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.

61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61

(Shantipole Station, Roche Asteroid Belt, Hour Earlier)

"Alright guys, the verpine techies they got hold up here should be in your sector. Turn left down your current corridor and there should be a central door down the center. The techies are in there. You'll need to extract them to safety. These guys are a top priority you hear me?" Commander Solo asked in his ear.

"Affirmative commander. We're moving in now." Captain Askrill confirmed. Askrill was twenty-three, and a new recruit of Solo's. Joining after being offered a place in his new division. An elite division bent on kicking both the URM and Imp backsides to next century! Now, on his, and his teams first mission here at Shantipole where the Imps were supposedly making new weapons and holding the native verpine hostage from liberation, he sought to make his bones and prove himself.

Currently with him were twenty other people. Squad three of fifteen that were advance teams landed on the station with specific objectives each. His was these verpine scientists. Along with him were ten other humans wearing the black stormtrooper, or 'dark trooper,' armor chosen as Ghost Division's standard armor. Along with five wookiees picked up from across the Outer-Rim to get some payback against the Imps for Kashyyyk. With two twi'lek mercenaries turned soldiers, and two rodians, with the same profile as the twi'leks. Askrill himself was Corellian. His people, and his planet were extremely nationalistic, and sought nothing more than autonomy and release from Coruscant and the Empire. The Moffs were a way of seeing this done at last he saw. His commander being Solo, a fellow Corellian helped things a lot too. Helped him join up from his comfortable position as a garrisoned trooper for the Moff Alliance on the Mid-Rim world of Doldur. Plus Askrill had grown tired of listening to the local Moff Kerioth.

Nonetheless, Askrill motioned his team to follow and he stomped down the hall where they had moved into. Their boots clanging across the meta floors and echoing throughout. Around the halls, laid over, and fallen to the ground at least a dozen enemy troopers in their usual white stormtrooper getup's. Easy pickings for Askrill and his team.

"Hug the wall guys, and wait my signal." He ordered and pointed to the left wall beside them. They gathered and pushed themselves against the wall and slowly edged their way down the lines as Askrill took forward point. They reached the end of the hall and the turn in to the left. Askrill peeked around but slammed back as a slew of twenty or more repeater rounds flew where his head had been and hit the wall opposite himself and his team.

"Looks like they got a barricade set up. I think there's two repeaters, and maybe ten to twenty guys behind the barricade itself guys." Askrill checked his blaster rifle ammo cartridge and nodded happily to himself as it was near fully loaded.

"Who the heck knows how many Imps they got lining the inside of the room itself though."

"So what's the plan?" Another trooper asked. His voice garbled through his mask, but easily understandable enough. Askrill shrugged and peeked ever so slightly around the corner again. Once again though he flew back as a slew of bolts rained his way.

"Kark! These guys are ready."

"Imps that don't suck at face value? What are the odds?" One twi'lek member of his team, Jershu, asked with a snicker. The other men joined him, but Askrill remained silent and thoughtful.

"Alright, no time to really be all careful and such." Askrill finally spoke and allowed his blaster to fall around his waist, still wrapped around himself via a simple leather strap.

"Your five on point." He pointed to the two twi'leks, and three troopers. "Cross the hall, we'll cover you."

"Copy." They replied, and Askrill pulled over seven other men.

"On my order, pull around and fire a burst round. You five duck low and move your asses quick! I don't need any of you dead in the karking hallway. You got me?"

"Loud and clear." One trooper replied, Askrill guessing that was good enough for the rest of the team.

Alright. On my go." Askrill nodded to the seven troops who held their blasters close, and Askrill unclasped a single frag grenade from his belt. "Go!" He tossed the grenade once activated, around the corner, and his team of men fell into kneeled or prone positions and rushed the corner. The grenade exploded and men from the Imperial side grunted and called out as his team bounded around and fired a controlled but mass burst of blaster fire their way from around the corner.

"Keep up the fire!" You five go, go!" he called and ordered, the five member sub-team broke and bounded across the hall in low crouches as fast as they could. Enemy fire finally came bursting back their way. One trooper hollered a war cry and the repeater sprung to life blasting in rapid spray and succession. The bolts slammed and singed the far wall, but Askrill's team ducked and stayed as far away. Those shooting back toward the Imps for covering fire themselves ducked and moved themselves in jerking motions. Just missing the stream of enemy fire blistering through the air their way.

"Back!" Askrill commanded and the covering squad flung themselves behind their cover. The other team had made the crossing and now took up position on the opposite side of the hall.

"Alright, toss yours, and I'll toss mine." Askrill ordered over the sound of the hail of enemy fire. The opposite troopers looked his way as he pulled out another grenade. This one a plasma, and the first trooper nearest to the bend nodded, and pulled out his own plasma grenade and readied it.

"You guys bound around and duck. Lay down cover. You guys you follow the same. We advance after we blind and force them back!" Askrill ordered, and all the men nodded and confirmed their captains orders.

"Alright, one one, two, three!" He slammed his thumb down on the plasma grenade activation press, and so did the opposite trooper. Both flung their grenades around the corner. Then in ten more seconds both blew. The hall lit bright and hot that blinded all those in the hall. The guarding men screamed and Askrill heard the clang and clatter of those to the back of the wall.

"Book it!" Askrill flung around the corner on his side, with his men, the wookiees towering over and firing their bowcasters and the men on the opposite end rounded their corner and laid down a stream of fire all their own. A blitz and mass stream of searing hot and deadly bolts flew their way toward the enemy barricade. Several troopers, and the rodians bounded forward and under their allied fire and the trickle of enemy reprisal bolts toward the barricade.

"Jump the block!" Askrill shouted. The men to the front fired into the barricade and over the metal block. The death cries of man men rung out and the clatter of armor against the ground followed. The rest of the team bounded forward. The enemy repeater suddenly flew off randomly and fired against the ceiling of the hallway, and around to the right wall. The shooter and trooper manning the weapon having been shot by one of the rodians and clamped down on the trigger. His weight pushing the weapon in random directions.

The troops to the very front of the advancing team jumped over the barricade and began spraying rapidly into the group of Imps. But they fired back. Askrill rounded around and himself jumped over the metal barricade. Just as one of his fellow black armored troopers was hit in the arm and head. His body slumped back as an Imp fired a blaster rifle from his hands into the crowd of advancing men. Askrill ducked and seethed a curse from another bolt before he aimed down sights and unleashed a burst of four bolts. All of which flew into the enemy trooper's gut and threw him back against the door to the room where the verpine were. He slumped down dead.

The troops fired in rapid spray and backed themselves against the door wall, while his men advanced and brought them down one by one. Each one flailing and falling. Three more of his troops fell over dead, and one of the rodians cried out as he fell back with a leg injury.

"Grab him!" he called to the medic trooper still with them. Askrill dove forward and fired another burst into two more troopers, until at last a wookiee on the team fired a bowcaster round into the last trooper who screamed and fell back to the floor unmoving. Filling the room with smoke, and a sudden deafening silence.

"Clear!" Askrill threw a close-fisted right hand upward and signaled all his men to cease firing as they had. Though they had done so, he wanted to be sure to give the command. None to sure if any of them had itchy trigger fingers yet.

"Hall's clear captain." One trooper added, and Askrill nodded idly to himself.

"Alright. Advance on the door. Take point on either side." He pointed to either side of the door, and the team, now lacking several men lined up as he ordered. Askrill himself went to the right and brought his blaster close to his chest. The twi'lek Jershu took up point and held his fist ready to punch the activation console to open the door.

Askrill nodded his way once and Jershu slammed his fist down. The door swung open easily enough and both sides of the team flipped around and aimed down sights inwards to the room. Nothing happened. No blasters, and no bombs. It was quiet and peaceful.

"Hold." Askrill commanded and walked into the room first. It was lit brilliantly light and was quite sterile white in hue. Askrill walked in and found nothing, but a mass of verpine. The insect like aliens were in mass, and silently observed him enter with his troops.

"Uh...hi! We're here to liberate you all from the Imperial yoke!" They all remained silent. Some even seemed bored, looking to little devices in their hands some checking datapads. While many big eyes beings watched them and cocked their heads side to side in wonder. Watching in total and utter silence.

"Um..." Askrill looked from side to side to his men. Some shrugged and others just sent back equally confused stares back.

"Does anybody here speak basic?"

"Basic is well known to myself." One verpine spoke up and stepped forward. Looking no different, but wearing a belt that was lined with tools and datapads, or other devices unusual to Askrill.

"Oh good. Can you maybe translate to the others what I said?" The verpine cocked his head to the side, before nodding. He turned and spoke in a clatter of clicks that were unusual to Askrill. The other verpine looked between each other in various displays. They seemed either confused or shocked. Then again Askrill wasn't sure.

"Sir?" Askrill turned, the verpine chattering away as he did. One trooper approached, the rest of his team seemed to relax, and many turned to watch the door for incoming enemy reinforcements.

"How we gonna escort this many verpine back to the extraction bay?" Askrill hummed and began to think.

"Excuse me can-" Askrill turned, but as he did one verpine stood directly behind him.

"Whoa, a little close there budd-" The verpine lifted a device in its hand and clicked a trigger. The device exploded, and a searing hot pain struck through Askrill.

"ARGH!" He fell backwards in pain to the floor. Pain radiated through him and his body shook from it.

"What the!" One of hi men cried. But Askrill heard the terrible sound of clattering as the verpine rushed over and next to him. They ran against his men. Dozens of the alien bugs ran, and screamed their own horrifying screams. Some raised their devices, which he now thought as he stared up in seething pain, to be some welding tool, at his men. He angled his head and saw the bugs climb onto and around. They slashed, and clawed into, they burnt and ripped away. They tore his men to shreds. Even the wookiees. They piled onto them like a damn swarm and ripped the creatures to bits as their screams were filling the rooms.

"Command! The Verpine...they're killing us down here!"

"Say again captain?!" He heard Solo request in his ear but he grunted and seethed as his hands clamped down on the wound that he now knew went through his whole body. Through his helmet, now drowned in his breaths and the calls from Solo, Askrill looked up as a verpine stood over him. It cocked its head to the side again. Before it picked up his baster and aimed it at his head. A single shot rung out, and all went to black.

The verpine didn't need, nor wanted to be saved.

(Byss)

"This place sure is big. Spooky even." Morgana intoned to herself as she glanced around the room she now occupied. She was currently kneeled on a single knee and took steadying breaths while she waited for her moment to move. The whole damn citadel was dark, and smelled weird. Silent but filled with life, as far as she could tell.

"This is the last time I commit myself to a freebee. I tell ya' that much." She continued to whisper to herself. Pulling from her back pocket her binoculars, fitted with a recording device, she went about slipping in a simple strap behind it. Her short hair being a blessing, she pulled the straps behind her head and fastened it.

The air was stale and sterile, very clean yet dank seeming. The whole citadel interior had various rooms of odd glowing colors.

"The engineer of this place must have a neon fetish or some other karking problem. Never seen so much green, red and more ugly green in my life." She intoned further. The feel of the building sending random odd waves of anxiety and pangs of fear even coursing through her. Something, was definitely wrong with this place. With the whole planet really. Morgana suspected it was beyond her and beyond her pay grade. Making this whole mission a semi-mistake in her head.

"A favor is a favor though. Plus you're already here Morgana. Get your head in the game girl." She sighed a single final shaky breath from herself, and activated the binoculars that now took over her whole field of vision. The device sprung to silent life and the recording began, as she turned a corner and looked around.

"Okay...go." She ordered herself and dove as silent as she could across a hallway. The hall was damn dark. Illuminated by green hued near neon like lights lining the floor and ceiling. Nothing in sight in regards to security cams, or tracking droids. Only the distant stomps and clank of distant guards. One of which she'd only heard, not seen yet. Morgana had a sinking suspicion though that she wouldn't like what she would see nonetheless.

