troopers unleashed their own torrents and line of destruction flew across the droids. Missiles from above flew down and explosions rung through and shook the very metal foundations beneath them all with a terrible and trembling fury.

"All MAAT's dismount squads opposite our assault, and provide immediate support and relief for defending units. All troopers lining tanks units dismount and assault the droids head on. Full tank coverage is issued!" Exar commanded before himself jumping off of his tank followed by all the troopers along with him.

They were shaky from the sudden dismount but they nonetheless began firing and shooting streams of their bolts into the now very much close droids. B2's came forward and took dozens of bolts before being brought down as floods of B1's stood to their backs and fired just as endless of streams back into the trooper forces.

Exar landed on a knee and with his left hand pressed to the dirtied and singed metal ground below. He flipped easily back up and his saber fell into an easy assorted array of bolt blocking movements. The blue blade seeming like a blur as it flew about his body and sent bolts flying into the air and back toward the droids who fell back down by the droves. His body neared them as he took easy and assured stomps forward with every twirl of his body and came ever closer to the droids who did not cease moving nearer to him as well. They did not nor cared to understand the danger that approached.

Finally Kun neared and struck down his first droid of this battle and a wicked grin flew across his face. He flew upward and to the left slamming down and cutting through two more. Rapidly spinning and slashing down a dozen more even as other fired upon him. The allied tanks got as close as possible and began firing in close proximity to one another and their trooper allies. Blowing massive holes in the stone and metal flooring of the plaza and sending droids flying away and exploding in a dazzling assorted array.

Exar came to a freeze and allowed the Force to build up within him. Utilizing his anger, rage, and deepest desires to fuel the darkness within, he felt his body surge before raising his left hand and a torrent of lighting flew out and arched through the air. Like a beast of its own with a mind its own the electric tendrils roared out and slammed int droid upon droid. Each one shaking and buzzing before falling back with small bursts and explosions. Made into nothing but scrap.

The troopers like their droid adversaries moved forward breaking into runs and sidesteps they fired wave after wave of their bolts droids fell and others took the shot before firing back all the same as the line became a mash of URM and Imperial military power. The artillery now far to their rear suddenly screech overhead of them all and lit the sky a pale green as it flew and slammed into the droids backward lines still firing on the defending troopers beyond. The haze of fire burned the air and the whole plaza erupted into a chaotic concert of buzzes, booms, blasts, and roars even as the symphony of war played out in full view for all to bare witness.

Exar was flipping from one droid to the next. His whole body lifted like a mere feather in the wind and slamming down and through one droid then the next quickly spinning and stabbing a B2 through the head, before slashing full around taking ten B1 droids down then. He twirled his saber in hand and he felt the Force stream through his body like a rapid of pure water. An unstoppable tide and he felt more alive than ever before! He flipped his thumb across the activation switch and in a flash the second beam burst forth.

Flying into another spin with saber overhead he flung it down and carved, cleaved and mutilated every droid that came into his path. He spun and ripped another B2 in half and twirled the saber again before stabbing down and impaling the droid still clawing and shooting from the ground.

He was basking in the moment before the Force rung a warning through him, and he felt everything buzz within him. Turning around there stood two droids with cloaks draped across their bodies and staff with electrified ends staring him down as all other droid fanned out and away from them and him. As if they knew this was not their battle to wage.

"Now this is interesting." He spun his saber easily in his right hand and took striding steps closer as both of them grappled their staffs and stomped forward some to meet him as well. The three met and stood staring one another down. Though Kun couldn't tell what they were 'thinking,' he knew it likely had to do with every probable move he would make. To that he grinned once again.

'I shall introduce you both to the mastery of Niman.' He laughed within and readied himself into a noticeably Shii-Cho openers stance. Immediate recognition almost seemed to come to the droids who fell into their own positions. He recognized them as clumsy but effective looking enough Makashi stances. Even on droids it was noticeable, but they seemed far more aggressive.

"Whoever taught you two how to fight really must not like subtlety." Exar laughed but the droids, as expected said and did nothing but await him to make the first move.

Exar noted they would not move, and it was interesting that these droids seemed programmed or taught to not make the first move. So eventually he sneered and allowed the dark side to pound through his body once more and he dashed forward he swung wildly left and spun the saber back right. Both droids slammed their staffs into his saber and forced it away and barely missed him cutting them both down.

He flipped himself right again to slash at the other droid, but this time he fell into an Ataru stance. Slamming down; the droid having jumped away, Kun flipped back up landing a kick into the abdomen of the second droid to his side and slashed through the air near to the first droids neck. He swooped around and went into Juyo. Powerfully slashing at the first droid again. Who fell into a defensive pose. His staff going left to right along with every wild muscle throbbing pound that came from Exar. The second droid threw its staff over its head and swung down. Kun swung down low and spun away and jabbed the second half of his saber through the droids center. It flew back and cupped the wound but remained standing. Exar spun back to the first as it swung noticeably Makashi styled jabs at his legs and then his chin. He fell into Soresu and easily blocked the moves. His mastery of Niman allowing him to flow seamlessly into every and all forms of other saber combat. He took in the fight with pure joy. He and the droid came to a clash, and he shoved the staff down to the left and the droid became hunched over toward its right. Kun turned to Djem So, and slammed down hard and fast ever swing a dazzling and overpowering slam of his body upon the droid which feebly blocked and repelled the Sith lords attacks.

Finally his face contorted to a snarl the pure adrenalin feeding his rage as his whole body bristled and he howled as he swung down and burst his energy outward through his swing, and like with his long time ago battle with Vodo, the droids staff cracked and burst in half as Kun's saber swung down. He spun and decapitated the droid before using the Force to lift, crush and throw droid into several B1's beyond.

He turned back to the second droid. Its wound still sparking and burning from his stab. It fell immediately into a defensive posture, and Kun began stalking toward it. Deactivating one of his sabers side and allowed his breaths to come from him heavy and pounding as sweat poured down his brow. His eyes glazed over with power and rage. He wondered if in this moment a droid could honestly feel fear.

It however spun its staff and slammed a jab toward him. He blocked with one hand holding the saber and pushed it away as he sent a push toward the droid as it staggered back it blocked a similarly djem so, inspired burst of slams down upon itself from Exar. They clashed and came close before Kun swept low and swung his leg out and tripped the droid up as it fell to the side it rolled away with Kun stabbing down where it had lay on the ground.

It rose and quickly struck to its right but Kun dodged, snapping his head away and clear of any danger, before slamming up and cleaving through the staff and removed the electrical tip leaving a metal blunt end. The droid looked to Kun seeming almost surprised as he smirked and jumped up and brought saber down to cleave at his right and slashed down. The droid swiped away but Kun caught its right shoulder and quickly the arm came falling off, before he once again unleashed a torrent of lightning flowing from his free left hand once he landed and unleashed his power upon the droid. It buzzed and stuttered before finally exploding and falling back. Leaving Exar to rise back up and spin his saber in his hand triumphantly. He chuckled as he easily brought these two pale imitations of duelists down. Even still within his bulky cloak and cape, all his armor, he had done it all. Though the heat and sweat made things uncomfortably interesting to say the least.

The commander and his company of men had dug deep into droid lines and were firing in every which directions bringing the droids down in large heaps of their gathered kin and allies. As more troopers dove into the lines as well. Tank fire covering their assault and push. Artillery slamming down and blowing away the backward flank of the droids with the defensive lines of troopers now firing freely and openly upon the droids. They were now scrunched between a rock and hard place. They did not surrender nor would they however as they took imperials with them as they fell. Blasting into heads chests and arms. Ripping them off and slamming into them. B2's coming too close to troopers and slamming their hands into trooper heads knocking them down before blitzing bolts into their bodies. As B1's swarmed in seemingly endless waves as no one could exactly place their finger on where they were streaming from.

The commander fired a heavy burst round into a droideka meandering about and blasting into anther packed circle of men as they were gunned down. The droideka took note of its shield producing ripples where the bolts met their mark. It turned onto the commander and his men, and behind his mask he felt his eyes go wide, but his body go numb as he froze with a droideka fully shielded aiming down sights upon him. It fired and the commander cringed. The bolts didn't come, and the commander fully opened his eyes and took note of lord Kun standing beside him his saber extended out in front of himself and a knowing smirk upon his darker features.

"Think before shooting so brazenly commander. Kun raised his free right arm and made a crush motion with his hand the droideka began to bend and snap as metal could be heard whining and twisting. Kun snapped his hand shut into a fist and the droid its shield having disappeared collapsed in on itself in a twisted metallic heap.

"Shooting something a little to protected from mere blaster bolts is ill advised commander."

"Yes milord." The commander laughed as bolts whipped by his head. Exar laughed and nudged his head toward the droid lines.

"Come commander. There are plenty more of these mechanical machinations left to brutalize. I would not want to see you miss out on all the action."

"Yes lord Kun, of course." He bowed and held his blaster up high and ready near to his armor covered chest. His men following closely behind.

The battle for the senate plaza would go on. As plenty other ones waged across the city covered world.

(Coruscant orbit)

"Five on your left! Move now!" Lead commanded, his own TIE now scathed and scratched along multiple sides twisted and spun under a Munificent as it fired a flurry of turbolaser fire into a Victory class cruiser and it exploded in succession.

"I'll take care of him." Eclipse called back and her TIE spun hard left and swept under a debris field. The following Vulture sprayed the debris and blew pieces into smaller bits, as it chased after Juno.

Lead cursed and sneered. He and five were all that was left of the Alpha-Fours. The karking droids had killed all his allies, his long time friends and teammates. Only number five, Juno Eclipse was left with him. It had been hours, but no ship was nearby to them and capable of taking them on for rest. They couldn't even bother to ask for rest. This battle was lingering and the droids didn't need sleep, or a time to cool down. Why should he and five get it?

"Five pull forward I'll take him off your backside."
"Got it." Her TIE sprung forth and her engines burned bright as she dove back from under the debris field and into an assorted side to side attack between both the droids and imperials. The Vulture followed after her spraying and blindly firing red bolts all around her TIE. Lead formed up behind the Vulture, and unleashed a green torrent of his own the cannon bolts ripped into the Vulture and it exploded. Lead flew through the debris and let out a breathy sigh as his eyes felt heavy and dry.

"Permission to speak freely lead."

"Go ahead." lead responded. A chuckle upon his voice as he did. Though his nerves were utterly wracked.

"We're getting our asses handed to us." The accent she carried made her statement all the more hilarious and lead found himself laughing for the first time in hours.

"Copy that Five. We keep on going though. Link up with lord Vader's gathering and pick up some more wing-men to back us up, copy?"
"Loud and clear lead." The two TIE's pulled in close as they flew away from the small engagement and back into the maze of debris and spread out ships on both sides blasting each other away.

"I'm reading Tri-fighters ahead lead."
"Copy." He sighed and shook himself as they neared another engagement between the two fleets. Five Tartans cruisers squaring off against three sabaoth battle cruisers.

"Dive low and try to pass. I doubt it will work but worth a karking try." The two dived their TIE's down and attempted to go under the exchange. Above them a dazzling light show took place.

"Bogeys barring down on us! Thirty of them!" Lead snarled.

"Karking hell, get ready five pull away on my mark." They drew in near as the flood of Tri-fighters burst down after them. They fired a spray of red cannon fired around them.

"Now!" he yelled and both TIE's broke away one left and the other right. The flurry of cannon fire flying into the now open void. Fifteen Tri-fighters flew after both of them each. They unleashed renewed torrents of cannon fire and Lead personally fought to bank and dodge the flurries as Eclipse fared better and spun away from the incoming fire on several occasions.

"Five can you shake em'?" He called as he threw his TIE right and dodge another set of blasts and twisted his TIE down but the Tri's were easily upon him and firing again.