Across the hall now, Morgana was kneeled next to a simple grate leading to an access vent. Just her favorite mode of transportation in these situations! Glancing left and right, checking a simple motion tracking device strapped onto her wrist, and seeing nothing nearby, she unstrapped a small hydrospanner. Taking it to all four ends of the grate she unscrewed all the four simple screws, and dropped the grate to the floor. Keeping it as quiet and silent as possible. Smiling with satisfaction, she easily and smoothly fit her whole form, as slim as it may have been, into the tight space. Pulling the grate back in after her, and pocketing the screws, she yanked the grate as tightly back as she possibly could. Before she turned, and made her way through the vent. Making extra sure to crawl onto her stomach and lessen her own noise, Morgana moved forward. The only noise audible to her now, was her slightly ragged and short breaths.

"What is the progress?"

"On schedule." Morgana heard two distinct voices speaking as she neared another grate along her way to the opposite end of the first one she had entered. The grate lined the side of the vent and was high above the ground of whatever room this may have been. Silencing her breaths even further she turned herself as best she could and angled her recording binoculars to look between the grating. Inside were two men. One whom was robed, and slightly portly. He was looking through an incredibly high tech looking microscope mounted to a table. The room was lit more normal than others. A bright set of lights above the table he was at, as well as two other lights mounted on the ceiling. All three lighting the room in a normal white glow.

"Good. The Emperor has instructed me, to tell you to maintain your current rate. Given time he may well need these bodies of yours." The other man, just beyond her sight spoke again.

"He needn't worry. I am well on schedule like I said, and there's no sign of any setbacks." The portly man went on, and removed himself from the microscope. A distinct frown on his face and furrow in his brow, as Morgana zoomed her device in on it to gain a profile.

'Smile for the camera buddy.' She smirked at the thought. The second man closed in, however, and she turned her attention to him.

"Make sure it stays that way is all I'm saying. The war has setback all manner of projects across the karking galaxy, and the Emperor doesn't need you or anybody else screwing up, or causing him headaches. Especially since Vader and the new guy, Kun are making moves. If I got the memo straight from Cronal, there's a conspiracy afoot, and we all have to be on highest karking alert. You hear me?"

"Of course I do!" The robed man shot back, obviously sounding more annoyed than before. Morgana, however, sneered in disgust as she zoomed in on the second more paranoid of the men.

He was robed in an extremely dark jacket and lighter undershirt, old styled indeed. A massive collar that spiked outward gave him an ominous look, but what was more, his face was covered in marks. His skin seemed gray and almost deathly. His hair was spiked and wild, but his face seemed marred and blotchy. Though he looked fit in body. The rest of his clothes accenting his figure. Boots that had oddly protruding pieces of what looked to be spiked metal jutting outward on each. Dark jeans that were ribbed along is calves that showed muscled legs, and the jacket not at all obscuring a similarly toned upper body. However, there was something similarly wrong with his eyes. They both held ominous glows about them. Reddish in the light. A constant sneer was plastered on his features, and his arms were crossed over his chest in what appeared to be a defiant stance.

"You don't have to always stare over my shoulder Sedriss! I am damn well aware of my directives and my mission. You do more damage by backseat worrying me into a state of paranoia than help." The man, Morgana easily deduced to be a scientist retorted. Sedriss, the man with the gloomy fashion sense and red eyes, rolled said crimson colored eyes.

"Keeping you on your toes is all doctor. Besides, who else you gonna talk to in the citadel eh? Not like the sentinel's are good conversationalists." Sedriss offered with a scoff. The doctor sighed deeply and obviously as he moved past Sedriss toward a door to Morgana's right of vision. Sedriss made to follow after, but paused. He took in a deep breath and scanned his eyes across the whole room. They fell on her, and Morgana silently seethed, her face contorting into a grimace and she reeled back from the grate. However, he moved on and scanned the table where the scientist, or whatever the portly man was. Then he made to follow.

"Kark. I don't like this at all..." She trailed on and made to keep on moving. To the right along with them as well where another grate lay to her left like the other. The distant sound of their mumbling voices reached her ears in an echo.

"-bodies will be matured by the time he would possibly need them. They are in good enough a state as is if needed. The genetic samples provided are more than capable of maintaining a whole army of them if he should ever want or need. Sedriss, you're over my karking shoulder so much you shouldn't need an update as you will have seen everything I'd put in a damn report!" The doctor continued.

"Calm down, I like to keep things as in check as possible since I was given this job. You placate me, and I'll be sure to tell his majesty that you're doing your job just fine." The doctor sighed again, and seemed to ignore Sedriss' last statement altogether. The room they now occupied was similarly well lit, and lined with empty tanks. They looked like bacta stations, but Morgana wasn't sure. They were empty of both body and liquid though.

"Tell him what you will then. I on the other hand have much work in need of doing Sedriss. Your shadowing of my person does nothing more than cause more unnecessary stress for myself. Trust me, I'm stressed enough as is." Sedriss snorted a laugh in reply, as the two men continued down right toward another large door.

This time, however, as Morgana followed in the vents as silent as ever, she let her eyes, and the recoding binoculars fall onto the two figures that stood on either side of the door. Both were taller than normal, but they seemed human. They held in one of their hands massive ax's. Their bodies were robed from head to toe, and on their heads were massive metallic helms that shielded and obscured all features. Two spikes protruded out from both sides of the helmet, and otherwise left only one other feature noticeable among them. One that was becoming familiar to her in this place.

Both beings had glowing crimson eyes. They looked more like dots or orbs freely flowing in utter darkness under their helmets. They both stood motionless as Sedriss and the doctor neared them, and didn't say a word. They didn't even move. Though as the two men stood next to them it was clear to Morgana just how much taller than the average man these things were.

'I'm gonna take a stab at it and guess those are those sentinels they mentioned. Nasty looking gear boys.' Morgana thought with a grimace. She continued to move through the vent as the doctor keyed in a code on a console that opened the door with a near silent 'whooshing' noise as the thick piece of metal moved up into the walls.

"Here we are. The cream of the crop. The batch ready to go if needed. Though of course I recommend more time taken to wait and let the sample grow some more." Morgana heard the doctor's voice echo more clearly from within the vent. She meandered her body some more through the tight fit. Blessing her training and endless workouts to stay in shape, she finally made it to the next vent grate and turned her head left.

"Oh...bloody..." Morgana trailed off as her eyes and the recorder fell across the room before her, and what lay within. A whole rack lined with tanks, filled with bodies. All of them the same. Every single tank, easily detailed even from afar, filled with the very same being. Each and every one of them.

"Clones." Her eyes went wide and her breath damn near caught, but she controlled herself. However, that wasn't the biggest surprise. That came with the rest of the room, deep and far beyond her full range of vision, and lining the other walls, were tens, and hundreds, maybe even thousands of tanks. All of them clones sleeping within.

"His majesty will be pleased. After all, what man doesn't wish he could be young again? Given his advanced age and all." Sedriss nearly laughed, but more stated as a matter of fact. The doctor shrugged as he seemingly subtly beamed with pride as he looked on at the naked clones all lining the vast chamber.

"When the time is right, he will make good use of these bodies if I do say so myself. If not, well, I can say this; a lot of effort, and my finest works have fallen on blinded eyes." The doctor in a state of near whimsy declared. Sedriss chuckled in a hoarse rasp.

"Watch it doctor. You near defamation of his majesty. After all he stands before you many times over."

"That he does, Sedriss. Forgive my loosened lips. I was lost in my success I'm afraid." Morgana felt her eyes widen once more on their own as she backed away from the grate and sighed some.

"They're...the emperor? Those are clones of the emperor?!" She intoned in a hushed shocked tone to herself.

'Force! What have you gotten me into this time Ysanne? On top of that, what have you gotten yourself into here?!' Morgan thought as she watched the two men in silence observe, pridefully both of them, the vast chamber full of what were likely hundreds of clones of his majesty the emperor. Palpatine.

(Bes-Ber-Bikade Sector, Epica System, Epica)

The air burned his lungs, and it made his skin cry out, and shoot across his form in pain. The air was stale, dry and filled with death. The smells were changed somehow. Over everything was a new must, dry of course, and sickly sweet. The smell of rot and death mingling with the charred bark, burnt greenery of the wood and dead bodies that were littered about. His breaths were heavy and his vision blurred, but still he lifted himself from the ground. His lungs, eyes, skin and whole body burned in pain, but he would feed and survive off of it. The gasps, and groans of those allied were around him, as dozens lay sprawled on the ground. They were beyond his saving, but he would kill doubly as many of the enemy for them! Right now though, he needed to move. The small voice within his head, and a feeling deep in his core, past the pain and beyond it, screamed for him to move, and to rise, and fight.

Grash, the Massassi warrior rose to his full height. His hulking crimson form finally stabilizing even as the pain wrapped itself around and coursed through him. His vision was blurred and every inch of him felt like fire was upon his flesh. His lungs contracted within his massive heaving chest, and suddenly with a roar he nearly fell over as a great cough heaved itself from his lungs.

The Massassi threw a clawed hand over his mouth and fell into the fit. The coughs terrible, broken, and harsh to his throat. Removing his hand, the brute looked down into it. The crimson liquid, the life giving carrier of the Force itself, his own blood now dripped along his equally crimson colored hand. A sneer spread along his features, barring his row of spiked teeth. A growl emitted and the warrior flung his hand to the ground, and let the force of his jerking motion fling his blood to the ground beneath him.

Around him had fallen dozens of the human soldiers his lords used to wage their war. His kin were few and far between, and yet still Grash saw none around him. Distant crimson corpses sent a thrilling sudden rage pounding into him. Feeding his might and will to fight on. The Massassi bent down and hauled his vibrosword, its hilt black and made just for his hands, by his hands. A single piece of golden cloth hanging from it. Grash admired his blade for a moment and sheathed it along his belt, before spotting an allied, but now very much dead soldier.

Grash let a guttural and deep emitting breath escape him. Carrying it with a cough that erupted forth again. He again bent down and scooped up the soldiers massive cannon. A repeater as they called them. Many barrels wrapped around a central one. All capable of massive and rapid fire.

Pulling the weapon free of the soldier's dead and stiff gloved hands, Grash hiked it up and checked it. Seeing it fully loaded, though his skin burned to the touch of the cool metal of the weapon, gave him a thrill. His muscles ached and he felt his power wane. Grash shook his great head, his fleshy growths going down his head to his back and along his face shaking as he did so to shake the weakness and blurriness away.

"Forward men! Place a bolt in every one of their heads, and move on. We haven't got all day." Grash jerked his head right t the sound of voices rising from afar, and from where the enemy had approached. Stomping his way to a fallen tree, the Massassi ducked down behind the trunk. Raising his head just enough to let his naturally glowing yellow eyes to peer over, Grash found them. A squad of enemy men moving forward. Their armor, whilst similar to the normal white armor of the humans were slightly different. Pronounced tubes now ducked under their necks from their backs on both sides of their head inwards and up into a mask that was larger in some degrees. On their backs were large packs, and they showed no sign of weakness from the unseen killer in the air. Grash ducked down and slammed his hand over his own mouth again, and let loose into his palm another great heave of terrible coughs.

Ignoring the crimson liquid that was no doubt in his hand, Grash peered over again. One of the enemy placed his weapon barrel to the head of a fallen allied man. He was dead, Grash wasn't sure for how long, but the star in the sky heating the world had changed only slightly from his last memory. The enemy fired a single red bolt of light against the fallen comrade's head. The body jerked, and his death was made doubly assured to the enemy troops. They moved on to the next set of bodies that were strewn about. Dozens of comrade's and fallen allies lay about for them to assure of their deaths. Though Grash could smell it and sense it in the air. They were, all of them, long dead.