"Not yet, but I got an idea." His TIE shook and something began to moan. His body stiffened but he again yanked his TIE right and away.

"Do it quickly please; whatever it is Five, I need assist and I need it fast!" Once again Lead turned hard but this time to his left and some Tri's were thrown off, but other kept on him and a succession of wild bursts came toward his TIE fighter.

Juno swung her TIE fighter back upwards toward the exchange of the fleets. The Tartans were pounding all their firepower onto a single sabaoth that had several fires rising from the ship as they blew into the void and died from lack of oxygen. Juno set her eyes on the rapid fire from the Tartans and eased herself.

"Three...two...one...go." She ordered herself and punched it. Her TIE once again slamming forward and up. The fifteen Tri's on her followed suit and blew their engines after her all of them zooming upwards. The flurry of cannon fire coming from the Tartan cruisers came in giant waves, and Juno knew when to go through. Sucking in a breath she dove her TIE through the open void between the two packs of ships exchanging fire. The sabaoth they fired on sending its own cannon fire back. She made it though and between the two forces and released that breath as her body sunk backward. The Tri's coming for her hit the mark. The Tartans unleashed another pulverizing flurry of cannon fire and ripped the Tri's apart and turned some into nothing but ash and dust. Whilst also causing the sabaoth to explode in a brilliant flash. Pieces of the ship flying into and stabbing fellow URM warships.

"I'm clear Lead. Coming back round' for assist." Juno flipped the TIE back around and dove in-between the tartan cruisers. Lead didn't respond and Juno for a moment felt an odd sensation, dread, run through her at the thought of being 'alone,' fighting these things. She dove back down her TIE screaming in the void as it neared where Lead was being attacked.

Finally she felt herself loosen up again as his TIE came into view. His TIE was becoming more and more damaged. His wings singed and a whole chunk missing on one. Indeed Juno was more surprised his TIE was still holding than anything else.

"Hold your current heading lead! I got these bastards in sights!"

"Copy." He replied his voice filled with obvious stress as his TIE pulled tighter weaves and banking maneuvers to dodge the bouts of cannon fire still flying his way.

Her TIE screeched through the void as it dove down toward the stream of Tri-fighters. She slammed down onto the triggers of her fighter and a torrent of green cannon fire blitzed through the line of Tri-fighters. Three blew up on impact and a fourth spun into a fifth.

The column of fighters broke away and made sweeping turns both left and right coming around to Juno. She set her features into stone as she readied herself and sun her TIE to the left. A Tri-fighter came head on with her, but she unleashed a renewed torrent of green cannon fire and ripped it apart and flew through its debris field.

"That's six down."

"Nine to go." Lead reminded her as his TIE turned and opened fire on Tri's now hot on her trail as red blasts once more erupted around her cockpit. She flung her TIE up and allowed the Tri-fighters to fly under her where she had been before she yanked her TIE around and back, but now she was behind two more of the damnable droid fighters. She once again slammed down on her triggers and the green torrents were unleashed once again. She spun her TIE as well and sent her cannon fire into a twirl of one large cannon blast after another. Both of them exploded and she ceased her wild spin and felt her stomach lurch and her throat constrict as nausea swept over her, but she kept the little contents of her stomach in and sighed.

"Two more down Lead."

"Four to go. Got three myself." Juno felt a wave of relief rush over her and turned her TIE back around toward Lead. Three of the four Tri's that remained were on his tail, and she couldn't see the fourth which irked her, but she nonetheless punched her TIE forward once again as it screeched toward Lead and the droid fighters.

Lead spun downward and away and Juno immediately fired o the droids and caught the furthest back on and sent it flying into an uncontrolled spin as it flew into a nearby debris field and exploded. The other two spun down and fired a large bout of endless blasts toward lead who turned away hard left. He swooped down and gave Juno another clear shot at the two remaining fighters. A long stretch of blasts reached and shredded through one Tri as the second one was hit and spun but kept itself together and swept upwards out of sight.

"I've lost sight." Juno called as she quickly banked right in preemptive measures to avoid any possible attack from above.

"I got him!" Juno checked her scanner and found Lead to be coming from right over her. Looking up she recoiled as his TIE zoomed mere inches from her cockpit and burst around to the right. She banked and followed after. Finding his TIE to be following the Tri as it zoomed left and right up or down trying to evade the endless green stream from Lead's TIE. Juno watched as he began to lead the Tri as it banked to its left and closed toward her. His green cannon bolts nearing her and the Tri. She banked downward as the green shots flew nearer and nearer and finally the Tri banked down after her, but so too did Lead fire several bursts where Juno dived her TIE down and right into the Tri droid. Thus it exploded and Lead let out a loud cheer of relief.

"Got him!" He laughed some more and Juno felt a smile form over her features as her body once again relaxed and she slumped slightly into her seat. Lead's TIE, still looking like a piece of worked over scrap formed up alongside hers to her left and both began moving forward once more, and made to go clear around the engagement still unfolding between the Imperial and URM force nearby.

"Well that was an ordeal. Glad we got out of that one with everything intact." Juno sighed as she spoke and didn't really feel like keeping with strict protocol to the last at the moment. Lead didn't seem too keen on propriety either.

"Copy that Five." He laughed once again, as Juno took another look out her cockpit and noted his wings were sparking and scorched.

"Phew...thirty Tri-fighters. That's something alright. Though obviously you took down the majority Five. Good work." Lead congratulated and Juno found herself smiling once again. That was...until she remembered. Twenty-nine, not thirty had been brought down.

"Lead I think that-"

A light blinded her and explosion rocked near to her, and with horror etched along her features Juno looked out her cockpit and took note. As Lead's ship was nothing more than smoldering debris. A Tri-fighter speedily raced through the debris and came into her sight. Her chest tightened and her nostrils flared as her breathing became hard and anger rushed through, pounded into and about her whole being.

A deep snarl that turned into a rough and loud howl erupted from her and Juno punched her TIE forward and locked onto the karking droid. It began banking left and right as she wildly and rapidly unleashed endless torrents of green cannon fire that flew all around but missed the small Tri-fighter as it banked and weaved.

"Die you karking droid!" She snarled and threw her TIE into another spin and forced the cannon blasts to fire forward in a spiral and forced the Tri to bank away and move upward. She snapped the controls back and followed it as it flew upwards and toward another massive battle being waged by a lucrehulk battleship and three stardestroyers. Massive quad-turbolasers slammed backward and sent massive cannon blasts into the stardestroyers. They fired back with their own assortment of turbolasers and ion-cannons as rockets flew between the two and swarms of both imperial and URM fighters in disarray battled one another.

She snapped in the lock on of the fighter and kept after him and never let up on the triggers. The green cannon fire endlessly flying and slamming into the frenzy of fighters and bombers above them both as both ships dove through the haphazard array with missiles flying by, to and fro. She banked and weaved her fighter as Vultures zipped passed her and spun her TIE to the right as TIE bombers screeched directly toward her to bomb the lucrehulk quickly looming further and further more down below her fighter.

To her right massive blue cannon bolts flew and slammed into the underbelly of a stardestroyer. Massive explosions ruptured along the entire length of the beast and it wasn't long before it cracked and a whole subsection sent a massive shock wave through the void and the ship blew apart and took dozens of nearby fighters with it. Still the Tri seemed intent on losing her, and weaved amongst other ships as they fought one another in this dogfight and among the titanic ships engaged in bitter combat.

"You're not escaping me s easily you bastard!" She snarled and yanked the ship into a small barrel roll left and kept the sights trained on the Tri the green bolts flying near to it, and it quickly rolled right and dodged. She rolled right and kept on firing and it rolled leftward. Her bolts skimmed a passing Vulture and the fighter carried its exploding momentum and slammed into another nearby Tri-fighter. It gave her little joy, as the red clouded her vision. The only thing shining through to her was the Tri as it flew, weaving among the other fighters. She unleashed green cannon bolt of bolt and still missed, her body only bristling even more with every shot that flew passed the droid fighter.

Finally Juno threw her ship upward and maintained tracking of the Tri on scanner. She flew upward her TIE shaking with the force and speed she punched into the fighter before she finally slammed back down and the TIE dove down faster than it rose causing her whole cockpit to shake and rumble as the Tri came into sight below her. Leading it and unleashing burst shots where the ship was to be she allowed a groan turn to a grumble into a growl before she watched with eyes burning with fire as in a flash three cannon blasts split int the Tri and it exploded before her eyes, and suddenly all strength left her body. Her breath felt like it was punched out of he and she fell back into her chair as every muscle ached, and all energy drained.

Juno brought her TIE to a halt in the void of space and leaned over in her seat. She brought her hands to her head and removed the helmet and threw it aside. Admittedly a dumb idea as it slammed against the small cockpit walls and flew back into her ribs but she didn't care too much. Both of her hands clasped her head as she sunk down low and allowed the weariness to take her, and the fear. She let loose a shaky breath and felt raw emotion so far well contained and held back by a dam of walls crack. A sob nearly broke loose. Every man of her wing, new to her but no less her team was now little particles of dust out in space mingled among the torn and twisted tatters of their fighters. She was alone even as fighters and bombers were not too far away and fighting for their lives. Fighting for the continued and assured security of the Galactic Empire, and all Juno Eclipse could do was barely hold back her sobs as the full weight of the hours long battle wracked her mind.

"Fighter open at coordinate 0-567, are you okay out there?" She heard a voice come through and Juno glanced to her comms console and looked out of her cockpit and took note she was alone out here as the massive orb of Coruscant rotated before her and took up the majority of her vision. She wiped a stray golden blonde lock from her face and sighed.

"Don't think anyone's home Luke."
"There's gotta be though! Why else is a TIE just sitting out in the open Shira?" A boy and girl were talking to one another quite openly and easily. Juno noted they sounded a bit young, but then again they could have been from the academy and were called in as reserves. Juno yanked her earpiece from the helmet and placed it in her ear, bringing the mic to her mouth once again. She breathed in and out and then responded.

"This is Juno Eclipse of fighter squadron Alpha-Four. Designation number five of twelve. My whole wing has been...destroyed. I am all that remains." Silence followed and Juno almost began to ask if they were still there.

"Wow...well sorry to hear that miss Eclipse." The boy, sounding very sweet even a little naïve if one could jump to such a conclusion, replied to her. She smiled weakly to that.

"I'm Luke and with me here is Shira. Coming about." Just as he said it two TIE's flew in front of hers and came to a stop even as their ships floated freely among the void and were kept close by Coruscant's gravitational pull.

"A pleasure to meet you both."

"Likewise!" The girl quickly and almost happily responded.

"Are you operational miss Eclipse?" The boy, Luke asked. "M and Shira have been causing some havoc for the droids in the skies of Coruscant for a few hours now, but a general call for all fighters capable of shooting was sent out by fath- I mean Vader himself. Me and Shira are rallying anyone whose broken off from the main groups." Juno perked up some at that and felt herself clutch her steering mechanism almost instinctively again.

"Game plan?" Juno asked.

"Get a bunch of people together, smash through this big enemy fleet closing in around Vader's Death Squadron and jumble of ships, and draw off their bombers and stuff." The girl spoke back. Once again Juno found herself smiling at the attitude of the girl.

"The Core reserves are supposed to be here in a few. All we have to do is buy...Vader time to keep the fight going and we'll be out of the fire in no time." Luke added.

"And into the frying pan, but that's the fun part really." Shira added, and Juno heard Luke scoff over the comm. She sighed and forced all emotion once more behind the dam, and hardened herself.

"Okay, count me in. I'll take your lead. Uh, but what designation are we using?" Luke and Shira both made humming noises. Obviously both thinking on the subject. It dawned on Juno they were probably teens and she was being run by people a bit younger than her by some years, but she was a young cadet herself, so maybe not that great a difference.