That is when it hit him. The Massassi warrior tore his eyes away from his murderous enemies and across the field. Where lay dozens of fallen kin and allies, there he could not find one body among them. That of his, and his kinsman's lord. Viathan. Servant of their master, and master of they his servants. The human was a worthy ally, a comrade in arms, and a kinsman by the shared shedding of blood in the name of their lord.

The pain being shoved out of mind, Grash crouched low to the ground and stepped his way through the burnt field and over corpses. His memory told him where his lord had last stood before he fell from the unseen menace in the air. The Massassi stepped over another body of a trooper, and stood over a fallen body. It was covered in a black cloak, and reeked of death and was shrouded in the powerful darkness that surrounded his lord Kun, and his kin.

Grash heaved a low and pain filled breath out his nostrils and lowered down to a kneel. Placing his cannon to the ground Grash grasped the fallen human's shoulder and flipped him over onto his back. The boy's face was one of silent pain, and near lifelessness. His mouth was slightly hung open, and traces of foam lay at the sides of it. His breaths were low, near inaudible, but they were there. They were wheezing gasps, and they sounded of pain. His skin had become pale, and moans escaped from passed his lips.

"Lord?" Grash muttered. His own voice raspy and accented. He shook the figure, and only elicited a small groan of deep pain and tiredness.

"Lord, the enemy approaches. We yet live. We must carry on if we wish to remain as such. If we wish to fight on." Grash continued lowly and close to Viathan's ear. The boy's eyes fluttered, and were fought against by Viathan. Another groan escaped him as wheezing breaths escaped outward.

"Gra...sh?" The Massassi bowed his head. The shot of enemy blaster fire causing him to jerk and look where the sound originated from.

"We must carry on lord. The enemy's unseen weapon has not...taken us yet." Grash suppressed another cough as his body shook down to the bone internally. With his vision blurring over for a moment again.

"Ca...n't move..." Viathan grunted. Grash eyed the boy's right hand and noticed his fingers twitch around his saber hilt lazily and barely clasped in hand. Grash growled, and peered over again as the enemy neared further. Shooting and killing as they approached closer and closer.

"Then I shall carry you." Grash wrapped a large hand along Viathan's right arm and hiked him up. The teen groaned in pain as his body was coiled and moved after laying where he had for hours. The Massassi grunted as he lifted the smaller figure onto and over his shoulder. Until both of Viathan's arms swung down on either one of the Massassi's shoulders.

"Hold tight lord. I shall escort you to safety." Grash intoned in a deep rasp. Viathan, his head resting on his left shoulder nodded lowly, and clasped his hands together, even as one still barely clutched his saber hilt. The Massassi groaned out his pain some more as it radiated outward form him through the Force, and Grash picked up the cannon from the ground in both hands.

"Other...survi...vors?" Viathan gasped out, even as his eyes barely struggled to stay open past the immense pain Grash sensed through the Force coming from his lord. The Massassi shook his head with a grunt.

"We are alone lord. Silence now. I shall escort you and myself to safer field. We can rest and fight our enemy on fresh ground later." Viathan groaned but nodded. His head falling near lifeless fully onto the warrior's shoulder. As darkness overcame Viathan's vision. Grash groaned from the added weight, his flesh still feeling like molten lava fell across his figure, and as though his insides were being torn apart. He, however, took the first step forward, as the enemy nearby made calls and commands to one another, before their deadly shots would ring out.

'We will survive, and fight another day lord. In lord Kun's name.' Grash assured himself and with heavy but silent foot falls upon the burnt and oddly decaying grasslands he moved on. The daylight of the sky growing brighter and hotter as the morning passed away and midday came upon them all.

---

"Continue advancing the squads forward. We have limited suits and supply for the men entering the woods, so I don't need them wasting away their lives like fools."

"Yes your excellence." AN officer saluted and bowed before making off to relay Trachta's commands. The Moff stood tall and proudly. His hands clasped behind his back, and standing facing the way of the forest where the fools that were his enemies now lay fallen, and the grand majority at the least, dead. It was where his victory had been solidified and his tactics justified. He had won his bid, and right now he glowed in pride.

"Moff Trachta." General Terrosh neared from behind, and Trachta waved him to come forth without turning.

"Something on your mind general?" He asked. The man had remained silent since the first shells containing his weapon had been launched. Dutifully and efficiently going around the base and carrying out tasks assigned to him.

"No...well yes your excellence, but nothing that I think is worthy of you to ans-"

"Just speak your mind general." Trachta ordered, swiftly cutting Terrosh off from a small ramble. The general cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders.

"The troopers with the retrofitted gas masks and suits are advancing, but not at the rate I would have thought. Considering the gas's potency I would have thought all enemy forces cleared, at least to our very front." Terrosh pointed forward to add to his point. Trachta nodding once only in reply.

"However, as I said they're not moving as speedily as I would have thought. I requested one of the forward commanders to report back on progress and the slow pace." Trachta again nodded. "He wouldn't comment on why. He stated that he had orders from yourself, your excellency, to not report openly on the comm channels what their mission was." Trachta turned toward Terrosh finally. His beating down red photoreceptor eyes glaring unmoving onto the general's form.

"I was coming here to request that I be let into the loop as to what my men are being ordered to commit to the front, that I am at least for the moment not privy to?" Terrosh asked, nervousness in his throat and voice, his speech cracking ever so slightly in anxiety and fear.

"Why ask, when you can see?" Terrosh cocked an eyebrow as Trachta motioned his hand toward the forest and back. "Your men are on a mission of critical importance to our war effort, and for the morale of the men. In fact the very first advance teams are on their way back as we speak. When they return, you'll be let in on the operation in full. And, hopefully understand its reasoning as well." Terrosh took a moment to glance back and forth between the forest and Trachta before he nodded and remained silent.

"Now, if you would kindly general, bring me up to speed on our current situation regarding enemy activity." Terrosh straightened and once again cleared his throat.

"Yes your excellence. Almost...all bodies come across are dead, but we've made sure of their deaths, as per your orders." Trachta nodded, a small rasp escaping from through his mask. It took a second, but Terrosh realized it was a sigh, and one that sounded pleased at that.

"Excellent. Now how many corpses have we discovered of the enemy? Mind you I want a rough estimation on those dead by my attack." Trachta amended.

"The men that can, with their suits, have advanced and come across three-thousand enemy bodies. More than half are dead by your gas weapon sir. We assume as much because their bodies either have no outward sign of damage, or their bodies show the signs you've informed us to look for." Trachta nodded contentedly once again.

"Ever more excellent, general. What of enemy activity in the realm of the living?" Terrosh took another moment of silence to recall the reports coming into the headquarters before answering.

"The enemy have been reported in small pockets. They are usually stragglers, but as the teams begin crossing the lines between the affected gas radius zone toward the clean sectors, enemy retaliation has picked up. Although we believe the bulk of the resistance has been pushing deeper into the forest by several miles. We are securing a perimeter inside the gas zone. Based on your report sir, the dissipation of the gas should take several more hours at least." Trachta nodded, once more. He gave of an aura of pleasure and pride. It was palpable in the air.

"The gas is a worthy weapon is it not? Given the amount of territory secured, it has proven the most effective way of clearing out territory. The secured squads we've sent in should be more than enough to secure the affected sectors. No need to test the boundaries. We may yet be firing more shells into the new enemy lines. The air tanks of the squads cannot last that long for them to push deeper into the woods." Trachta nodded to himself as he went on.

"Secure the affected zones, await dissipation of the dioxin, mop up the stragglers. Trust me killing them is a release from what they're feeling, and await further instruction. We've won this battle Terrosh. The enemy simply hasn't accepted it yet." Terrosh bowed his head. His mind flashing images of what horrors Trachta's toxins were doing to those in the affected areas.

"Of course, your excellence." Terrosh replied in a low intone.

Trachta sighed contentedly once more. Turning toward the woods though he gave a single low chuckle.

"You see Terrosh? I told you they would be returning to us soon." Terrosh raised his brows and turned to where Trachta pointed toward. The dead woods, burnt and smokey now gave way to several troopers moving in. They all had with them medical capsules in tow hovering above the ground. Terrosh squinted his eyes in confusion.

"What are they-" Trachta raised a silencing hand.

"Just wait Terrosh. You'll see." The squad of ten men approached, the captain came forward and saluted both men.

"Your excellency, we've found one of the targets each. So ten whole specimens for you." Trachta gave a single light chuckle.

"Excellent. Let us see then." Terrosh remained silent as the three men neared the captains medical capsule. As they neared and Terrosh leaned over to see what was inside did he feel his breath nearly catch and eyes widen.

"They are all dead are they not?"

"Yes sir, as requested." the captain replied to Trachta's request. The Moff nodded.

"Your excellency! Those...those are Massassi!" Terrosh, with a voice obviously full of shock and horror spoke aloud. The men of the squad and Trachta turned toward him.

"Why yes, Terrosh. These are indeed the enemy's brutes. These alien scum have caused much death and damage across the galaxy. The Empire seeks to use aliens against us, so I've decided to make use of them for our purposes. To help increase the morale of the men." Terrosh scoffed openly and took a step forward.

"What purpose do ten corpses have?! What do ten corpses of these alines have sir?! I fail in totality to see the point or use!" Trachta didn't seem concerned, in fact he was more cool and clam than ever.

"Not ten. We will have many by then end of today. Dozens at the least." The Moff responded matter-of-factly. Terrosh furrowed his brow and wiped his right hand across his forehead. Confusion and repressed annoyance bubbling to the surface.

"Okay. I still don't understand than. What is the point, and better yet what use is there in having a bunch of useless corpses lying about? The men could be fighting the enemy at the front not gathering up corp-"

"Your objection is noted, and appreciated general." Trachta yet again cut off the general. The Moff approached and loomed over Terrosh menacingly. He clasped his hands behind his back once more, and leaned in some. Shadowing over Terrosh.

"This is not a war of niceties general. It is one of contempt and survival. By any and all means. I have come to the realization that we, as the Moffs, must fight this war were no quarter is given, and no exceptions made. We must fight this war as a Krayt dragon hunts its prey and consumes it as food. Brutally, yet precisely and with purpose. Where it comes to the morale of our men, surely you recognize that the gutting of their leadership and war against old comrades, not to mention loss after loss has driven them to defeatism?" Terrosh swallowed as the Moff loomed. The moistness not help alleviate his dry throat. The cold red eyes glaring down to him making him freeze once again in place. In fear.

"My methods do not fit in with your sensibilities. My methods are not your methods, but I am a Moff, and you, you Terrosh are a general. A decent one, even a good one, but let us never forget who here is in command." Trachta neared and intoned threateningly. Terrosh swallowed a retort, as the fear gripped him and didn't dare let his mouth open in retort.

"Now, you will shut your mouth general, and do as you are ordered and let me conduct war in the way most fitting for us to achieve absolute victory. Not just here, but also in the minds and hearts of our men. Do you understand?" Terrosh swallowed once more. He eyed the troopers off to the side, who in turn were watching the exchange in silence themselves. Terrosh let his glance fall back to meet the unending glare of Trachta's photoreceptors.

"Yes, your excellence."

"Good." Trachta finally recoiled to a full upwards stance.

"Now, gather all the bodies, and find for me a lot of spare rope." Terrosh didn't allow his confusion to appear outwardly this time as the men went quickly to find the requested material.

"May I ask why, your excellence, we need rope?" Trachta gave him a single, but far more pleasant glance.

"Because, general. These corpses are here mostly for display purposes. Trust me, by the end of this day, and by mornings first light tomorrow our enemy shall see the fruit of their labors, and our men will see their victory displayed for them all." Trachta eyed the corpse in the medical capsule before him, his left gloved hand clasping to its side.

"It will be a sight for all to see. Of that, you can be assured of."

(Shantipole Station)

"On the right, grenade them out!" Raydonn glanced as one trooper did as ordered, pulled a grenade out from his back belt and activated the small round device of death before chucking it around a bend in the hallway.