"I'm partial to...rouge. Yeah, yeah that's it! I'm rouge leader, and this is rouge squadron!" Luke announced with obvious joy in his voice.

"Luke...that sounds a tad bit ridiculous." Shira numbly replied, and Juno felt a laugh close to erupting from her throat.

"Well till' you come up with something better Shira, I make the rules so...there!" Suddenly his TIE took off and Shira growled.

"Rouges it is, but I swear Luke it's only temporary!" She yelled over the comm system and chased her TIE after Luke. Juno though silent found her smile to be quite broad and made after the two as they made their way back deep into the thick hell of the orbital battle for Coruscant.

(Imperial Ministry of Communications)

The door was cracked and twisted inward. The room was filled with a light layer of smoke easily seen and wafted through the room. Men lay on the ground most unmoving their lives taken and gone, and a few moaning. Pain shooting through them. Assorted pain shooting through and limbs missing. The creaking and clanking of droid stomps was all that met their ears over the ringing of the explosion that blew their room entrance open and put them all into this pathetic display.

"How pathetic." A woman's voice rung through the air. A hiss and snap of a lightsaber ringing and the guttural howl of a man. As he flew backward and a blue beam of light pierced though his chest. He was an officer and his suit was not marred with burns and tears as a great hole, a gaping wound now was upon his chest. Holding the saber hilt in her hand lazily Kellia withdrew the beam of light from the man as he slumped back and fell to the floor very much dead.

She held hr saber near to herself as a flood of droids entered the room behind her. The three massive B3 ultra battle droids having to bend down low and force themselves into the main room, which was luckily high enough to where their heads scraped the top from time to time.

"Nice. So this is the main broadcast station? Very...dull, and as I expected." Kellia commented and deactivated her saber as she motioned her hands and the shuttered viewports of the room flew open and exposed the war zones beyond and the light of the cityscape into the room.

"You three, activate those consoles along the wall." She ordered the BX captain unit as he directed two fellow commandos to other consoles as they began pressing keys and monitoring screens. Kellia found herself at the main console and began activating screens, and going deeper into the operating systems of the computer. Security access screen met her eyes and she rolled them in kind. Pulling from her pocket a special little security spike from the Geonosian techies. Kellia entered it into the nearest access port and watched the show as the screen began to flicker and the screen began to snap in and out as Geonosian text flashed across and down the screen filling and covering the system screen.

Finally the screen flickered several more times before the it snapped to the control screen for the HoloNet access. The very heart of the galaxy wide network. Every transceiver, every hyperspace relay and every satellite. Every little thing connected to the HoloNet was before her very eyes, as the pings between hundreds of millions of devices pinged between one another. An endless affirmation between the devices that they were there, and they were active. They were listening for new signals.

Kellia was stone faced once more as she pulled forth the insert card with the reactivation signal and new order directives upon it. She placed it onto the desk and felt her chest tighten in the grip of anxiety mingled with knowing at what was to come. She accessed the console's data-recall file storage. The last mass message sent out galaxy wide was the little declaration of war by Grand Moff Vellam, and they even stored it after shutting it down from all channels. All she needed due was access that channel. She did so easily and she felt her face once more twist in humor as she saw it was the Imperial emergency broadcast channel. It overrides all other network broadcasts on all stations everywhere. Of course hers would be a not so entertaining one. In fact one would only hear garbled sounds piercing to the ear but quite the treasure rove of data for any droid of the CIS models. Every active machine will be overwritten. Every droid will come home to Geonosis and then make for war once more.

Taking the card in hand she flipped up the panel guarding the insertion port. Quickly and with no second thoughts and no hesitation she slipped it in, and not before long the upload sequence began. Geonosian code leading to the reactivation and acquirement of all droids shut down following the Clone wars. Still upwards of quintillions of droids were out there. Sleeping as it were in the voids of space. Others acquired and utilized by the Imperials following the war to be used for practice or even for secondary usage across the Outer-Rim and Wild Space by the imperials as fodder. She grinned as she imagined the shock that would be upon the faces of those when the droids suddenly activate, and begin slaughtering them and their allies. A shame. She would only be able to leave as such a magnificent sight unfolded across the stars.

Thus the file began to upload and all networks were being mapped by the computer and Coruscant outside and all around continued to burn. Allowing for Kellia to retain her grin as the vision became a lot more clear of the future. The eventual downfall of the old man. Wherever he may have been. The massacring of every imperial trooper throughout the galaxy and every dark Jedi and miserable dark side acolyte put to the saber and run through. Where once the droids brought fear they would bring democracy. And as she had made clear before, if those in the galaxy did not take democracy willingly. Then they shall have it forced upon them.

"Mistress." The captain called and Kellia turned as he signaled to his console.

"Intruders have entered into the building. We have them visible on camera." Kellia narrowed her eyes. She didn't figure someone would have been here this quickly.

"Put them on the main screen. We shall see what they've sent." She placed her hands onto the console and leaned forward and watched as the large main screen activated following the droids keying in on his own console. Before them all activated a screen, and on it were two figures entering the main door. The one in front moving forward and looking at the fallen men. Their bodies still burned and heir armor charred. The one to the back looking at the door. Still barring the scars of being blown in.

Her eyes narrowed even further and she felt her back bristle with rage. Her lips contorting into a lopsided sneer. The Force churning about her in her rage.

"So...they've sent the boy once again. Commander Viathan hmm? And..." Her voice carried surprise about it. "Princess Leia. You seem to have fallen from grace indeed." A darkness fell over her as she watched her converse with Viathan comfortably. The two teens made her uncontrollably angry in this moment. She slammed her hands onto the console as her body shook and the Force whispered to her. Her mind reminding her the device needed more time to upload and broadcast.

"Captain take all your commandos, and the droideka's and set a perimeter at the main blocking points the Imperials had tried to use against us." She ordered snapping around and the captain droid nodded as he directed the many droid commandos to follow him. The standing droideka's following after. The clanks of their footsteps resonating in the room.

"You six." She pointed to the column of magnaguards. "Take up positions in the hall outside this room, and let no one pass beyond this door." The droids quickly made out of the door.

"What are our directives mistress." The deep and even more resonating voice of Fourzee asked. His massive form flanked by his two allied B3 units.

"One of your units will guard the door from this side of the entrance. Another one that secondary door there." She pointed to the door on the side of the room to her right and right of the main console. It lead to her escape path. A secondary access leading to a landing pad. Likely meant for higher-ups of the ministry.

"You Fourzee shall remain with me, and guard me from any attacks."

"Yes mistress, but what of them." Fourzee's massive hand pointed toward an area behind her. She turned and found four of the EG assassins standing idle and ready. All of them carrying to their sides their lightsabers.

"You four shall remain in this room and guard it until you cannot fight anymore. Understood?" The droids nodded. Kellia returned the gesture in kind, and smiled as she turned back to the feed as the two made their way down the hall toward her. They would easily enough follow the bodies.

"I shall have to teach you a final lesson, commander Viathan. As for you princess, I suppose your father shall weep soon enough, and your real father shall taste the sting of the loss of a child. The penance for his choices I think."

Her words came out in a wave of pure venom and spat forth from her. As the signal uploaded Kellia watched with hateful eyes the approach of these two insignificant specks. Thoughts of their corpses before her only seeking to calm her. As moments of waiting felt like hours.

---

"Whatever came through here. Burned those men to death. That doesn't sound like something I'm going to enjoy much once I get to it." Viathan went on as Leia followed close behind. A slight chill running through her as her dress left little warmth for her to retain.

"Well considering the droids we saw outside I guess it's safe to assume these aren't the normal models?" Viathan nodded.

"BX commandos. Didn't think there were any of them still out in the galaxy. Those models were supposedly collected after the war for research purposes by the imperial weapons department. They were introduced late in the Clone Wars. Too late to cause too much of a difference, but the fact they are being utilized now and so early on by the URM speaks to some level of knowledge they have among their leaders." Leia scoffed.

"Droids. Why does everyone insist on using droids to build their armies?"

"Cheap, built en mass, and when they're killing or destroyed really. Nobody will cry and whine to the government of losses during a war. Who cares if a droid is destroyer? So long as their sons and daughters are not the ones being put down by the blaster. Thus the Empire utilizes what I call 'organic droids.'" Leia cocked her head to the side as her hands rubbed her arms from the coolness of the building.

"Organic droids?"

"Clones." He quickly replied. "Again, who cares if these men you never knew, your family didn't know, and who were born from vats and tubes, are killed on some field of battle? No one. That is what makes them all the better as soldiers. The Empire and the Emperor is are their parents. They need nothing else. When they die? Only the Empire catalogs it and no one else cares or wants to know. Nor needs to."
"You have a very charming way of putting it you now that Vale?" he huffed a light laugh but said no more as they winded their way down another hall. Taking a turn left. The stench of bodies burning with trooper armor giving the whole building an all consuming stench.

It remained silent for a few more halls a mixture of fallen bodies and sparsely fallen droids leading their way to their goal. Only their footfalls making any noise as they resonated off the walls. When they finally turned a hall to the right it was Viathan who threw his arm back and pushed Leia against the wall with him and he turned back from the hall. She raised an eyebrow as his left and cold metallic hand clasped her side, his arm across her waist as he peeked around the corner.

"Commandos. They've set a perimeter and are expecting company."

"That's great. Can ya please take your hand off me?" She replied politely and Viathan recoiled suddenly a look of horror falling across his features. He stammered an apology in barely a whisper too. Leia smirked at his discomfort. Suppressing a giggle even.

"You got your lightsaber on you?" She nodded. "Good. We'll both have to attack them directly. There's only commandos by the looks of of it. They have two droids mounting heavy repeaters. That I am fairly sure are from dead troopers. About three others aiming down range from the bend to the next hallway."

"Shouldn't be too hard. After all, they are just droids." Viathan shrugged. She wasn't wrong.

"Just make sure you block their bolts and bring them down as soon as possible. I don't need you getting hurt so Vader has an excuse to rip my limbs off."

"He needed an excuse before now?" She quipped and Viathan turned to her. A smirk crossing his face once more as he pulled both hilts from his belt.

"Touche my princess." She grinned and pulled Dooku's elegantly crafted saber from her belt. Once more reminding herself to learn how to make adjustments. This saber needed to be tweaked if it was to remain hers after all.

"Okay, on me." She nodded and held her saber up to her chest. Viathan held his low to his sides as he took in a steadying breath.

"Now!" He flipped around the corner and both beams of light came to life as he dove forward. She ran and flipped around her saber extending as well. The droids immediately opened fire. Long stretches of repeater bolts flew at both of them. Viathan spinning aside, jumping to and then off the wall and rolling under the streams before jumping over them as the repeaters followed him. Leia ran forward as well and for the first time in days allowed her meager access to the Force flow through her as it came instinctively and she easily tossed herself aside from the stream of bolts coming her way only to run at speeds she never thought she could have forward after Viathan.

The boy bound forward and brought himself spinning down upon the droid shooting the repeater. His saber split it in half and Viathan fell to the ground. The three back commandos fired burst shots upon him and he spun himself left and away from the shots.

Leia threw herself to her right away from the second repeater still focusing and shooting at her, and sidestepped, before launching herself over the boundaries set up and stabbed her saber behind her to her left, and impaled the droid, before twisting her saber out and blocking bolts coming at her from the other three. As they split their attention between her and Viathan.

Leia ducked and slashed outward across the legs of the nearest droid and he fell. Viathan ran forward and hacked the second into an assortment of bits and parts. The third was quickly beheaded by Viathan as Leia slashed upward and slit a leg off of it. She roe back to a full stand before snapping the first droid she slashed under her shoe, and stabbed her saber down through its chest before it finally sputtered and 'died,' for lack of better term.

"Nice work." Viathan complimented as his chest rose and fell from the adrenaline now running through his body. She let loose a breath herself.

"Not so bad yourself. You are after all a warlord." He chuckled while rolling his eyes and motioned her forward as they proceeded won the hall. Clanking and whirring could be heard at the next right side bend in the hall. Viathan and Leia once more put their backs to the right side wall and Viathan peeked around. A flurry of bolts came his way and he spun back as the red balls of energy flew into the wall and scorched the metal.

"They're awake. We got another repeater blockade by them. It's obvious these were imperial checkpoints in an attempt to stop them. I don't like having our own karking resources used against us."

"Well get used to it Vale. It looks like they're doing everything they can t keep us away." She shrugged and he nodded though he did growl in frustration. "Same game plan?"

"Let's keep it simple, I say." He smirked and she returned it as they brought their sabers to bare and once again both turned the corner. A hail of blaster fire flying toward them. Both nearly at the same pace ran forward, and both jumped up and brought saber down onto two droids once again on heavy repeaters. They both wee turned to chopped pieces.

Four commandos shot down upon them and Viathan flipped aside and sent a large wave into them and slammed two backward against the wall so hard they blew apart the other two began a slow backwards step while still shooting rapidly now at Leia who blocked their bolts with quick, smooth, and precise swings of her blade. Using her Makashi as she knew it to the best of her ability.

She deflected three bolts in succession. Her arm going up twisting the saber left across her body and then down blocking another before turning it up wards blocking another. She looked and her eyes went slightly wide as both droid slumped backwards and fell to the floor. One with two bolts in its chassis, and the other a bolt through its head. Viathan walked by and glanced to the scene.

"Nice deflections. Keep that up and bolts are nothing but a light show milady." She huffed out another breath as she felt her brow begin to once more bead with sweat.

"Keep up all these compliments Vale, and I may begin to think you're just being nice." She smiled and began to allow herself to rest, as Viathan huffed another chuckle and easily made down the next hall.

"Will ya wait a minute?! I need a quick breather."

"Why aren't you drawing on the Force for energy?" He asked. Seeming already recovered from his exertion. Though he did get close to the wall once again, where she joined him.

"I don't exactly have intricate knowledge of the Force like you, my friendly warlord." She shot back and he looked to her. His brow narrowed.

"It's not that difficult I assure you milady. It's very instinctive if you but allow the Force to flow through you. What is difficult is learning to take it slow and allow the Force purely to give you energy. I rely on a more quick method. One I would have thought your father would have taught you?"
"That being oh wise one?" Another quip that forced a smile onto his face. As his crimson eyes held a twinkle in them. It was odd for Leia to see.

"Use pure and raw emotion. Your passions and yes, the dark side. I think we already had this conversation before."

"Yeah, months ago." He sighed.

"Has it already been months? Time seems to be escaping me quite fast these days. No mater." He shrugged as they inched closer to the next bend in the hall. This time to the left.

"As I have warned you before do not take the term literal. The 'dark side,' does not on its own denote evil. Does not mean you are in any sense of the word corrupted. It is what you do with that power that defines you as a person I believe." She smirked.

"Quite philosophical of you Vale."
"I've been trying a bit more as of late to actually think about what I'm doing with the power imparted upon me." he looked around the corner and once again a vast flurry of bolts slammed into the bending wall and the far back wall, Viathan flinging his head back around the bend.

"You're gonna love this. They got something on four legs, big guns, and shields."

"Great, droideka's." She rolled her eyes and Viathan nodded.

"I counted two. They have two droids mounting heavy repeaters again, two droideka's, and I saw one, but likely more commandos aiming their blaster down range." Leia nodded. Bringing her saber close once again.

"This is something interesting indeed. There are far too many upper tier droid units here to simply be an assault on the ministry. A couple droid divisions and they could have had the same result don't you think my princess?" Again she rolled her eyes, but nodded all the same.

"Looks like a pretty sketchy op. Though, what could they want with the communications ministry?"

"I don't know. Yet. I have a feeling though that it wont be anything good."

"You got a bad feeling about this?" She questioned. Viathan looked to her with a frown.

"Yes milady. A bad feeling about it all." She giggled, and he didn't get it. So shrugged it off.

"Now, here's a tip. Think on any memory that makes you angry, sad, anything that brings raw emotion into the equation. Feed on that power and those aggressive feelings. Prove to me and yourself just because you use the dark side it doesn't change who you are. After all-" He shrugged again. "You are here to change everyone for the better right?" Viathan asked cocking a brow. Leia nodded, and closed her eyes. When next opened them Viathan felt the Force bristle and charge around her. It gave him cause to pause again and realize how much raw untapped energy was in her. Nonetheless he turned and readied himself to charge around the corner.

He flipped the corner in a blur of motion his cloak following him as ever and he dove forward with one saber in front and another trailing behind him. Every bolt that flew his way the front saber blocked and fell back, the trailing saber then came forward and blocked the next as his boots fell fast and hard upon the metal flooring.

Leia felt her whole body suddenly pounding. Charged and heated. Electricity shooting through her veins! As if someone had slipped adrenaline directly to her heart! It was raw and bone rattling.

As Viathan charged around the corner a sensation, raw and coming instinctively from her muscles it felt like forced her around the corner as well. Her saber flew up and immediately blocked bolts flying toward her, and her legs carried her with speed unknown to her even compared to her speed from moments before. The droideka's and repeaters lit the hall in a daze of light and with her body pounding away at her very being and mind she saw everything as a blur itself. Not even taking full notice that she flew into the air and with terrible rage coursing down her sine she slashed down and ripped the commando mounting the repeater and he repeater itself in half.

She spun around and faced the droideka next, her hand flying upwards again on pure instinct in the Force. A bursting torrent of lightning ripped itself from her fingertips. Wild and bursting it flew into the droideka's shields and then hit the droid itself as it began to stutter and shake. Before blowing apart. Her lightning went further still and ripped into the commandos behind the droideka's. They flew backward and slammed into the back wall as they left scorching burned marks where they hit as metal singed against metal. With a quick motion of her hand she slammed it into a fist. Her lightning ceasing and sparking around her fist as the commandos scrunched together into an indiscernible ball of sheered and ruined metal.

"Now that is what I call raw power." She looked right. Beneath Viathan was a smoking commando, and behind him was a crushed droideka as well. His sabers at his side as he looked at the destruction she wrought.

"Yeah...that was oddly instinctual. Didn't even see what I was really doing. It just kinda happened." He nodded.

"You'll get used to it and then you'll be in full control. Utilizing your full power and funneling it through the dark side I have no doubt you'll be utterly terrifying my princess."

"Leia." She reminded him a smirk again on her face. Her eyes showing the blotched yellow patches of one surrounding themselves in the dark side. Viathan bowed his head. Returning her smirk with a smile.

"Leia. Now come. These droids deserve a little mutilation. Feel up to it?"
"Ya'know something? I kinda do." She giggled and Viathan shook his head. The intoxicating power of the Force, and the dark side fully encasing her no doubt.

They rounded the next corner with deadly ease. Side by side. Viathan threw one saber down the hall and it immediately chopped both repeater barrels off, and rendered them useless. Leia charged forward. A terrible fury inside and booming off of her in waves. She held a natural grace about her that Viathan found fitting especially for someone who obviously felt a calling for Makashi.

Ducking and jumping off of the wall she slammed her shoe into the front commando pinning the droid to the ground and quickly beheaded him with a swift stroke of her saber, she carried that momentum and sliced through the chassis of another as it fell down useless. She only utilized her one right arm as she fought and held the saber gracefully at her side, or near to her chest as she fought the droids.

A line of three droideka's fired on her, and she easily allowed the Force to guide her arm as ever bolt was blocked. Viathan reached her side. Himself jumping over the perimeter block and stabbing a commando as it shot and barely missed his shoulder once again. He kicked the droid off his saber and slashed both right cleaving a droid, then left and another before spinning and beheading a third. Four droids fell, and both sabers fell into a weave of defensive blocks across his chest and back as the droideka's opened fire onto him as well.

"On three we both send a wave into them. Throw them back and crush them!" Viathan called as his arms waved about him and the ringing o bolts forced him to yell.

"Got it!" She called back as a small frown lay upon her face from the endless waves of bolts heading her and Viathan's way.

"One...two...three!" Both teen threw their hands forward and massive telekinetic wave burst unseen through the space between them and the droids. Al three still within their shields flew backward and slammed against the back wall and were tossed about the hall. Their shields failing and falling around them both Leia dove through the air, and her saber cleaved ones head off, as Viathan sent lightning int the last two until they too, like many droids before them, popped and exploded.

"How many more karking halls are there?" Viathan sighed and shrugged at the same time.

"Not many I think. I don't know this building that well, but I can only guess that there can't be that many left. Seeing as the main room is still well on our path. Just based on the haphazardly placed bodies alone." He looked back at her. Her eyes were quite yellow by now, and she exuded power through the Force rippling and pulsating from her. It was still a shocking thing to experience for Viathan. In these moments as he felt this girl; younger than he, less experienced as well, burst with raw power that he could not hope to match in intensity. It awed him. Though she didn't need raw power to awe him considering her often times odd personality.

"What?" She asked at last noticing his stare. Viathan quickly shook himself.

"Uh, nothing." he snapped himself forward once again. "Let's keep moving. More droids to destroy and all that good stuff." She nodded but her eyes did bore into the back of his head, and he could sense it. Making Viathan wonder if she could in this moment hear his most inner thoughts? That was...jarring for him to even consider.

Nonetheless they both once more came to the wall side and it was another right bend. There were four burned and blasted dead troopers on the entryway to this hall. Viathan once more took a peek around the corner. The droids not firing on him instantaneously this time around. Instead his eyes went a bit larger. The hall was longer than the others. Two perimeter gates were set up. An initial one, and far back one, and beyond that a large door blown in. Two squads of commando droids were waiting. No repeaters but the back commandos had snipers and grenade launchers. The front ones had grenade launchers as well and three droids with their blaster rifles aimed and ready.

He pulled back around and slid his head back against the metal wall.

"What is it?"

"A very unpleasant defense awaits us." She raised a brow and motioned for him to move. He did so and she took his place and peeked around herself. She too felt both eyes go wide as she quickly yanked herself back out of sight.

"Okay, that does look pretty bad I'll admit. Any game plan my friendly warlord?" Viathan huffed out a breathy sigh and deactivated his sabers for a moment. His eyes danced back and forth as he silently contemplated his next move. The Force growing sickeningly wary in this building for his liking. That bad feeling from before only becoming stronger and making his stomach twist and turn at the ideas of what was possibly being done in that command room beyond.

"I have an idea. It may work, but it will likely only bye us a few seconds of freedom of movement from the droids."

"What is it?" He nudged his head back down the hall they were just in.

"Those droids more than likely had grenades, thermal dets' or other explosives and maybe even launchers on them for backup. If we take a couple of those, toss them down the hall and either hit the droids or jostle them a bit we can buy ourselves a few moments where we can." Leia looked back to the droids, and then to Viathan nodding along with his plan.

"Good. Now let's blow things up shall we?"

Gathering several thermal detonators and frag grenades from the downed droids lining the floors where they had been standing. The two took up their position next to the wall and stood waiting. Waiting for the right moment to strike, and for the best target.

"Sadly no ion grenades. Either the droids are getting smarter or Nelrain knew not to send droids with the most deadly, at least in theory, grenades with them in this mission."

Leia shrugged. "We got frag and low grade thermal dets' I think it's good enough."

"Right...we best use the thermals to rustle them about some. The first one I will toss as far as I can down the hall. It should momentarily blind them long enough for you and me to take out the first line of defenses. Once they're down, we both go back around the barricade and take cover. Rinse and repeat." Leia nodded and thus their plan was set.