"Grena-" One man called from the other end, but was silenced as an explosion ripped through the hall and shook the one Raydonn and his men occupied. The troopers bounded around the bend in the hall and opened up a spray of fire through the smoke and debris that littered the hall. Quickly thereafter throwing themselves back around and missing the torrent of fire that came back their way.

Raydonn shook his head at the sight. He idly held his deactivated saber, and watched the scene with a mild mix of apathy and bored interest. He was waiting for Kun to make his move.

'The karking bay is right around the corner, but high and mighty Sith lord wants to do things his way, and only his way.' Raydonn lamented with a sneer. 'Can't see the point in it. All he wants to do is make this situation far more bloody than it needs to be.' Despite it all though, Raydonn could only sigh and shrug. The halls were surrounded by dozens of enemy forces. Many of them had converged on this bay after the other ones were quickly taken back. The battle had been raging from some hours now. From what the inquisitor had heard the space battle being raged outside was in the Imperial favor, but the enemy had brought a substantial fleet. They were still out there dogging, or hounding rather, the whole of Zaarin's defense fleet. Another fleet from patrol was on its way to obliterate the enemy force, but that was still some time away. This bay, however, was all that was left for the ground forces of this enemy. All that was left for them to retreat back to now that they were falling. It took most of himself, and his self restraint to stop Raydonn from bounding around the corner and bringing them all down one by one.

"Anxious as always my dear inquisitor?" Raydonn turned right. Exar approached with a column now of Massassi following in his wake. The big one that had butchered the wookiee from before led them behind the Sith lord. All of them barring their teeth in what looked grins, but Raydonn began to assume their species simply ended up looking like that even on a good day.

"Anxious as ever, to actually get this battle done and over with, Sith lord. The longer we wait the better a chance they have of escape. And for what? For another theater act perchance? One that makes you look even more heroic than before?" Raydonn offered with an inquisitively raised brow and folded arms. A smirk even playing at the corners of his mouth. Exar looked the inquisitor up and down before shaking his head. A lopsided smirk crawling onto his older features and a chuckle forcing its way out.

"Ever so charming." The Sith lord simply spoke in an intone before moving forward. The Massassi in tow. They, however, all cast him glances. They all eyed him up. But, none more than the butcher. The on Kun called Mattizz. He could sense it. They all didn't like him.

"No my dear inquisitor. It's about sending a message to whomever thinks it's okay and easy to attack an Imperial research station in one of the last great bastions of Imperial control in the Mid-Rim. Myself, and the Massassi will assure the station and our dear trooper allies of a swift and bloody victory. You can help or seek to annoy or mock myself some more. Your call and your choice of course." The Sith motioned in a mock bow to Raydonn, and the inquisitor rolled his eyes as another sigh erupted forth from his person.

"Yeah, yeah I'm helping. I rather don't like standing around doing nothing waiting for you to get your brutes all rounded together for some big climactic showdown is all I'm saying. So, suppose we can pick up the pace then?" Exar motioned toward the hall and silently offered Raydonn the chance to set the pace.

He did so and walked forward with his saber hilt at the ready.

"Raise your lanvaroks my Massassi!" Raydonn turned back. The crimson aliens slammed the ends of their spears against the metal floor, and in all of their left hands they raised a massive metal device. They looked liked shields but all held what looked like giant discs inside, and were ready to launch outward.

"Kill everyone in your path. Spare no one, and achieve for me and our allies a grand victory that your kin may sing in praise of for all time!" The Sith lord raised his gloved fist and the Massassi all let loose roars of anxiousness and a deeply seeded drive to wage battle and roar. The Force, particularly the dark side swirled around them all and invigorated them. Their master, Exar grinned and himself turned to face Raydonn.

"I think we're ready for this assault. That is, if you are, my dear inquisitor?" Raydonn sneered and simply turned back toward the hall. A line of troops hugged the wall that led to the bend and the enemy entrance to the bay on its left side. Blaster fire erupted their way from where the enemies were hidden. The loyal troops threw retaliation fire back in intervals, but could hardly make a move. Raydonn sensed great tiredness and weakness from them all.

'Good thing I'm here then.' His dark blue eyes twinkled in the lights of the station as spots of yellow entered into them. A smirk crossed his face, and his thumb slammed down onto the trigger of the hilt in his hand. The snapping hiss of the purple saber beam erupting to life sent a chill of thrill up his back. The coming battle sending adrenaline racing into and throughout his form. The Force wrapping around him and the dark side filling him entirely with raw power.

These fools wouldn't know what hit them indeed.

"I'll take lead. You and yours can follow in. Just stay clear, eh?" Raydonn smirked a cocky smirk over his shoulder Kun's way. The Sith lord folded his arms over his chest and shrugged. Of course Raydonn knew he'd need them to come up behind and protect his rear. He just found annoying the Sith lord too much fun.

"Time for the fun to begin." Raydonn smiled, as he intoned to himself. Saber in hand, the purple hue lighting the hall, and his robes, Raydonn dashed forward.

The Force added to the falls and slams of his boots to the metal floor beneath him as he dove forward. He came around the bend in the halls and was directly before the enemy line of fire. The bolts were flying his way, but with lightning precision his saber flew before his figure. The purple blade danced and swung with a hum in the air in front of his form as he then dove forward. Red blistering and burning bolt after another came his way and was slammed back and away, up or down, or to his sides.

Time seemed to slow as he dashed forward. The first troops in sight wore black trooper armor, and were manning either side of the hallway. One was kneeled with the other standing. Both firing at him with multiples of their comrades to their backs in a multitude of standing positions, and all mirroring the others by aiming down their sights at Raydonn. All the inquisitor did in response was smirk.

Pausing suddenly, his left hand few outward and an unseen pulse exploded outward down the hall. The men all fell backwards in various grunts and groans. Their blasters even fired at random toward the ceilings as they lost their footings. Raydonn then jumped back forward. The first man rising to his feat was cut down as Raydonn slashed down and clipped through him. Another rose next to him and he spun around. His saber following and taking off the mans head and arms from below his shoulder level.

Another came up and Raydonn turned right, stabbing his saber clear through his stomach, and slashing over left with a sweep up and than down of his saber. Leaving a great burning trail along his and the other bodies. Three bolts flew his way and his saber danced through the air. The bolts flew away from his figure, and a smirk appeared across his face even more broad than prior.

The inquisitor threw his saber upwards and slung it across his form. The purple blade took off and sliced against the wall. Spinning the whole way toward the men who had fired on him.

"Down!" One cried and all three followed. Their black trooper armor shone brightly as the purple hue illuminated their figures. Raydonn didn't cease smirking, and instead raised both hands up wards. From all ten of his fingers streams of blue electric bolts streamed forward. Their buzz and crackling ripping through the hall, and sending a massive light blistering through the length of it all.

"Move!" The same trooper attempted to drive his two allies, but the electric streams slammed against him and the other two. They all screamed and flew back. Their bodies slamming against the far hall wall with massive thuds. Raydonn ceased and let both arms drop to his sides, just in time as the saber flew back his way, and he, almost lazily so, caught it with his right hand.

The hall went silent and became filled with smoke from the lightning and burned bodies, as well as from the burns left across the corpses of others who had been impacted by Raydonn's blade.

"So, that was certainly the more subtle and less brutal route?" Raydonn turned as Kun approached. His arms were folded among is robes and clothing over his chest. His Massassi followed in tow and stared him down in silence. Raydonn looked around himself at the fallen corpses, and shrugged.

"If I had know there were only this group I would have maybe taken things a little slower, but you can't ever be too careful. Besides I didn't gut them all with spears and swords now did I?" Exar scoffed a laugh.

"War is never pretty. My Massassi merely skip the pretense that it is. Oh, but pardon me, this" Exar waved his arms outward, "this was more humane." Exar again scoffed a laugh and waved his Massassi to follow him toward the door leading into the enemy held docking bay. Behind them came the clanking of troopers boots against the hall. The Imperial troops slammed their bodies against the wall where the door was, and hugged it. As well as their blasters to their chests ever tighter.

Raydonn felt his smirk disappear as a sneer replaced it. The Sith lord walked on by and allowed the inquisitor to shake with a momentary bout of anger, before clutching his still active and humming saber in hand and turning t face the door with the rest of the Imperial loyalists. A convergence on the last enemy position was at hand.

"I sense...several men waiting us on the other side. I think they saw you tear their friends apart." Kun nodded Raydonn's way. The inquisitor stifled a grumble.

"I think it best that somebody take care of them quickly and immediately."

"We can plant explosives and blow the door in." One commander trooper offered from his position hugging the wall. Exar waved him off with a grin of his own.

"We needn't worry about explosives commander. We have an even greater power on our side." Kun gave Raydonn a sideways and coy look. "Well one of us has greater power at least." Exar grinned and felt the anger from Raydonn spike. His fingers coiling tighter around his saber hilt.

Without another word the Sith lord, with Massassi flanking him on either side, raised his hands upwards and toward the door. With both hands his fingers began coiling in and a low rumble along with a shaking of the hall began. The troopers looked among one another in confusion, as Raydonn and the Massassi stood silent and watching as Kun brought both hands coiled into fists. The door, made of solid steal began to buckle and whine. The snapping of meta from metal rung out I great booms that popped in all of their ears, all as Kun gleefully tore the metal clear off its hinges through sheer force of will. Through the dark side. Through the Force.

The final piece of attached metal buckled and a slab of metal was now free floating with but an inch between it and its old foundation.

"Fire!" A trooper with a similarly muffled voice usual of the troopers cried on the other side, and a hail of bolts sounded out as the flashing of their lights hit the opposite side of the free door.

"A futile endeavor. Wouldn't you agree?" Kun asked over his shoulder. Raydonn merely rolled his eyes again and said nothing. Exar just laughed and returned his full attention to the piece of metal. Focusing on those who were beyond it and closest, waiting for him and his allies to cross the threshold into the bay, Kun heaved the slab in air, and with a small grunt threw both hands outward.

Flying through the air, the piece of metal was thrown by unseen hands and power into the bay. Men screamed as the door slab slammed against man after man. Throwing and crushing them beneath its heavy frame. Four men, all of them making to attack whoever came through the door, were slammed down onto the ground. The crushing weight of the metal breaking bone and crushing them all to death. The sight causing Raydonn to shake his head.

"Now that was effective eh?" Exar offered with a cocky self satisfied grin. Raydonn ignored him as the doorway was cleared and opened for all of them.

"Right, commander, move your men in." Exar nodded his way toward the door and the commanded bowed his helmeted head.

"Yes sir! Grenade, and then through the door men!" They nodded, as the commander unclasped a grenade, as did two other of his men. All three angled around the opened wall and tossed in the grenades. Successive explosions sounded out and shook the halls they occupied.

"Go, go, go!" The commander hollered and dove around through the gap. His men followed in quickly after him, and an explosion of blaster fire sounded out. Back and forth red bolts slammed against the enemy and the Imperials.

Exar the Massassi and Raydonn hung back. Raydonn passed glances between the crimson warriors and their master. A furrowed brow forming along his features as they didn't advance in after the troopers.

"I sense several dozen. They're prepared, but stuck." Exar smirked coolly.

"What gives you all of that?" Raydonn cocked another brow.

"The fear is powerful on all of them. The Force is flooded with it. They're feel desperate and full of terror. They're going to cut into our troopers."

"So why not help?" Raydonn demanded. Exar tossed him another glance.

"We shall. I am merely accessing their positions by letting them counter the first wave. The second wave can be myself and the Massassi. Unless you want to charge in once again and throw caution to the wind? I'd get an even clearer view on their positions and tactics if you offered yourself up as a sacrificial shaak." Raydonn matched the Sith lord's gaze as he gave him a mockingly confrontational glare.

"Your silence, I shall accept as a no then." Kun nodded to himself and once again seemed pleased with himself.