"Wait for the explosion to go. Then run and let the Force guide you to the droids." Viathan held the small explosive in hand, and awaited his moment. He gave Leia one final glance and she sent him an encouraging nod of her head. He nodded in kind, and in a flash he turned and flung the detonator with his left hand. The bolts flew at him, and he spun back. The detonator landed before their barricade and the droids looked to it, but it was too fast for a proper reaction. It exploded hot and shook the very foundation of the hall, and all droids shook and one fell forward onto the perimeter barricade. Through a fog of smoke and debris from the walls came three crimson beams of light.

Viathan slashed sideways threw a droid wielding a grenade launcher and then hacked to the left slicing a commando shooter down the side. Leia stabbed a droid through pulling it back forth and slashing across another droid as it spun to the ground in pieces, before she easily carried her momentum and struck back to her right slashing another droid down. Both teens downed all droids and both jumped back over the barricade just as the smoke began to clear and a torrent of bolts flew and struck the barricade ripped into downed droids and explosions rocked where they had once been.

Both of them were hunkered down, and huddled near as their heads were hung down avoiding the torrent of bolts and shrapnel flying above them. They both looked up to one another, and both glanced upward.

"They seem intent on killing us!" Leia smilingly announced. Viathan rolled his eyes but nodded.

"Care to do the honors milady?" Viathan tossed the next detonator in his hand up some. Leia grinned back.

"Why? Me? I suppose I could attempt it my warlord." She took the detonator in hand and with a mighty sideways swing over her own head she threw the detonator.

"Nice swing." She bowed her head.

"Why thank you." The hall once more ripped with a terrible explosion and all bolts ceased to fire. They both once again flew over the barricade and made for the second line. Each droid would fall like the others, and this time even the captain of the commandos would fall to a lightsaber. The control room lay beyond.

---

"Sixty seconds until full network broadcast on all waves and channels." Kellia intoned to herself. A broad grin spreading across her face as her eyes glowed in the sight of the countdown before her. Suddenly an explosion ripped in the hall behind her. She turned and her eyes narrowed as her mouth turned into a sneer.

"Hold them back and do not let them in as long as possible!" She seethed as the upload finally, and at last finished, and transmission, initialized. Her eyes wide and grin broad Kellia watched as every terminal, everywhere capable of receiving the HoloNet, activated, and uttered forth across the stars. The dawning of the era of the URM.

(Carida, Carida System, Colonies)

The imperial academy upon Carida was mostly silent and tame as ever. The news of Coruscant's attack capturing their attention in full. The HoloNet was broadcasting the sights of Imperial-City burning and droids marching against imperial troopers. Like some sick joke from the Clone Wars.

Then suddenly without warning or understanding the screen went black, as it did across the galaxy. An image appeared and it showed the image of the URM insignia in aurebesh. The cadets in their casual wear looked to on another as they watched the terminals, and officers in upper levels and civilians across the planet, in space aboard the fleet and on station in the system, the same image appeared.

Then an ear piercing whine came through and all in proximity grappled their ears as garbled code came screaming out of the terminals and was spread via hypercomm terminals and satellites everywhere. It sounded like a sound straight from the bowls of the Force void or the Corellian hells. Men screamed and attempted to shut off their computerized and networked terminals but they refused physical input. Stating it was an emergency broadcast from the heart of the Empire.

Deep in the bowls of the academy the Empire had for long kept B3 Ultra battle droids as trooper training units following the end of the Clone wars. They put them in storage...fully armed due to the new war as a question on the 'intelligence,' of using such droids had arisen. As the men screamed and angrily tossed things into their terminals as the noise ceased to end, activity unfolded beneath them all.

Large storage doors boomed and rattled. The sound resonating outward. The troopers guarding the level turning to one another before looking into the storage area. The boom louder and more successive. They meandered in and called for backup. Slowly approaching the larger storage area the doors pounded and reverberated before them. They watched as the doors blew open and pieces flew across the room. The force of the explosion knocking the troopers back. Might footfalls followed as the towering droids left their storage unit. As others suddenly began to shake and rattle as well. The B3's were unleashed, and they had new orders, new target parameters.

"Eliminate all imperial fighting forces." The droids raised their small hands and a bursting of bolts unleashed from the droids all of them ripping into and shredding the troopers into bits and burnt pieces. Dozens more storage units blew open and exploded dozens, upon dozens, then into hundreds of droid units all exited their cells. All of them moronically still retaining weapons. Primed and charged for eventual use in combat simulation.

All the droids turned as a large turbolift descended. Within it a few more troopers. The turbolift ramp lowered and the troopers began to exit then stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of hundreds of droids standing there. An amalgamation of models all standing, and suddenly their weapons upon the several troopers, and in a mighty roar all bolts and all weapons were unleashed. Streams ripped into and tore apart these helpless few who fell firing their own blasters high into the air, before death overtook them.

Within an hour Carida would make an emergency call for reinforcements as droids tore into them. Not yet realizing their calls went unheard and unanswered. Not until several hours later would anyone know of this attack, and hours later still would any help arrive.

(Muunilinst, Muunilinst system, Obtrexta Sector, Outer-Rim Territories)

The end of the Clone wars saw many indignities suffered upon those races the galaxy perceived as being the Confederacy. No longer was it an amalgamation of all types of people who found the galaxy and the Republic o be a broken system. Corrupt and destined to die and decay.

The Muun, Geonosians, Skakoan, Gossam, Neimoidian, and others were treated like human xenophobes who needed to be put down and reminded of their place in the galaxy. When lord Vader shut down all battle droid units across the galaxy and murdered every separatist on the CIS council the Empire moved into and used these very same droids to help bolster their forces and pacify the worlds they once defended or conquered for the empire.

The main units used to enforce the new order across old separatist worlds were the spider droids. Both the greater spider droids and the dwarf spider droid models. Years later still did the empire now use these droids to patrol these separatist worlds in a constant reminder at their loss years ago. Even more still did these droids fight and conquer new worlds in the Outer-Rim and Wild Space regions of the galaxy for the empire.

The war waged across the galaxy but Muunilinst was silent. The Muun were subjugated and the planet under firm Imperial command. The Moffs had not been able to take the world despite it being in the Outer-Rim where they held the majority of power.

One such patrol walked down the streets of Muunilinst. It had turned to night a while ago, and trooper platoons were marching the streets looking for any sign of rebellion or lawlessness.

Behind marched two dwarf spider droids. Ever moving and scanning the buildings for any signs of activity. Among other streets spread across the planet in the old Muun cities other walkers did the same, as did other forms of walkers. Regular spider walkers, and crab droids were employed with even a few A-DSD advanced dwarf spider droids. Heavily armored and plated. Heavier cannons and only their central photoreceptors acted as weak spots for these hulking monsters as they marched behind the columns of marching and patrolling behind the imperial troops.

The dim lights mounted along the streets lit the night among lights from the buildings of the cities as the white clad troopers marched and mumbled to one another in common everyday chatter. The security they felt with their walkers keeping the troopers utterly calm in their daily routine.

However, mounting several larger buildings of the capital city were large screens. Among the other cities were similar broadcast screens used to send messages to the Muun population and those who lived on the planet. Then of course there were many HoloNet terminals lining the streets for news, and those within homes, and bases, in space stations and aboard the imperial warships.

As this one column among many walked down the central street a sudden blaring light fell upon them all. They turned and watched the broadcast screens come back to life, followed quickly by others around the city. The walkers halted as their leading troopers did. The broadcast screens flickered and suddenly the image of the URM once again in aurebesh appeared. A deafening blaring and resonating noise erupted across the world into space and outward through hypercomm terminals through the system out into the sector.

The troopers grabbed their helmets and feebly attempted to blot out the sound that pierced their ears. The commanding officer ordered the men to fire on the screens. They did, just as very terminal along the streets awakened and repeated the deafening sound for all to hear.

"The walkers, order them to shoot the big screens!" The officer yelled as he clutched his head from the sound. Once more like a scream and horrendous howl that would not cease. An amalgamation of coded data made into sound.

"Walkers three-four-three, and three-four-five, fire on the screens!" One back trooper ordered. Yet the dwarf spider droids stood absolutely still save for small movements of their head antenna. It was very organic in the manner it moved. Portraying even a sense that the walkers were intrigued, or confused.

"What are you doing?! Open fire you dumb blasted droids!" The trooper howled and swung his arms about like a babbling and flailing fool. The two droids suddenly seemed alive once more, and moved away from one another outward. The troopers were content that they were moving away and making sure to not cause any unintentional collateral to one another or the troopers.

However, when they stopped but remained facing the troopers sickening fear went through those who were looking upon them. The droids stared down their old masters, and without another moment, they unleashed their cannons upon them. Both droids fired. Two explosions ripped through the column of troopers, and the men hollered to one another and began firing their blaster rifles upon the spider walkers. The little bolts did nothing to stop the droids. A call was made for air support and reinforcements, but all their comms returned was garbled white noise.

Explosions rocked from deeper into the city, and then again from another section. Droid walkers began turning against all their imperial masters. The city turned alight with dead troopers and droids on the prowl. Returning once more to killing white armored clad enemies, and serving Muunilinst.

From high in their spires the Muun leaderships watched the chaos unfold as did many of the people from their own homes and from windows or roofs. The curfews and laws now be damned, as smirks crossed many of their faces. Nostalgia hit like a tidal wave, and an unstoppable force as they watched once more, droids destroy their enemies. When Muuns began leaving their homes the walkers would look and walked right on by the aliens. For they were once again allies to be protected.

Like their counterparts upon Geonosis the Muun were not wholly without schemes and plans. Though before the foundation of the URM and resurrection of the droid armies they had never dreamed of realizing such schemes. Thus the Muun leadership opened vaults deep in caverns and catacombs beneath their cities, and flooding out, hearing the new call, came thousands of B1 and B2 battle droids as the Galactic Civil war came to Muunilinst. Unlike Carida, however, by the end of a galactic standard day, Muunilinst would be under URM control.

(General POV)

The galaxy brimmed and boomed with this piercing noise and call for return to droids across the stars. Entire fleets free floating in the void between systems never to be found unless someone sought them out for years suddenly reawakened. Their comm channels coming alive on command and broadcasting the new orders. Tens of billions of droids awakened, and then hundreds of billions turned to tens of trillions. Before trillions became quintillion and beyond.

Across Imperial and even Moff worlds across the galaxy old droids awoke from their slumber and slavery to the imperials, and turned upon them. Massacring them all and killing any organic baring an imperial insignia and anyone who seemed to pose a threat. Vast reserve fleets and armies made by the often times too complacent to defend, CIS turned alive and received the call to return to Geonosis. Those who could not, were ordered to fight until all systems were inoperable.

Hundreds of thousands even perhaps millions of warships returned to activation and service. Still fueled and still armed. Even better still for Nelrain was the return to service of the droids Hutts and other criminals bought and used as cronies and protection. They awoke and began to leave only to be protested and accosted by their masters. The droids would light them up, burn deadly blaster bolts into their flesh and leave a trail of bodies or scrap metal in their wake. Dozens upon dozens of worlds suddenly came to life with the booms of war. The droids had once more risen to bring terror to the galaxy in full. Yet, despite these millions fighting on worlds where they were used after the war years, even more made their way to Geonosis. Where they would quickly be dispatched to territories where they were needed. The mission was an astounding success, and no one was more aware of this than those upon Coruscant itself, and above it. As the same broadcast blared across that world as well.

(Communications Ministry, Coruscant)

"It's done. The droids are waking up and I'm about to return to a rapturous welcoming back on Geonosis." Kellia grinned as she took the data card with her and the spike. The upload was now looping the signal and all droids were having their computerized mind linked to the mass droid controller that only Kellia now held. She now held ultimate power over all battle droids, and wielded the largest military in all the galaxy even with all others combined.