Exar approached the door some more and his hand twitched down to his belt. His right hand idly grasped his hanging saber hilt and his eyes danced back and forth through the open hole. The Massassi followed after, and gripped their spears, and their shields, or whatever those things on their left arms were, closer to their chests.

"Looks like they're mostly near to the ray shield." Exar spoke aloud as the allied troopers sidestepped into the room and fired toward the ray shield where hundreds of bolts came their way. They ducked and fired in bulk as the enemy bolts streamed their way. Some red and some green bolts were aimed their way.

"They have wookiees no doubt with them." He added. "Alright then. Showtime." Exar smilingly intoned. His saber was snatched up into the air, and with a slip of his finger one side of the blade burst to life, and a brilliant blue exploded to life before them all.

"Massassi, advance!" The large commander, Mattizz, growled in glee and unleashed an ear splitting roar that forced Raydonn to wince from the booming and loud quality of it.

Mattizz raised the shield device up and covered his chest and lower face, as did his warriors and they began to run in. Kun hung back as they flooded in as Raydonn neared closer. The blue of Kun's saber began mingling with Raydonn's purple. The two dark side practitioners watching as the Massassi dove inwards in crouches and low walks into the bay.

"Watch and learn." Kun intoned to Raydonn. Raydonn in fact squinted and watched as the Massassi fell into various stances, kneels, or full stands, maybe even laying prone on the ground. The enemy and allied bolts flying around them as they flooded in. Several of the crimson beasts raised the shields to their eyes and blocked bolts that slammed against the meta of their devices. Then some became free of enemy fire. They raised their left arms straight outward and forward, and with a clasp of their fists the discs within these strange devices unleashed themselves.

Mighty discs flew outward with force and speed Raydonn hadn't been expecting.

"AHH!" A great and terrible set of screams echoed from within, and Raydonn grimaced from the shrieks, and gargles that followed.

"Sith lanvaroks. Those are the devices in their left hands. The spears in their right are Massassi lanvaroks." Kun smirked with a twinkle now in his gray eyes. "You will find that the Sith lanvarok leaves a gruesome sight to behold, to say the least." Exar assumed his walk inwards and Raydonn followed quickly after.

Immediately within the gap both men had to throw their sabers up and block dozens of bolts headed their way, as their trooper allies fired in bulk back. Even as man after man was shot and flung around and fell to the ground dead. A Massassi finally was killed as five bolts hit the warriors chest and a sixth into his head. The warrior fell and his comrades roared in echoing rage in reply.

Raydonn finally caught a glimpse of the enemy positions. Boxes and crates lined the whole line to the ray shield, where outside the inquisitor could see ships fighting one another. Massive bolts of energy raining down and against one another within the void mirrored the exchange of fire within this bay.

What really caught his eyes though, were the corpses on the enemy side. Many living enemies, of many alien races, and darkly armored troopers fired and kneeled behind the line of crates, there were many corpses lying about, but unlike most there were a few off examples. The one that caught his eyes the most, even as his saber danced before him and sent a slew of bolts heading his way away from himself, he saw a body, missing its lower half. Guts, and insides spilling out onto the floor, blood escaping and pooling outwards from his severed top from bottom half of what he knew had once been a human body. Lodged in the wall was a bloody, and smooth disc. One of those fired from the Massassi and their Sith lanvaroks. Of all the sights he'd seen, Raydonn never thought he would see up into a man's exposed abdomen so clearly. Despite himself, and despite his usually strong stomach, Raydonn felt a lump form in his throat and queasiness grip his stomach.

"Don't just stand there! Fight!" Exar demanded and flung himself forward against the enemy. His robes whirled at the speed he dove forward, and his saber became a flash within the eye. He slammed his right boot down and flung upwards. He fell back down over the crates and against the line of men. They threw themselves away from him as he fell down to the ground. He slammed down with a mighty cry of his voice and as he did his saber slammed down with him along the ground. A pulse of power and energy exploded outward and sent dozens of men flinging back or away from where he landed.

Kun smirked broadly, Raydonn could see and even sense it from where he stood. The Dark lord flung himself up and immediately ran forward. His saber clipped down and slashed through a man on the floor, taking his arm, and slashing across his head. His screams were stifled just as they began. Then he slashed left and down, taking a downed troopers head, and he spun around, his saber flinging from right down left across another trooper, who had sought to sneak up behind the Sith.

Exar spun back and carried his momentum, his saber flinging outward from his body and slashing across the abdomen of another trooper trying to stand back up. He cried and fell back against one of his comrades and took him down with him. Kun turned back right and tossed his saber into his left hand. His right palm outstretched toward the men behind him. A pulse, more like a pure and raw explosion of power and energy erupted from his hand outward.

Dozens of the enemy force screamed and cried as they were brutally thrown and tossed, the energy wave ripping into some and tearing or mangling their armor and flesh. The Sith lord made a mockery of the enemy in droves as his saber hummed, and his figure stood tall, and proud. His dark clothing waving about him and enfolding him with his armor into a pure image of leadership, and command. Demanding of obedience and respect, as he crushed enemies beneath himself.

Raydonn watched in momentary shock along with the troopers as the scene unfolded before him, and dozens of men already had been tossed around with some dead. Then the howling roars of the crimson beasts rung through the bay. The Massassi, with their spear lanvaroks in hand charged like warriors from an ancient battlefield on some great plain. Prompting Raydonn to shake himself free of his own captivation, clutch saber tighter into his hand, and drive himself forward.

The Force drove him and pounded through him as he called on it and focused it into himself. Troopers in black armor and aliens in various other armored states, along with towering wookiees rose back to their feet and began firing on the rushing horde. The Massassi raised their Sith lanvaroks and used them as shields. Dozens of bolts hitting their armor pieces, and those that made it through doing little to stop the crimson beasts. Only taking down two or three of the warriors, as Raydonn dove left, then right, then spun back left missing bolt after bolt. His saber dancing in front of him blocked even more, before he paused and let his left hand rise. The pulse of the Force leaving from his body and shooting outward in a wave toward the enemy let a small smile of satisfaction cross his features. The wave threw crate and box before it threw the enemy. Several flew up and smacked their bodies against the ray shield and fell to the floor. Some flew right and hit the metal wall, with great thuds, and some merely staggered backwards. They were usually the wookiees.

Raydonn threw himself forward once more as the Massassi barreled on by. Exar dove and cut through one man after another, cleaving up and taking an arm slashing right through a mans chest and spinning around and stabbing through a third, all the while dodging and blocking bolts of death. The Massassi threw boxes and crates aside stepped over and across fallen bodies, dead or alive. They slammed their bodies into the enemy. Most flew backwards to the ground in huffs and grunts as the beasts fell upon them. Their lanvaroks pointed downward and slammed down piercing through the men, and their screams echoed out. Other warriors dove and slammed their spears through men and alien warriors. Throwing them back and to the floor, they yanked the spears back and slashed around slashing across and through other troops. A few of the Massassi slammed their Sith lanvaroks across from down right up left across the enemy troopers and threw them. Taking their swords and spears they fell down upon them roaring and hacking or slashing. Blood, armor, body parts and entrails flew about. The thick stench of death and splattering blood filled the bay in no time, and Raydonn finally made his own mark.

He slashed down left across one trooper, he swung back and fell dead. He slashed right and through another troopers neck, and he slashed around in a full circle and slashed across two more enemy troopers. They both fell back clutching their burned torsos and crying out, as Raydonn continued his attack. He slashed back left and an enemy twi'lek swung away just in time. The green alien caught up his blaster pistol and fired, but Raydonn swung his purple blade up left and down left and the bolts flew back. Both hit the twi'lek in his chest and he fell back down in a bout of death gurgling.

The Force called in his head, and Raydonn swung himself left. The fist of a towering wookiee came down and swung through the open air. The monster howled in his face, and Raydonn grimaced while back-stepping away from the furred warrior.

"Force not again!" The wookiee howled in his face again and slammed the back of his left paw at Raydonn. The inquisitor jumped back and away, and missed the paw. A Massassi charged form his right and slammed into the wookiee. The wookiee turned and caught the charge, and both warriors clutched one another at their shoulders as the Massassi pushed them back. The wookiee stopped and skirted along the metal flooring. The wookiees knee flew up and kicked the Massassi in his toned gut. The crimson warrior roared and flung his right fist back and threw it across the wookiees face. The wookiee growled and grasped the Massassi, and with a mighty heave threw the beast back against the cold hard ground.

The wookiee came after the Massassi as the brute struggled to shake off the hit his head took. Raydonn dove forward and slashed down and his saber cut through the beasts left leg, and took it off at the knee. The wookiee howled in pain and fell to the floor. Raydonn didn't wait, and spun his purple saber above his head, and slashed down. Stabbing and killing the wookiee through his chest without delay.

The Massassi rose back to a slightly shaky stand, and glanced at Raydonn for a moment before growling and barring his teeth and slashing around right and slamming his Sith lanvarok into a trooper so hard the men flung over left and into a crate head first. The clang of helmet on crate so loud Raydonn was sure the trooper at the least had a concussion.

Raydonn felt the Force scream in warning within his head, and he spun around and dropped into a crouch. Bolts flew over where his head had been, and he narrowed his eyes in anger. They trained in on three enemy troopers, two in black armor and a twi'lek. All fired where he now crouched, and Raydonn swung his saber before himself in an elegant dance and blocked the deadly stream heading his way. The bolts flew in a circle of arches away from his own body, as he ran forward toward the enemy.

"Move!" One of the troopers hollered. And the three dove away from each other. One was barreled immediately into by a Massassi and thrown to the ground. The beast slammed its sword down into the man again and again and carved into. His screams rung out as Raydonn continued to run forward. The other black armored trooper cursed and cried in anger, and fired a rapid spray his way, but he dove under the bout into a roll and slashed out in a large arch from left to right cleaving his legs clean off. He screamed and fell and Raydonn stabbed down and through his neck.

The twi'lek seethed and similarly cursed like his friend had and fired at Raydonn in clear and palpable rage. Raydonn rolled right and missed the stream of bolts, and once again let his left hand reach out. This time he coiled his fingers into his palm and the twi'lek suddenly went stuff as a plank. The Force curled and crumpled the alien together, and he began grunting and struggling as an unseen power kept him from moving.

"Let me go you damn womp-rat!" Raydonn smirked and raised his arm into the air, and so then did the twi'lek rise into the air as well.

"Not until I get a little bit of information out of you first."

"You're...getting...nothing out of me!" He grunted as the Force constricted around him even more tightly.

"Wrong answer." Raydonn gripped his hand tighter and the twi'lek lifted higher and was squeezed tighter.

"ARGH!" He cried and echoed in the bay.

"Let's try to answer that again eh?" Raydonn smirked, his eyes glistening with a yellow glow.

"Clear!" A voice sounded out in the bay, and Raydonn idly cast a glancing look left and right. Around him were nothing but dead bodies, and standing Massassi, drenched in blood, and breathing heavily. In the distance the allied loyalist troopers approached slowly and cautiously. Their commander sounding out the all clear for the bay. The battle had been won and all the enemies were dead. Save one.

"Caught one have we?" Kun approached from Raydonn's right. His saber hummed near to his ear, and the sound of it deactivated was just as loud. Raydonn followed suit and let his own purple blade deactivate in his right hand.

"Yes, and I'm trying to get some intelligence out of him. If you don't mind." Kun snorted a laugh.

"You're the inquisitor I suppose." The Sith lord raised his hands in mock surrender. Raydonn nodded pleased with himself. The twi'lek was still grunting and groaning held high into the air.

"Now you can either answer me now, and save yourself while your friends run and are butchered beneath us. Or, you can make things simple and just answer me one, just one, simple question." Raydonn heard a Massassi approach him from his left and look up at the floating twi'lek in dull interest. A smirk curled along his features again.

"I could let these guys get the information out of ya' instead." The Massassi looked between Raydonn and the twi'lek. His endless toothy half grin and sneer looking straight toward the hanging man.

The twi'leks eyes bugged ever so slightly, and fear pulsed off of him through the Force, and it gave Raydonn his opening. Causing a new smirk to crawl along his features once again. The twi'lek was obviously fighting with himself. His mouth opening and shutting several times, and his body shaking even more than normal.

"So, let's try one last time. The only question I have, my friend, is who sent you here? The URM or the Moff Alliance?" The twi'lek again struggled in air, and waved about. Below him, however, the Massassi went to work with no command by Kun or Raydonn and stabbed their lanvaroks or swords into the bodies of the fallen enemies. Blood flew and parts went flying. It gave the man a new gruesome sight to behold.

"Okay, okay! The Moffs alright, it's the karking Moffs!" Raydonn turned to share a glance with Exar. The Sith shrugged and Raydonn let the twi'lek drop unceremoniously with a heavy thud.

"Looks like I got some critical Intel for you." Raydonn smirked back at Kun. The Sith lord smirked and nodded his thanks.

"That you have my dear inquisitive friend." Exar approached the fallen twi'lek. The green alien clutching his leg seething and groaning in pain. A patch of blood pooling through his leg, and what Exar assumed was a bone jutting out in a full on break.

"You...you broke my..karking leg!" He seethed in between seethes, his face contorted into one of pure pain.

"I'm sure he apologizes my Moff friend. You know," Exar crouched down next to the twi'lek.

"I never would have thought the Moffs would allow an alien, let alone dozens of you join their ranks." Kun smiled and smacked the aliens leg in mock playfulness. The man screamed and echoed through the whole bay.

"Then again, considering the rampant racism against aliens in the Empire, that had been transferred over to the Moffs of course, I never would have thought we'd have verpine working with us, with such loyal zeal. Take that into account and the Massassi, and I suppose war makes strange bed fellows. Eh?" The twi'lek cast Exar a hateful glare and his lips curled into the deepest sneer of hate Raydonn had seen on a man in recent months.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume that the Moffs are either desperate for victories after the losses they're suffering...well everywhere." The Dark lord laughed. "Or, they have formed a special force, or something moronic as such to try and take on these types of suicidal missions. Tell me, was it all worth it?" Kun asked as he leaned in close. The twi'lek sneered again and said nothing.

"Silent now that you think yourself safe eh? Well, sadly," Exar rose to his feet. "You're not." Extending his left hand downward, a torrent of lightning fired from his fingertips and slammed into the twi'lek. He screamed and slammed his back into the metallic floor. His screams echoed out, and Kun barred his own half sneer and half smirk. His gray eyes twinkling with the blue of his power unleashed upon his defeated enemy.

"Hey! The heck you think you're doing?!" Raydonn jogged up to Kun's side. The Massassi near to their lord turned and cocked their heads warily at his approach. One wrong move and they'd pounce, so Raydonn slowed his pace and rounded next to Kun's right. The writhing and screaming of the twi'lek filling the bay. The troopers watching on in stoic silence, the Massassi committing their attacks on those who may or may not have been dead strewn across the bay.

"I'm taking care of the last enemy aboard this station. We shouldn't waste time or resources on sparing or imprisoning him. You may never know either, whether some fools in the Moffs may feel the need to save their lost." Just then a stronger and more pounding bout of lightning streamed down into the twi'lek and within several seconds he ceased moving, and Kun withdrew his hand into a fist.

"For a man who broke his leg so unceremoniously and callously you have a warped vision of propriety and pity."

"Just didn't think it was necessary to electrocute him to death. Make it karking quick and don't waste time. All I'm sayin' Kun." He narrowed his eyes and Exar waved his hand to a nearby Massassi. The beast moved up and slammed his lanvarok down through the twi'lek's chest. Blood exploded forth and some splattered onto both Kun's and Raydonn's robes.

"Now he's really dead." Raydonn looked down to his robes and glared back up to Kun. The Sith just smirked back at him. Without another word he snatched up his comlink and turned away from the inquisitor.

"The bay is cleared Zaarin. The enemy has been pushed out."

"Excellent news. The attacking fleet has been forced into retreat! Several of their ships have been destroyed or disabled. Those that aren't blown to bits I've ordered seized." The admiral sounded pleased with himself.

"Very good admiral. I have some news, our inquisitor learned that the enemy is indeed the Moff Alliance. It would appear they've become more bold and desperate by employing mass quantities of aliens into their force. Just bare that in mind."

"I shall milord." Zaarin replied.

"Excellent. Well, the mess aside, and the batch of synthetic crystals aside as well, I think it would be best I prepare my return to Tapani. The Moffs are overdue for a serious defeat there, and this attack does nothing but prove their boldness is nothing more than extreme desperation."

"Shall I prepare your shuttle to your ship, milord?" Kun cast an unseen glance to Raydonn. The man was looking at the carnage about the bay.

"As soon as is capable. Do not rush admiral. A timely manner though is appreciated."

"Of course milord. I shall report your shuttle's preparedness soon enough." Kun nodded to himself.

"Good. Very good." He ceased the connection on the comlink and clasped the device to his belt.

"Commander you have the bay. Massassi! On me. We gather your dead, and make back for the ship. We have battles elsewhere in need of fighting." The brutes all nodded and growled in anticipation. Raydonn watched on, and felt a kernel of a plan be born in his mind, as the Dark lord conversed with the Massassi, Mattizz.

'I think it would be for the best, if an eye was kept on you a little while longer Sith lord. For the assurance of the Empire, and everything that's good at that.' Raydonn cast an unseen glare and watched as the Dark lord and the Massassi soon made their ay, without another word toward him, out of the bay. Leaving him and a bunch of troopers amongst a haphazard array of carnage and death.

(Coruscant, Imperial Palace, Unknown)

The ripples of the water obscured his vision. The outlines and colors of what he knew to be above him were still and looming. His heart was pounding and his adrenaline spiking. His body shaking as his lungs held and begged for a breath of fresh air. His eyes would be watering were he not beneath the water. His hands bound into this metal chair he found himself connected to. His neck held back by a strap, and his legs strapped at the ankles to the same chair.

The figure looming above him beyond the all consuming and drenching water stared down. He was unmoving save for the subtle turns of his head. The bright and blaring white lights above the figure, and his watery grave pounded down onto his face, and caused his eyes to squint. His fingers dug into the chair armrest of the metal. Feeling the familiar and subtle scratch marks left by previous sessions within the watery grave were beneath his nails. Finally his lungs could hold no longer and his head shook back and forth. He fought against his mouth as it made to open. His body thrashed and he begged for air, the water splashing, and the figure looming above shook his head, and reeled back subtly and slowly.

At last his mouth threw open and his lungs took in a gulp of breath, but only for water to rush in, and unheard coughs and uncared for gasps went unheard beneath the dampening waters. The whir of the gears beneath his chair echoed through the water, and the chair suddenly shot up. The passing from water into the open air, was met by gasps and coughs. He gagged and vomited back up water as his lungs evacuated and took in harsh gasps. His body was drenched and shaking and he took in gasp after lung burning gasp and oxygen once more flowed through him and through his blood to his brain. He would live, but he didn't know if he wanted to.

"Another failure today Valek? How disappointing. I shall have to report as much to the Emperor boy." The man clicked his tongue as his back was turned to Valek. His white robe staring back at him as his arms moved over what Valek knew to be a datapad beyond his sight. The boy took in another gasp of air and coughed, his eyes finally watering and letting his tears fall freely and unseen as the water from the pit mixed with them.

"I'm...sorry doctor. I'll try harder!" He huffed and pleaded. The doctor turned. His face stoic and his blue eyes staring back into Valek's pleading brown. His datapad was cradled in his left arm, and his right arm fell to his side. His head shook slightly and he smacked his lips once more.

"I cannot know that this attempt would be any more successful boy. Despite all of my best efforts you seem to lack a basic understanding of instinct. It is a most disconcerting aspect of your person. If I do say so myself." The doctor shook his head and approached Valek as he sat defeated and strapped in the metal chair. His breaths ragged and hair sopping hanging across his forehead.

The doctor kneeled and dropped the datapad to the ground and brought his right hand to push Valek's head back up to meet his gaze again.

"Instinct Valek. How many times must I explain this to you? It is instinct, instinct for survival, instinct for want and lust, hunger, and anger, basic and pure human instinct that grants you your powers! When you lack the instinct for survival I cannot hope to make you stronger and a more useful servant of the Empire." Valek stared into his doctors blue eyes as they searched his. They were as cold and unfeeling as ever, but Valek knew he must, and that he had to nod. So he did.

"Yes doctor Lucentos. I just can't make the Force hold my breath for me forever! I...I can't." Lucentos sighed deeply and full of annoyance.

"You and those like you boy, those who can use this magnificent power, the Force as your kind calls it, are an evolution to life! It is a believe I share with a select few among the ranks of my colleagues." He rose back to a full stand and let Valek's head drop again.

"Life, Valek, life and the instinct to survive is the strongest drive any being has. To take your desire, and your drive to survive in a galaxy that does nothing but seek your doom and death is the only force that can drive your innate powers to rise up and unleash themselves. To be incapable of breathing, to lack oxygen should force your instinct to say, 'hold your breath,' and the Force, from what I have seen is a highly instinctual anomaly. The fear of death, and of pain should drive you to unleash your powers in resistance of these things." Lucentos bent down and picked his datapad back up and moved over toward the switch that would either lower the chair back down into the watery pit or rise it up from the depths.

"Unleash your inner instincts to survive boy. Unleash the will and drive to be, and not to fade away and become useless. Unleash the Force, and be the weapon, and tool you were born to be! Let the Force be your tool and your weapon, or suffer the fate of those incapable and unwilling to go the distance. And, die." Lucentos coolly and easily flipped the switch and Valek heard the whir beneath him. The chair began diving back down into the pit, and the boy, not but eight years old, took in another large gulp of breath. One of many that could have been his last. The water, cold and cool along his body and soaking through cold damp clothing once more consumed him. The ripples above obscured his vision, and the looming figure of Lucentos came into view again. His blackened gloved hands clasped behind his back, and his fair visage with blue eyes twinkling in delight gazed down.

'Live...I want to live...I have to live.' he thought as tears broke through his eyes, obscured by the gallons of water surrounding and consuming him. The Force deep inside whirled like a tornado. Whispering and calling to him. Begging to unleash itself. He grasped his armrests and felt his whole body shake. The uncontrollable rage inside boiling up, and making his head, and then his whole body grow hot. His eyes narrowed and his thoughts went blank. The brown eyes turned yellow and glowed even beneath the surface, and Valek demanded, and commanded the Force to hold, to make his lungs cease, to carry and consume oxygen through the blood at a pace unknown to those who cannot use the Force.

Above, Lucentos smiled down as he could see his charge's eyes light up and his anger consume him. The monitors on his vitals on the screen next to him lit up and calmed. Heartbeat slowed and pulse came to a near stop. Brain activity shot through the roof, and then went still. His eyes stared back up toward Lucentos, and the doctor could merely smile down in exhilarated glee.

"Good boy." Was all he intoned, and made to leave. By the hour, if he were still alive, then he would be deserving of release and a moment's respite. He would be one step closer to fulfilling Lucentos' vision of a purely instinctive tool, of a being who could use and command the powers of the Force. And the boy? Valek, would be a step closer to being of use to his lord and master, the Emperor.

"Some scientists can make a kath hound bark at the snap of a finger. Pure instinct, pure programming and years of conditioning. Where they make a kath pup bark and bite at a snap of a finger. I shall make this rat into a krayt dragon at a breeze of the wind." A smirk came along his features, and the good doctor left his charge to stew within the cold waters in his pit.