"Fourzee, come with me, and call in the extraction. I'm done with this world." She spat as she looked out over the city planet burning under droid metal boot.

"As you command mistress. What of all other operational forces of ours planet side?"

"Leave them. We have more than enough replacements now. A few million droids is now just small time by comparison." She smilingly said as she looked to the mass network map before her, as the system struggled to register all the new and endless pings being returned from reactivated droids.

The sounds outside the room were becoming quite close as sabers slammed against the staffs of the magnaguards. She eyed the entrance and sneered. Kellia did desire to teach the boy another lesson. A hard one, and the princess could die for all she cared now. Yet, why waste her time? The mission was complete, and the naval forces could at any moment make her escape impossible.

"Fight them to the last, all of you!" She ordered to the two B3's remaining behind and the EG assassins. They all looked and seemingly silently acknowledged and she nodded happily to herself.

"Let's go Fourzee."

"Yes mistress." They both strode toward the side exit and Fourzee struggled to bend himself under the doorway but made it out. Leaving the rest of the droids to fight the two invaders. All they need do was wait for the magnaguards to either succeed or fail, and then take their turn in the brawl.

Kellia raised her hood back over her head and marched down the hall with Fourzee beside her. Darkness around her, begging her to be unleashed, though she denied it, it's release in this moment. She forced all thoughts of regret, and all memories to fade away. This was her destiny in life now. To take these machines that she once hated, and use them to kill, destroy, and uproot everything she had come to despise. The ultimate eventuality being her own ultimate destruction.

---

"Blasted things!" Viathan cursed. Both his sabers were outstretched from his arms and guarding his body from two magnaguards as they stabbed their staffs toward him at his sides. He swung his body into a spin and slid both off of the staffs and ended up a few feet from the droids. They spun their staffs and stalked close again. One twirling its staff at him and he blocked. Allowing his saber to carry as the droid flurried its staff to its right and forced Viathan right as well.

The second one stabbed at his knee and he sidestepped slashing down the droid recoiled its staff and swung right in a large arch but Viathan ducked. Stabbing upwards he singed its chest plate but it moved back, and he only grazed its armored chassis. One saber he flipped around into Shien grip and slid both sabers across the staff of the second magnaguard who blocked, even as Viathan spun and swung the second saber again, and then the first as he spun three times before stopping. The fourth spin came and his first saber slid onto the staff leaving it unscathed, but as he spun his second saber swung back into normal grip as the droid blocked its usual lower attack, Viathan swung his left arm hard around and beheaded the droid, and stood with both sabers spread from his sides as his breath came out in hard gasps from the adrenaline fueled exertion.

The headless droid raised its staff still, and Viathan cursed, but sent a hard kick into its chest and sent it slamming against the wall, before he turned and slashed both sabers left blocking a strike from the first magnaguard. He slid the left saber down and off the staff and swung hard back right and the saber went through the right shoulder of the droid which recoiled to survey the damage, and Viathan used the Force to jump backwards. He landed and with a grunt of annoyance he sent a powerful dark side blast into the droid. The hall shook as it flew backwards harder than the other and slammed against the wall and the impact sent parts of it flying as it fell down into a useless heap.

Taking his right saber and swinging it back he sent it winding through the air and it was blocked by the headless droid but Viathan used the Force and almost felt himself glide along the floor before he swept up and cleaved the droid in half. He caught his second saber and felt his body thud in pain as his old wounds and new ones began to both ache and burn across his body again, but he forced it down and stored it for later.

Looking up he found Leia blocking her last droid. They both had run down the hall and brought the second tier of droid defenders down fairly easy, but then the magnaguards came at them fast and unrelenting in their assault. Viathan had downed one early and Leia much to his admitted surprise had cleaved one early on along with him, and both were forced to fight two of these droids on their own. She was behind him but not by much as she expertly glided her saber; one handed at that, through the air and blocked with total ease every passive and aggressive strike made by the droid.

He really was in awe at her natural ability to command Makashi. Even through Niman he found that saber style far too passive, but he was getting better yet she was new and seemed to have a far better control, and finesse over it. Her natural grace and character perhaps aiding her in that manner.

The droid swung left and she easily parried and thrust its staff back down where it would turn and stab around but she blocked and sidestepped away leading t the droid spinning and striking at her but she threw the saber over her head and caught the staff. Blocking it, and still very much surrounded and empowered by the dark side she threw the droid back with physical strength she didn't realize she had.

With that same grace she blocked a flurry left then right and spun around. Throwing saber over shoulder she blocked a stab at her back and glanced over shoulder to the droid. Spinning again and carrying the staff with her new strength she swung the droid to the right. Its back to her she easily and with swift graceful motion cut it left leg off, and twirled around with great speed, stabbing the droid through with her back to its back, before swiftly turning again and removing its head. She again twirled away, her hand wielding the saber at her side and pointed to the ground she took in the sight and smirked at the droid as it fell over, and whirred as it ceased to work.

"Now how's that for 'impressive,' Vale?" She asked turning back to him as he panted his pain away, and he forced a smile onto his face and forced a huffed chuckle.

"I commend your skills my friend. You certainly excel far quicker than myself."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I think I just have practice in absorbing new things. I was after all being groomed to be a senator before...all this." She waved her saber, and Viathan nodded, before he sucked in a deep breath and stood tall once more. He turned to the blasted door. Inside he saw nothing, but some screens in the distant back of the room displaying things that he couldn't hazard a guess as to what was on them. The Force still whispered to him in the back of his mind. Beyond those doors danger awaited, but he couldn't sense any Jedi in the room...they were here just not in the room. The room being the command room, however, did bother him.

'Where did you go and why?' He questioned as his vision narrowed.

"That's the room right?" He shook himself as Leia looked at him, and he quickly nodded.

"Yeah. That's the control room. It has to be. These droids were guarding it like their control systems were inside. Plus, this is the first time we've come across magnaguards, and frankly they are upper tier fights even compared to the commandos." Leia nodded, but she glanced to Viathan again.

"Worried?"

"Perhaps, but fear only seeks to make a Sith stronger. Despite me personally finding fear quite useless, but let's leave that discussion for another time?"

She nodded. "Agreed."

Viathan brought both sabers near to his body and inched toward the door. He motioned his left hand back, and silently ordered Leia to stick behind him as he approached the blown in entrance. As he got closer he did begin to notice scattered dead troopers and officers. Tech officers at that. Those that worked here, and all seemingly dead for their job as well.

It was suddenly deathly quiet all around once more, and Viathan found it unpleasant. His heart was pounding with apprehension fueled by anxiety and adrenaline as his senses were heightened out of fear. He turned to Leia at last and breathed in a sigh.

'In case someone is listening I am gonna talk to you this way.' She jumped once again at his voice being so clearly in her mind but she soon nodded, and calmed, visibly stiffening.

'Okay. If someone is listening I don't want them to know the game plan. I'm gonna charge in and get the hornets nest rattled. They are; they being anyone who may actually be inside if anyone at all, will probably descend onto me like starving nexu' Viathan pointed to her with saber still in hand. 'I'm gonna count on you to come in after me and see what exactly is waiting. We take them on as a team then.' She nodded. But she quickly smirked. Her eyes still glinting with yellow and allowing a looser more mischievous girl hidden beneath to be shown again.

'What's the matter Vale? Worried about little ole' me going in first?' Viathan nodded.

"Indeed my princess. I am." He smirked and she rolled her eyes as he turned and let out another big breath as he pulled the Force around himself and made ready to dive forward into the room. So he did. Viathan like a blur of energy once more dove into the room. The second he did two massive jets of fire exploded along the sides of the entrance. His sabers sill in hand he turned and found two B3 ultra battle droids standing there looking at him, and now repositioning their flamethrowers.

He fell into defensive posture, but the Force screamed a warning through him and he dove to his left as a red saber activated and swung where he had been. He huffed as he landed and took in the sight of what he at first thought was another magnaguard, but this...these droids were different. Three more sabers activated, all of them red and the droids stepped forward with black capes dangling from their necks. They had bodies similar to magnaguards but they seemed leaner and more capable of faster movements. They were black with red painted along their frames in places, and had deathly red photoreceptor for eyes. Their heads resembled an ancient battle helmet, and their faces had two pieces of metal coming down the length of the face and looked like the droid from afar was screaming at one with a disproportionately large maw. Clawed metal fingers held the sabers in their right hands, while on each of their left shoulders was sported a single massive shoulder pad for protection.

The four droids spun their sabers readily, and Viathan couldn't recognize a form. They must have been going of simple fighting parameters he believed. He glanced left as the B3 ultras moved closer, and he felt the adrenaline really begin to pound. Once again he fell into defensive Niman posture. All four droids dove forward and his eyes went wide. He ducked as they all wildly slashed at him, and he swung his sabers low scorching the floor, but the nearest droids acrobatically dived and jumped off their hands back into a stand. His body went hot with annoyance, but as he fell into defensive posture again he remembered the B3's. He dove left as a stream of bolts exploded where he had been and attempted to follow him but he ran behind the massive droids.

He sent a wave through the Force their way, but the B3's merely recoiled and regained their balance. The strange assassin droids clamped down onto the metal beneath them and rode out the unseen wave of energy. Viathan released a mighty huff of breath. He could feel all energy beginning to drain from him. He had been fighting for hours and every wound was beginning to ache, as did everything earned upon Neona. His ribs in particular began to feel like someone was stabbing him in the chest. It felt hard to breathe almost.

Throwing both arms behind his head, right over left shoulder and left over right, he swung both sabers out and both flew through the air and shaved the massive arms off one B3. It recoiled and made oddly roar like whirring noises. He stretched his hand out and recalled the sabers. The second B3 fired its burning plasma cannon against him and Viathan leapt to the side. Catching his sabers in mid air, as he did and landing near to the entrance as he did.

He swung around as a new torrent of fire unleashed in his face from the same B3. The second one now missing big arms pointed its secondary smaller ones and unleashed another blitz wave of rapidly fired bolts. Viathan groaned as his legs felt heavy as stone and jumped over a nearby computer console and back to the left of the room which felt hot from the plasma burns everywhere.

Viathan landed with a huff and on one knee. Turning back upward the B3 raised both arms and readied to fire both flam and plasma at him. A familiar hum greeted his ears, however, and a red light pierced through the room and as the B3 began firing a saber swept through both its arms. It recoiled back as the saber flew back away and the flames and plasma went wild and with a push from Viathan using the Force that rocked the room the droid flew back and into the assassin droids. All four made to dive away but one was caught and was carried by the massive droid as both flew into the right side of the room near to the secondary exit and both exploded from the rupturing of the B3's flame and plasma tanks.

Viathan threw his arms up into an X formation as the room exploded with searing hot light and the whole right side of the room exploded in a bright flash. He lowered his arms, his sabers in front of him, and took in the sight. The room was now missing a huge chunk of the wall, and pieces of metal had flown everywhere around but not into him.

"Miss me?!" he glanced right and Leia suddenly strode into the room with a smile on her face seeming quite pleased with herself. He only managed a weak chuckle. It was obviously forced this time as his lower chest continued to burn in pain.

"What took you?" He groaned and rose back to a shaky stand.

"Wanted to get a good line on both the B3's but settled for the one since he was about to kill you."

"He would have tried." Viathan threw back. Mildly becoming irritated by the notion of a droid killing him as the dark side fueled his every movement. He needed its raw power to do anything it seemed.

"Still. Didn't want you to get too hurt while I was taking my sweet time." She smiled lightly. Viathan nodded his thanks as the second B3 shook off of itself some rubble from the explosion and came back into full view of the two teens.