Valek waited, and wouldn't breath. The first time of many to using the Force, to survive. For the was no other way to do so, in service to his lord. His master, the emperor.

(Bes-Ber-Bikade Sector, Epica System, Epica, Several Hours Later, Current Time)

His eyes fought to open, and they hurt to do so. The dreams turned memories forcing his brain to awaken him from his deep slumber. A groan then escaped passed his lips and Viathan struggled to look around himself. There wasn't a lot of light as trees above them obscured the light of the star. The grass beneath him let him know he wasn't on Grash's back anymore.

Viathan coughed, and a brutal eruption from his lungs, sounding like choked wheezes boomed out. He covered his mouth with his left hand, and the cold metal stung his skin. As every movement felt like stabbing needles. Removing his hand from his mouth a trickle of blood fell from his fingers to the grass, and he let his head fall back what he figured to be a tree trunk.

"Lord." Viathan glanced left and Grash's large Massassi figure approached with his sword sheathed and a great repeating cannon in his hands. The beast kneeled down and leveled with Viathan.

"Grash? Where are we? What time is it even?" The Massassi snarled and looked among the tree branches and toward the obscured sky.

"Late day. The star shall set soon." The Massassi stifled a cough and shook his head. His tendrils waving about his head as he did such.

"I had feared you injured beyond saving lord. It please me that you awaken from your slumber." The Massassi bowed his head, and Viathan forced a weak smile onto his features.

"Thanks Grash. Whatever Trachta, that schutta, used on us must be pretty damn deadly. Everything, inside and karking outside hurts. I can't begin to imagine how we lived when everybody else seems dead." Viathan erupted into another bout of coughs and deep gasps. The Massassi yanked a canteen off of his belt and brought it to the boy's mouth. Viathan made to grab the canteen but his arm felt so weak that he couldn't keep it raised and it fell in a heap to the ground.

Grash didn't bother asking, and clasped the back of Viathan's head and leaned it back to drink from the canteen. He didn't protest and let the water slide back down his throat. It felt like liquid sandpaper, and twice he nearly coughed and coked on the cool substance. Grash pulled back and caped the canteen. Letting his lord's head fall back into a comfortable hanging position. The Massassi remained kneeled, and glanced about them as the sound of distant twig snaps and the rustling of the trees in the wind brought his senses to the height of paranoia. But, nothing came, and no sound followed, save for the cooling breeze brushing upon both he and his young lord.

"Where...where are we Grash? Did the camp evacuate?" The Massassi snarled once again and shrugged his broad shoulder.

"The camp is abandoned. Deeper, I think, they drove themselves into the forest." The Massassi waved one hand among the trees. "I attempted to follow in after, and meet back up with my kin, and your soldiers lord. But, I could not find them. I then only sought to ring you to a place where the air was clean, and the grass was green." Viathan furrowed his brow in confusion.

"The grass continues to be where the air is clean, and the fires have not reached. The air still smelt of sweet rot where the grass was dead lord. I only could assume the foulness in the air must kill the grass and trees untouched by the flame already." Viathan nodded.

"It must be entirely hostile to all organic material. Lovely." Viathan erupted in another cough and covered his mouth desperately hoping to silence himself.

"I fear I may have gotten us lost in the deeper sections of the forest lord. All communication devices of ours do not sound with friendly voices. Only those enemy forces. They run rampant through the trees. They kill anything that is not already dead, and making sure what is dead, is dead all the same. They near as we dig deeper into the forest, and I fear I have taken us closer rather than further to their main positions." The Massassi warrior lamented and Viathan nodded. Extending himself outward with the Force, which itself seemed a task nearly to hard to complete, he could sense dozens of Force signatures approach, and even more nearby. Far too many to be his camp, and his allies. Grash's fear was a reality.

"It's alright Grash. We'll survive. We need to wait them out. By nightfall they'll either hold position or begin burning down this sector of the forest too. We wait or we move. Seeing as I cannot contribute much but casual conversation, I'll leave the choice up to you my friend." Viathan forced another weak smile onto his face before it waned and once again he fell his head back against the tree bark behind him.

Grash looked about themselves once again. The trees were growing dense and the deeper he went into the forest the further from any form of sentient life he knew he pushed himself and his lord. The daylight was fading and hours upon hours of moving grew weary upon his aching muscles and body. The Massassi groaned and forced a heave in his chest to stifle again.

"Check the whole forest! Scan the area and move out! I don't want my karking backside having to pay to that Moff because of your incompetence!" A far off voice all but screamed, and both Viathan and Grash turned from where it echoed out from.

"Yes sir lieutenant, right away!" A voice clogged and stifled by a trooper mask replied. Viathan couldn't move but he groaned out and his lungs burned ever more.

"Moffs." Grash nodded. "They must be really keen on killing everyone. I can't see why or how they could think we'd have gotten this close to their base of operations."

"It would seem the least likely scenario has also been taken into account by the enemy." Grash snarled, and Viathan could only nod in agreement.

"We will keep moving." Grash announced in a lower tone. Viathan simply nodded. "By nightfall we shall hunker down, and wait. Maybe find my kin and our allies in good time." Viathan groaned and nodded once more. Grash silently once more grasped the boy's arms and picked him up. Moving the teenager onto his back, and clasping his arms shakily around his large and muscled neck. The Massassi warrior grasped the canteen and his repeater cannon, and swiftly beneath the trees and leaves of the forest he made his way even deeper into the forest.

The Moff Alliance well on their trail. Whether either knew as such or not.

(Tapani Sector, Pelagon System, Pelagon)

Stabbing her saber right and pulling it back forth. Slashing left down and spinning in a twirl of glee as the saber swung around and ripped the arm off another trooper. Kira giggled in joyous glee. Her black skirt, and robes dancing about her figure as she did, her eyes twinkling in a mix of golden yellow of the dark side and the hidden natural blue beneath. Her grin was broad and large and barred her teeth like a wild nexu seeking prey. And, there was plenty of prey to go around.

The scream of an incoming bolt from high above sounded in her ears, and Kira turned around. The great bolt from above flew down from the sky. Piercing through cloud and smoke, and the green light slammed into the distance into a metal tower that rose toward the sky. Metal flew outward and projected across the region. The great metal platforms that were laid across the surface of Pelagon, were there because the world provided no land masses for sentient beings to live on. Beneath these mighty platforms that stretched for great lengths, were now being battered left and right by bombardment, artillery, troops on them, and their blasters. Explosions ripped across their metal surfaces apart and many bodies fell to the depths below off of the sides of the platforms. As war engulfed the entire planet.

Kira found herself on one of these platforms. Surrounded by men drenched in sweat and permeating fear off their bodies. Among her surroundings were burning and charred corpses of both tanks, walkers and men. The platform was burning and billowing smoke far into the sky and was easily seen from afar. It was a joyous sight for her. A wondrous occasion of settling more scores with the Moffs within Tapani.

"Kira!" The girl turned, her robes flowing around her form. The figure of another girl approached. A saber within her hand and glowing a brilliant magenta red.

"Oh, Mara! How lovely to see you." She insincerely, sweetly greeted, her teeth barred once more in a feral grin. The red headed girl, wearing highly tight and form fitting blackened leather, along with a simple black jacket, around her form sprinted up to Kira. She dove under a bout of fire from what Kira knew to be a nest position beyond her sight, and made her way toward Kira again in haste. Her breaths were heavy and annoyance was clear among her features.

"Where..." She took in a deep breath. Kira cocked a brow as the girl must have been running for some time to be so out of breath to begin with. "Where, is Lyn?" Jade asked finally, her eyes showing off more annoyance than before while she gulped in fresh air.

"I don't know Jade. I thought madam Lyn was with you. Off somewhere fighting. I took the liberty of...um, cleansing this spot." Kira waved around herself and pointed outward freely amongst the many dead and ripped apart bodies along the ground. Mara followed and grimaced.

"Kriff! The Moffs are taking up positions along the ruins of those towers." Jade turned and pointed upwards to several jagged husks of towers that jutted upwards. Their caps had long since been torn off either by artillery or aerial attack and smoke still billowed out from them. Some smoke fresher and darker than others.

"Took out a whole platoon that I was moving with." Jade growled. "I need some leeway to call in a strike or something, but only Lyn can authorize or somebody of military rank. Because I got nothing apparently." Kira rolled her eyes.

"That is a predicament now ain't it!" She giggled and looked toward the towers. Very faintly did she see bolts fly down from the tips and tops of the burnt tower heads. They fell down low and intermingled with the distant firing of artillery, ceaseless explosions and endless bolt exchange.

"Well, we can make our own bombardment." Kira smirked broadly. Mara furrowed her brow and sent Kira a silent look of confusion. The mirialan looking, halfbreed smirked and turned left, Mara followed her.

"I have a favored method of dealing with Moffs. It's kinda poetic in a way." Kira pointed her still active, curved hilt, saber blade down in front of her, and Mara followed.

"We use that, and bring down those towers." Mara squinted as she sought to look off toward the distance. There among the smoke and hidden away behind mounds of broken shredded metal stood a massive beast of a walker. Mara's eyes grew wide and she cast Kira a dumbfounded glare.

"Are you nuts! That's a karking SPHA! It's gotta be guarded by a brigade at the karking least!" Kira clicked her tongue and giggled.

"I sense fear Jade! How unfortunate. I would have thought you, among any other would take risks and meet them head on. Oh well, guess I'll do the hard work myself." Kira began to move ahead and Mara growled openly. Her hands balled into fists, and the Force swirled around her.

"I didn't say I wouldn't or couldn't Offee! I just don't think two of us can take that walker alone. A little more trouble than it's worth don't you think?"

"Not at all. I call it a good fun and sport. A bit of practice even." Kira offered with a broad smirk.

"You do as you must Jade. Me?! I'm gonna head myself over there, and bring down some Moffs with their own cannons. Gotta love the irony of it." Kira all but began skipping her way across the platform toward where that huge piece of Moff artillery had planted itself, and stood idle. Mara sighed and glanced around some before shaking her head and cursing under her breath. Before she too joined Kira on heading toward the SPHA.

Kira remained silent as she moved ahead. Mara knew the halfbreed could sense her following. The fact she didn't say anything was more irritating than anything. They were close to the side of this platform where the water was churning violently. Several fighters and bombers had already rained down into the seas burning and breaking apart into bits. An entire corvette had crashed into a platform some distance away and sent a massive fireball into the sky as a subsection of the platform collapsed and fell into the waters. Splashes flew up and sent hundreds of gallons of water flying as orbital blasts and bombs fell near and far across the water.

Where the two female Sith acolytes now moved across was so far barren of activity. Bodies, AA guns emplacement husks, burnt out old walkers, and fires were all that was left as all fighting had been pushed deeper into the city sector of this particular platform.

"So gotta plan, or are we winging it?" Mara finally broached and cut through the awkward silence between them. Relative to the battle that raged nearby.

"Yep! I always do, Jade. You'd be smart to remember that." She grinned and turned toward Jade, and began back walking toward the SPHA. Seeming to lack any care of concern.

"You're likely right on one account. The SPHA is probably guarded by a brigade of men. I would think at least two walkers too. AT-ST's AT-PT's or AT-RT's. I think the best way we can take care of those if they pop up is by a little elbow grease and the Force. They are just in the way. The SPHA is the goal." Kira offered with a shrug, and Mara rolled her green eyes.

"Marvelous. So we're gonna push them into submission? Or should I just yell them into defeat?"

"Hey if you can use Force scream then go right on ahead sister. I was thinking more along the lines of pushing them over, electrocution, redirect fire. Oh, and if you could take care of that and be the distraction for me while I infiltrate that SPHA that would be great!" Mara paused where she stood and her lip curled into a lopsided sneer.

"Are you karking kidding me?"

"What?! One of us has to infiltrate behind enemy lines. May as well be me?" Mara placed her hands to her hips. Even the one still wielding her active saber.