"I also have this one." She lowly announced, and before Viathan could ask what she meant, she sent a massive new torrent of lightning forward out from her extended left hand. The bright tendrils flew from her hand as her power spiked through the Force and Viathan swore he felt it funnel into and through her. Like a tunnel the power flowed through her and then erupted forward in the form of lightning as it slammed into the droid and sent it; like its counterpart, flying back and into the wall. It exploded quickly, and Leia coiled her fingers into a fist to cease the lightning as she looked to her hand.

"Have to admit. That is a cool power." She smiled to Viathan and he nodded. Failed to smile, but he hurt too much to now.

"Heads up. Nelrain's new toys." He nudged his head forward and she followed. Quickly frowned too at the sight of three lean and tall droids wielding red lightsabers approaching.

"What are these?"

"Couldn't tell you Leia. They are, however, not stupid." Viathan warned, though he only took on slash at the they already proved to be at least o par with the magnaguards in acrobatic reflexes.

"Well let's see how they like this!" She sent another torrent of lightning their way. All three dove aside and away and landed on their feet. Two charged her, and she immediately ceased her lightning and blocked both with quick parries with her saber, and both attacked unrelenting and swift. Viathan watched in awe now once more. The droids fought stabbed and attacked with precision he didn't expect from droids.

He glanced back left as the third droid 'eyed,' him and began to stalk toward him. His anger funneling through him and spiking up his spine. Viathan cast another glance back to Leia. The droids were slamming their sabers toward her. Large arches swinging overhead and slashing down onto her, as her face contorted into a painful sneer. Her saber was flowing in wide arches of her own blocking the stabs and slashes that the droids sent her way again and again.

Viathan returned to eying down the one in front of him as the droid waved its saber menacingly. It began stalking to its right and kept its sights directed on Viathan. He joined his dance, and Viathan began walking right. A circle of staring and stalking formed as Leia's frustration became more verbalized with her grunts and seethes.

Viathan threw both sabers back and finally charged the droid as it stood in front of the main console. It blocked as he slammed one saber after the other against the droids saber. Blocking left and right against him it spun and thrust its left droid arm and slammed against Viathan's face sending him reeling. The droid threw saber overhead and struck down. Viathan caught the attack in an X and thrust back throwing the droid back some.

It returned immediately and stabbed left and right before spinning and slashing as it spun. Quickly twirling its saber right and down onto Viathan. He blocked, and leapt to his left and slashed down, the droid sidestepped and made to cut his head off, and he rolled under it to his right and hit the console.

The droid swung low in a massive swing Viathan rolled back and away, and jumped back up reigniting his sabers. Jumping up he slashed down in a diagonal fashion but the droid caught and carried the first saber, turning as it did, and repeated the motion for the second strike. Viathan landed and fell into a roll, before jumping back up and slashing right back toward the droid.

The droid swung right and Viathan jumped away then it fell low and sent a kick to Viathan's knee. He once again sidestepped, and the droid jumped back up slashing there. Forcing Viathan to spin out the way of the saber descending onto him. He stopped hard and stabbed his saber toward the droid, it twisted its body and moved away from the stab. It knocked the saber away with its own and stabbed toward Viathan's chest, but he threw his second saber up and parried it away. The first saber slashing right the droid ducked and made another stab from low. Viathan caught it between both sabers in an X formation.

The droid pulled the saber away and returned to full height. It twist its whole body and flipped wholly around and slashed down at Viathan, but with a surge of anger he swept under the droid, and slashed his sabers upwards. Pinning around the droid fell to the ground and collapsed to the floor. The droid was bisected and in half upon the floor with saber still in hand. It clawed with its free hand after Viathan but he used the Force and lifted the droid and tossed it against the wall with its B3 friends and watched it crumple to the floor and deactivate.

His body body aching terribly and muscles feeling like they were about to literally rip apart, he turned toward Leia. She was catching and sliding away dozens of slashes every moment, and Viathan could see despite her power she was not ready for this type of fighter. She was on the total defensive.

Groaning and seething in pain, sucking in air as he moved, Viathan began stalking toward the three fights. The two droids were totally focused on Leia, and Viathan paused. Seeing an opening in this situation, he decided to take it.

"Oi!" Viathan called, and one droid turned toward him, and Viathan unleashed a mighty and roaring Force blast into the droid. It flew back with a mighty and explosive pressure slamming into it as it was sent flying down the ruined hallway where he and Leia had come from. The blast was not let up as he continued to flush out the wave of pure energy by channeling all his pain and the droid slammed into the far wall in the hall. So hard did it hit the wall even that it blew apart on impact and subsequent moments of extreme pressure being relentlessly pressed against it.

The second droid slammed its saber down on Leia but quickly pulled back and jumped away to look to both her and Viathan. She was panting and her arms somewhat slung down, before she brought the saber wielding on back up in makashi stance at her side.

"Thanks. That was an ordeal."

"I am aware." He tersely replied through grit teeth. His eyes burned crimson red as he bore down on the droid. These droids were not weak. They had been lucky, and now that it was two against one he didn't see it being too much of an issue, but they had certainly been harder than any magnaguard.

"Let's, you and I, take this one together, shall we?"
"Let's." Leia replied as she stared the droid down, and it looked to her again. Viathan ran at it and the droid made to step backward, so Viathan flung to his right and the droid hurriedly jumped forward. Leia ran than and slashed it across the chest but it blocked, and she carried its parry and stabbed its right shoulder. Only grazing its platted armor. It swung her away with a large fling of its saber and then struck around at Viathan but he swept under the slash and came up right next to the chest chassis plate and ran the droid through from the front. It made whirring and buzzing noises. Then Viathan yanked himself away. The droid looked ready to fall so Viathan stepped away and breathed a shaky sigh. Then the droid came back to life and swung at Viathan, but sadly for it, a crimson saber ripped into its head.

The droid began to fall and as it did Leia's saber remained still and steady ripping upwards as the droid fell, and then slammed to the ground in a pile of metal scrap. Viathan released another massive groan mixed with a sigh.

"That was a bit close." She chuckled. He rolled his eyes.

"I am aware." Viathan once again fed his energy purely with the dark side and moved back toward the main console. Leia quickly behind him as they both deactivated their sabers.

"You don't look good. Actually you don't even seem good in the Force, or whatever you know what I mean." Viathan nodded as he came to the console now busted up and broken in several spots.

"I am in pain, but I am...used to it.. I am also tired. I can't remember the last time I fought this long straight on through. Whenever that may have been; possibly back on Neona, I was in far better health. I seem to always reopen and agitate old wounds as of late." He explained and ran his fingers across the keys of the device and looked up at the main screen projection as countless little dots sprung up across a picture of the galaxy.

Leia had remained silent. Knowing how much pain Viathan was in gave her pause to think for a few moments. They were both nearly dead there really, and here they were now with possibly more droids around the corner and he seemed like he was about to keel over dead on the ground.

"This is the main control station for the HoloNet."

"What does that mean?" Leia asked. Knowing it was an overly general question.

"It could mean a lot of things. The least of which being that whoever was in here had full access to the HoloNet communications network. Mind you the, galaxy spanning, network."

"And what would they need that for? I mean the hardware they packed has gotta mean it was important." She reasoned, and Viathan nodded in agreement.

"Let me just see..." He trailed and scanned the contents of the current state of the network. His brow furrowed as he dug deeper and remained silent. Which happened to be driving Leia insane. When he made an audible grunt of confusion she sighed.

"Will you just say what it is?!" He glanced back at her.

"Oh sorry. There's a galaxy spanning broadcast going out. It's using the same override channel that Moff Vellam used to announce to the whole galaxy his beliefs, the secession and the war. The signal is not anything...well I'm no expert on signal frequencies, but it's not one for humans. It's being played on a frequency translator however. So it's making sounds. Really karking loudly too." He pointed out and then looked back up to the screen.

"All of these are recently activated pings. The network is not connected to them, but the broadcast has been acknowledged by them. What could be all across the galaxy, be activated via frequency broadcast and be worth infiltrating the capital of Coruscant for-"

"Droids!" Leia blurted and Viathan cast her a glance, before his eye looked back to the console screen, and he felt himself grow sick.

"The deactivated units. Scattered from the Clone wars. That...karking schutta, Jedi witch!" Viathan screamed as the dark side bristled around him and he felt his rage only double and boil his very blood.

"Vale calm down!"

"Calm?! Calm!" he repeated and Leia recoiled. Never having seen him lose his calm and nerve like this.

"That schutta comes to my home and uses the karking HoloNet to reactivate these terrors from a war long since passed?! I should be calm?!"

"Yes! You should be. You gotta stay focused!" Leia dished back his loud and rising voice thought it sounded rough and hoarse. As if he rarely ever got this loud. She believed it too.

"Now can you stop the broadcast? They've had it going for a while now, and maybe if we turn it off some droids, though it does seem moot right now, maybe we can stop some from reactivating." His body was shaking as Viathan felt every sting imparted upon him by that foul Jedi schutta. The removal of his very left hand, and the sudden burn he felt at his wrist made the adrenaline pounding through him all the more visceral as his whole body quaked with every heartbeat.

He turned back to the machine and looked. He found the cease function for the broadcast and numbly he ended it. The screen went alight with other transmissions bouncing and screaming from across the galaxy. All of them on worlds Viathan knew held requisitioned and re-purposed droids. Others too he assumed must have had them. The droid acknowledgments faded and all capability of tracking the endless swarms were lost.

"Is there any way to shut them down?" Leia asked tentatively as she sidestepped and tried to look over his shoulder to gauge his mood. Though the room was filled with a pregnant silence.

"We would need the activation sequence she had. We would need the code."
"The console doesn't keep that?"
"It stores the transmission and the frequency but working backwards to find the common base channel for all droids of CIS make and model to tell them to shut down all at once across the galaxy would take years." Viathan huffed. "Well unless you build some master device, but I doubt that they have something that moronic lying around." Leia nodded but then cocked her head right.

"Then let's go after her! There's a chance she could still be on planet and has the code with her." She jumped toward the doorway out and Viathan felt his face grow burning hot with further rage, and he nodded to himself as his mind raced, and he swore he could hear that damn voice of his own insanity yelling at him after weeks of freedom, but he shook it off. A feral snarl erupted from him and he raced after Leia down the secondary exit hall. The only thought he allowed into his mind was the vision of Kellia Nelrain, and how he would personally run her through.

---

Waiting on the platform was becoming more tedious by the second. Kellia and Fourzee stood on the oversized pad leading from the back of the communications ministry to a landing pad jutting out. The night skies were still full of smoke rising and cannons bolts flying high into the sky. Still the droids fighters danced in the deathly dance with TIE's of all manner. Transports still fell, and shuttles still raced through the skies. It was a sight Kellia wished she could see to its ultimate fruitful end, but she knew she could not allow for her fleet to be overwhelmed by the Core reserves likely on their way if not there already. She could not be grounded in the heart of the Empire, the seat of power where the black throne of that old man was.

She glanced toward the palace and felt her stomach lurch. A sour expression forming along her features and she felt her fists involuntarily crush themselves into fists that began to hurt.

"Mistress?" Fourzee broke her hateful glare and the droid looked down to her. It was an odd sensation; thinking a droid held concern for you. She knew Fourzee only cared because it was programmed for him to defend her health and her ability to operate. He...it was just a machine. Then again, she had known machines that were very much alive in her life. Snakes, vipers hidden in the grass who coil and bed. They twist and corrupt your vision, who you are and what you believe. They destroy something that kept you rooted and kept you right, and then they swoop in to play the part of healer.

"I'm fine Fourzee." She intoned. "Inform the ground forces to begin the final assault protocol. Every droid planet side is gonna go anyways. They may as well blow to bits causing as much utter hell as they can."

"Acknowledged mistress." The droid bowed and sent a broadcast.

Kellia snorted a sarcastic laugh. For in actuality if she had to pick between anyone she had ever known in her karking life save for maybe two, a droid was totally preferable to any organic matter walking around in this universe.

"You know something Fourzee?"

"I know many things mistress." The droid, ever logical in interpretation responded. Eliciting a small laugh from the fallen Jedi.

"No, I mean I have a statement to make. I desire you to simply listen. Nothing more."

"Acknowledged, mistress." She nodded.

"The problem with this galaxy, with this war and the last one is not the droids. It's us. The people who think we are superior because blood runs through vessels in our bodies. It was not droids who decided to kill everyone across the galaxy and to wage war. It was your organic masters. Gunray, Dooku, San hill, and even the cyborg, Grievous." She snorted again at the revelation.

"I just realized too late we developed mockeries of droids through the cloning process. We looked down upon such an army as yours, because Force knows droids are below organic life, and all they do is kill. They are programmed to kill so therefore they are the inherent evil. Let's NOT realize those who command the droids make them what they are! Let us NOT discuss the fact a droid can be made to kill! What the kark is your excuse if you were born and are organic, and yet you kill!" She seethed whilst waving her hand outward and seemingly asked her question to all of Coruscant.

"The clones..." She scoffed, and felt like spitting at the thought of those abominations. "Take away the same flesh and the same look, take away from those things their progenitor, and all they are, are men. All of them with choices, but made into mockeries of droids by being the organic version of them. Made in vast quantity, programmed, or so they would tell you to incite pity. Totally disgusting abominations. If you want to wage a war where both sides unleash endless waves against one another and where no one dies and no one cares about losses, then the Republic should have just developed and produced their own droid armies." She spat and her body felt anger pound through her in a single terrible wave, before it subsided.

"Those things killed all my friends, all those who survived fighting this war, and despite the excuses and ideas given by both the Jedi and the Republic that each clone has a personality, will, and desires of their own. Despite them knowing Jedi personally, and acting as if they were friends and allies, they still marched and killed my own family. All my life my family has been destroyed. A slow and miserable death..." She trailed as the memories and pain filled her. As she looked ever still toward the distant palace.

"Well then. I shall be the vision of fear that this galaxy, this emperor wants to think himself as! I will return upon all those who have done evils an evil twice that of their own." She darkly laughed with wild images of imaginary battles and massacres to come came through her head.

"The clones? Made from a Mandalorian, taught the Mandalorian ways and styles. Those...pathetic barbarians!" She howled into the night. Fourzee ever watching as his mistress flew into her rage. "I shall see their whole pathetic culture exterminated. The droids shall visit upon them their own vengeance. Their children will be killed before their eyes. Their old beaten to death, incapable of fighting me and my armies off. Their warriors, which they mistakenly flaunt as being every Mandalorian shall thus be treated as partisans, and rebel partisans are always made good examples of, and always liquidated. For the peace of course." She spat with utter venom coursing through her.

"I will hand their dead and dying from the tallest buildings or our own posts. I will see every known atrocity of war visited upon man and woman. The children will suffer fates as great or greater before their parents eyes, and then, THEN we will see where their rough personalities go! We shall see the sniveling weaklings that lay underneath arise as they beg and whimper for their children." Her body was utterly wrapped in rage now. The Force whispering to her to accept and give over to its endless power.

"Then every clone shall be sought out. Not just those of the scum Mandalorian ilk mind you. No! Every clone everywhere shall be exterminated by the mighty and endless stomp of the droid armies. Then every Sith, every dark Jedi and every child reading a story about the Sith shall be rooted out and put to the blaster by the droid." She smiled darkly once more as her eyes fluttered to the ruined Jedi temple.

"Then we shall see every Jedi as well hunted down and rooted out from all existence. The galaxy will enter an endless age where neither Jedi nor Sith remain, and where no clones and no Mandalorians can threaten my peace and my democracy. No matter how forced upon them it may be it shall be done. At the end of it all I will fall upon my own saber. I shall make sure the droids become the masters of the galaxy. Endlessly in production and endlessly enforcing the laws I set forth. Endlessly fighting threats with overwhelming numbers if nothing else. It will be this new state that will find every child born with higher than acceptable midi-chlorian count in their blood, and they shall be...euthanized." She crossed her arms across her chest and turned away from the temple and the palace further beyond as the sound of a shuttle approach caught her attention.

"Then, after all of that this galaxy will know peace. They shall know what it's like to have peace forced upon you, and that no one anywhere is above the laws that makes democracy work. Paradise." She intoned.

"We should board as soon as possible mistress. The threats posed from enemies is still very credible on the planet." Fourzee finally spoke after Kellia ceased talking and she sighed. Nodding she moved forward as the shuttle began lowering.

Suddenly Kellia felt the force send a chill through her. A warning! She spun around toward the entrance from the ministry building. A ramp that descended down to the hall she had come from, but saw nothing. Instead she glanced back around as Fourzee cocked his massive head to the side.

The shuttle began whining and shaking, and Kellia felt her face contort into a feral snarling sneer. The ship began snapping and metal bent inwards. The shuttle then slowly collapsed into itself, before finally it snapped into a ball of twisted metal, and fell into the abyss of Coruscant below.

"Mistress I shall cal for another shuttle." Fourzee announced sounding blasé as ever, but Kellia turned back once more to the ministry building. Her blue cloak blew in the winds of Coruscant and her hood remained over her head as she turned her expression back to one of open contempt.

Coming up the ramp slowly and with cool intent obvious in his stride was the boy. The boy who had ever since Dantooine been in her life, and what a thorn he was. Beside him; looking far less ready for this confrontation was princess Leia. Leia Vader. She sneered her way but doubted she could see her with her hood up.

No...she locked her brown and yellow blotched eyes with those of commander Viathan. Crimson red, drowned in the dark side. Another Sith pitifully desiring to be something he nor any Sith really is. He stopped and in his hand was a single saber hilt whilst his second dangled at his side. The princess held a curved one with her that Kellia got an odd vibe from but let it be.

"Mistress!" Fourzee finally turned and saw the threats and immediately raised both arms toward them, but Kellia stopped him by holding her closed fist left hand upwards. The three Force sensitives remained quiet, however. Her and the boy sharing the same hateful glare, and same stance of battle readiness. Subtle but there. Both wore clothing that flapped in the winds that swirled around them.

This boy, this little nothing was growing into something much more than a simple Sith bastard for her to teach his final lesson to. He was becoming the object she placed everything she hated about this whole karking galaxy upon. Even the way he looked enraged some deep seeded hatred within her very core. She took notice though. His left hand, it was shaking.

"So...boy." She opened and spat the term. "You have come for a third and final lesson between us?" She questioned. Her stance remaining as it was. Arms to her sides as she glared toward him. His chest began to rise and fall with greater speed and power. Obviously he was angry.

"Do not condescend to me you Jedi whore!" She smirked, and the princess looked toward the commander seemingly shocked by his terminology. His voice was a hoarse roar and his jaw was completely locked into a gritting seethe.

"No lesson has ever been given by you! Other than how to utterly fail as a Jedi. Even as a dark one!" Kellia rolled her shoulders.

"To so utterly fail as you say, Viathan," she spat his title. His real name not known and of no importance to her. "Is not the hard part. It's the admitting and accepting what you are that is. I prefer the term 'Fallen Jedi,' myself. I do not bathe myself in the dark side as you do, nor do I fear it. It is like a blaster or like a saber. A weapon to be utilized to see your goals come to fruition." She mocked him, and his nostrils flared with further rage.

"Whatever you may call yourself you putrid Hutt slime, I will ask you this once alone, and never again upon this field of battle. Hand over your upload disk for the droids, and surrender. I shall see to it you are not killed immediately." She snorted lightly, and began to pace ever so slightly in front of Fourzee. The droid beast still maintained its weapons on both teens.

"Do you honestly, and I mean honestly, believe someone who holds the capital of the Empire by the throat, and has just activated an army that was barely beaten the first time, would surrender to you so easily? I shall sooner die than ever surrender to you. You pathetic hound of the Sith."

"I'd hoped you would choose this course of action, Nelrain. Now I have full right; not that I didn't have it before, but total freedom to run you through upon my lightsabers." She looked to his hilt and laughed.

"Sure you can do that, boy? I've so far beaten you two times out of the two times our blades have met." She glanced toward Leia. "You think your little girlfriend can help you in this matter? Princess Leia, I am sure to tell Bail Organa how utterly far you have fallen." Leia furrowed her brow and frowned. The Force whirled around her, and Kellia began laughing.

"Please little girl, you can't possibly match me in either saber combat or the Force." Leia growled as Kellia eyed her another few moments and then returned to Viathan.

"Now. You've blown up my shuttle, and it took an exceedingly long time to get the first one here. So, I guess we should at last put an end to this little game you have started between us." Viathan watched her and maintained his sneer as she threw her hood back and allowed her blue robes to fall from her body. She was wearing the causal Jedi tunic save for the blueness of the clothing it was nothing new. She unclasped her saber hilt and entered into a noticeably Makashi from.

"Trust me Nelrain it will only bring me joy to have you dead by my hands." He fell into Niman and activated his crimson saber. H aimed it down toward the ground in his Niman grip and she activated her cerulean blue saber and it flew toward the ground as well, illuminating the pad.

"Niman eh? Last time we met you were a miserable little Ataru blend fighter. Suddenly you sport the saber form most famous for making you a passable student? What a shame. I had thought I would have fun tossing you about some. Now I can see it will be a trivial matter of killing you and sending your corpse to the emperor in a gift basket." Viathan merely snarled.

"You have no idea who my master is, and what powers I know of. Your victory over me upon Tatooine served only to make me stronger in all aspects. The dark side being but one of them you witch. Now are you gonna blabber and prattle on or are we going to settle this?! Because, I'd very much like to begin dismantling your nascent rebellion here and now!" He howled with rage brimming and spilling.

"Very well." She feigned a deep sigh. "You," Kellia pointed her saber toward Leia who frowned back at her. "You princess shall remain out of this, or Fourzee here will see to your not so quick and in no way painless death." Leia crossed her arms over her chest and said nothing but Kellia smirked her way nonetheless.

"Good. I think we understand one another."

"Threaten her once more and I will show you no more courtesy!" Viathan seethed and Kellia snapped back to him and rolled her eyes.

"Don't be so melodramatic, boy. Your friend may actually get out of this with her head intact if you play your cards right and die of course."

"Enough talk!" He seethed and gripped his saber hilt so tight he thought it might crack beneath him.

"Very well boy. I'm gonna enjoy gutting you. Consider this my final lesson!"

Both fallen Jedi and Sith acolyte stood now in silence. Te hum of their combined sabers the one sound heard. Blue illuminating her face and glinting her eyes, usually brown but as ever marred with yellow, and filled with contempt.

Red illuminating his body and face as Viathan's eyes burned red hot and fused with the glow of his saber.

Both of them felt rage boiling over and spilling like a full glass from their bodies. Both felt nothing but hatred and disgust for the other. Both seeing images flash before their minds of the other brutally being maimed and torn apart beneath, and before them. Visions of the future with the other dead and gone forever from them. Never to trouble the other again.

Battle of Coruscant to be concluded...

---

Authors Note: Hey guys so for taking longer to update but hopefully the length of the chapter explains why. This is once again the longest chapter I've written by about two-thousand words, but meh I just wanted to get the core of things out of the way, before the conclusion of the battle for Coruscant. As usual you guys please either excuse or point out any and all grammatical errors I have inevitably committed in this or any other chapter. So the next chapter will be the end of the battle and the post battle. After that we will have the big jump ahead in time by likely a couple months later. because I can't write this story in the current manner forever this story would never end. ;) So please review and tell me what you guys think, and if anyone has any questions and if I didn't explain something well enough please message me, and I'll try to answer it and maybe go in correct the chapter in a way.