"If anyone here is more adept at sneaking, and masking where they are it would be me." Mara shot back, and Kira rolled her eyes once again.

"Yeah, but can you be sure you'd be able to work one of them bad boys?" Kira pointed back over toward the SPHA. Mara followed and shook her head, another sigh erupting from her.

"This is far more trouble than it's worth...where do you need me Offee?" Kira let loose another wide feral grin. She waved Mara over and both girls dashed on toward the Moff position in momentary silence among one another. They ran across the open and scarred field. Metal clanging against their boots beneath them as they did so. Until they reached a fallen and still slightly smokey AT-TE carcass. Kira slammed herself against the metal and began moving slowly against it toward her right. Mara followed after and similarly followed the fellow acolyte.

Kira shuffled her way toward the end of the AT-TE near to its back. She met the bend and glanced around. She held her saber close and idly deactivated it. The girl pulled back and laughed lightly.

"They have two AT-ST's and one AT-PT. So, nothing to worry about I would say. Nothing you can't handle I'm more than sure!" Mara hit her head lightly against the walker carcass, and a small clang rung out. Too obscured by the blasts of war to be heard by those mere feet away.

"Are you karking kidding me Offee?"

"Nope." Kira sweetly replied with an equally, if disingenuous, grin.

"Look, all you gotta do is cause a distraction. If you can't bring the walkers down, then don't. But I need space and time to reach behind their distracted lines, take the command room and bring the main cannon to bare on all these little gizka." Kira kept her smile, though it thinned as she shrugged.

"Then we bring the towers crashing down, and the enemy scatters like the insects they are, and yay for a small victory eh?"

"Fine Offee! Let's just get this over with." Kira waved her hands in mock surrender. Mara grasped her saber tightly in hand, and rolled her shoulders. Stretching out her neck from side to side, and drawing in on the Force. She readied herself to face off what was likely dozens of Moff troops. A distant call from the dark side, a distant pang of pain spiked through her mind, and Jade swore a whispering voice slithered around inside her head. She shook the silly notion aside, and moved ahead of Offee. The half mirialan scooted back and Mara cheated a glance around the fallen AT-TE.

Several feet away the massive SPHA stood proud and tall. The main cannon was aimed upwards but nothing came into sight yet for it to open fire. Around it in a ring of defense marched the AT-ST's with the AT-PT idle and facing forward from the front of the SPHA. Three garrisoned barricades had been erected. Long stretches of metal plating that were to the front and to the sides of the SPHA forward position. The two lined barricades along the sides were slightly turned outward and angled to give a line halfway toward the forward sides of the massive walker, and toward the forward position along with the forward facing position itself.

Along the barricades were mounted three repeater in intervals. The Moffs in their slightly different displayed trooper armor, and some in haphazard gear; likely mercenaries, or local recruits, were hunkered behind the metal slabs and hunched low in crouches. To their front the city exploded again and again as bombs were exchanged between the two factions in the city, and walker, or artillery cannon fire pierced through the smokey and blaring veil of the senses back toward the men. The two towers in the distance stood still tall and jagged. Smoke rose from them likely mobile pillars of blackness, and little dots of light rained down from up high toward down low. Undoubtedly taking down more men than the loyalists had to offer.

"Alright let's-" Mara turned back, but found Kira gone. She took a shocked step forward and glanced around herself, but couldn't find her.

"How in the name of the Force did she...?" Stood dumbfounded and shocked. The girl had moved, left her. Right under her very nose.

'Teaches me for mocking her masking abilities.' Jade audibly sighed and brought her saber before herself. She gave the magenta blade a few moments of silence, and peered down with her green emerald eyes against the hue. The Force gathered, swelled, and boiled inside. Filling her with electric fire! Her mind went blank save for her objective, and her body tensed. Tossing her head to her right, her red hair flipping away and into the wind, she clasped her saber and dove around the corner with a deep breath and strong resolve.

"Hey lazerbrains! Over here ya' karking morons!" Mara shouted and grimaced immediately at what she said.

'Good one Jade. Real good one.' She inwardly sighed. The troops on the other hand almost unanimously turned her way. Some too confused by the sight of her to do anything. Others rose to a full stand, and some raised blasters.

"Put your hands up into the air girl! Do it, or we blast you! Ya' hear?!" One commander cried as he stood tall and proud with an orange shoulder pad sticking out from his right, and obviously mounted along his shoulder.

"Karking eat me nerf herder!" Mara cried back and stood defiant.

"Blast her!" The same commander ordered, and Mara; wide eyed, dove left. A hail of bolts rang out and few her way. They pelted the metal beneath where her boots had been, where they were going and around the air she flew through.

"Well somebody's trigger happy!" She seethed in a yell that sounded more like a yelp to nobody really as she ran toward another fallen walker carcass. She flung herself behind it and fell into a roll. When she stopped her body was fully obscured by the remains. Which turned out to be another AT-ST.

Her saber hung low t her right and she took a kneeling position from her roll. The bolts clanged the opposite end of the walker, and Mara heard the clangs, and felt the thumps of the active Moff walkers rise above the pelting bolts.

"Luckily you boys can't use your karking repeaters on me. That's okay," Mara sighed and reached toward her belt. "I got something even better for ya.'" She unclasped a thermal detonator from her belt, and quickly activated it beneath her thumb. A small beep resounded and Mara jumped into a stand. She flung her left arm back into the best ball pitch position of her life, and as a bolt screamed toward her with her heads name on it, she tossed the detonator. Then she flung herself back down as the enemy bolt flew behind her into the open air.

"Come on...come on." She intoned as the hail didn't let up. She didn't even think they had seen her detonator. Indeed the small device erupted. The platform beneath and around her shook like gelatin. Or so it felt like. Various men huffed, grunted, screamed, and fell back. Clanking of their armor hitting metal rung out, and several men cried out to one another.

"Grenade!"

"Medic over on the left!"

"Get a visual on her! Bring her down now!" Several of their voice reached her ears, and she could only roll her eyes and shake her head as she clasped the saber hilt ever more tightly. The Force sent a warning through her, and her instinct took over. She flung herself forward away from the fallen walker. The AT-ST nearest to it opened fire and sprayed the body with a great wave of massive cannon fire. The red beams splintering burning and charring the remains there. Successive explosions rocked out from there, but Mara ran. She ran first forward then curved right and inwards back toward the camp.

The walker ceased, and the head swiveled her way. It opened fire, but the girl dove underneath it and ran between its metal legs. A smirk on her face as she did. Ending up behind its head, Mara swung around and gathered a massive ball of energy into her arm. It went unseen but she felt it travel up and out of her body. She threw her left hand up and outstretched. The wave of energy exploded up, and the head of the walker jolted forward facing away from her and down. The walker's leg joints seemingly took over as a human stumbling would, and took several shaky steps forward.

Mara again smiled and spun around again. This time her saber flew in front of her torso. A stream of one, two and then three bolts flew her way. She swung up left down right and down left. The bolts flew away and then a stream, or a torrent more like it was unleashed. The redhead dove underneath the coming tide, and rolled forward once more. Her body built for battle and honed even now for such situations. She rolled out toward her right, and away from the stream. She swung back left and her saber clipped a man's leg. He screamed and fell over toward his ally on his right.

"Blast her! Blast her damn it!" Their commander shouted. Mara jumped into a stand and then into a jump. She fell and swung down. The saber cleaved through the two fallen troopers. She landed and swung into a spin and stabbed through the third trooper in the line. Before she through her hand out again, and again a burst of power escaped from her hand outward. The next five or so troopers fell backward in various display. Slamming themselves against the ground or even back rolling against the ground Hitting their friends and fellow troops as they did so.

Jumping toward her right in a spin she dodged more bolts headed her way as the other lines of troops ran toward her and opened fire with their attack allies. She fell onto her feet, and broke into a run away. Her arms flew up toward her head on instinct and the bots flew passed where she had stood. They followed after her and flew around her figure time and again. The searing deadly bolts seemed incapable of hitting but always present. Her adrenaline spiked and vision narrowed as she made back toward the fallen AT-TE some feet away.

Her senses just made out the stomps of the AT-TE as it turned on her once more. It's ally further back also stomped forward at a faster pace toward her. She hadn't seen where the AT-PT had gone.

"Kill the Imperial brat!" The commander howled and Mara growled before she used the Force to propel her into a massive jump up and over the AT-TE. She fell with a grunt back toward the ground. The opposite side of the walker suddenly exploded and was ripped into. The remains of the walker shook and jolted her way, and Mara had to steady herself from falling. Smoke and fire plumed upwards into a mushroom of fire, and a roar shook the region she stood.

Further explosions ripped up over the top of the walker and next to it. The explosions fell and fell again. Pieces of metal shards flew up and were thrown about the platform. Mara furrowed her brow and turned back up as the projectiles flew over the walker.

"Concussion grenades...damn it." She cursed as they flew over and near again and again. They pounded the whole sector, and Mara knew only the walkers could be doing this type of attack. Another slammed down against the topside of the walker. The main cannon of the AT-TE carcass was ripped asunder and began falling her way. A yelp escaped from her and she dove away from the walker. The cannon fell and punctured a dent into the metal platform below, as Mara spun around to see the damage.

Just as she turned though the two AT-ST's came stomping around the shredded AT-TE. They lined their sights on her and both opened fire. Their red laser fire few toward her, and again she yelped and dove toward her left. The two separate streams flew and almost seemed to collide together as they ripped and shredded the metal where her boots had been planted. Metal shards flew and a massive crater was burned on through the platform. Mara was forced even further from the camp as the walkers neared in on her and opened a blitz of fire from their main cannons.

"Hurry the hell up Offee!" Mara seethed openly to herself as more fire came toward her. She jumped away as it slammed again and again into the platform beneath her. Another concussive grenade was fired from the AT-ST on the left of the downed walker, and Mara backward away into a jump that led her right. The other AT-St followed suit as the first then opened up fire from its main cannon again, and pushed Mara even further away.

The men from the garrison came bounding around both sides of the walker and aimed down sights her way. The walkers fired another bout of cannon fire and then grenades and Mara only could fall back more as she was literally pushed further from the camp and the SPHA. Then the fire momentarily ceased as she staggered and struggled to remain standing where she had fallen.

"Surrender yourself loyalist scum! Or we'll put you down where you stand!" Another commander, Mara wasn't sure if it was the same one from before.

Her saber still hummed in her hand and she stood alone facing the mass of enemy, her back facing the edge of the platform not far beyond. The SPHA standing tall and unmoving in the distance. A scowl crossed her features, and a defiant growl escaped from her lips.

"Eat me." She simply uttered in an intone. Her saber spun before her and with both hands she clasped the hilt of her saber.

"Alright bring her down!" The commander called and the men all raised blasters and primed to fire.

A whir in the distance sounded and Mara glanced up toward her left. The whir grew and a loud clank of gears sounded out from the distance. The men, despite themselves turned back toward the camp, and the walkers stood silently. Then the massive booming clanks shook the sector. The SPHA whirred fully to life and with its massive twelve legs turned toward her and the Moff troops.

"About karking time!" Mara shouted as relief flooded through her. Another whir sounded as it made its final heavy stomps to face her and the Moff troops. Mara felt her brow heighten as the secondary weapons...all of them began whirring to life along the SPHA.

"Oh...stang." Jade broke into a Force enhanced run toward the right as the SPHA primed and a mighty endless pulsing whir boomed through the area. Until finally the weapons were loosed. A series of anti-personnel blasters along the sides of the walker came to life, and in a crack they blitzed to life. The massive cannons cracked and zipped through the air. Massive blue cannon bolts streamed down into the gathered troops.

"Run! Break for it!" The commander shouted unnecessarily as the troopers scattered. The bolts were massive and pounded into the platform. Shards of metal exploded upward again and again. The men hit were thrown, as parts of their bodies were seared off or vaporized. Their screams and cries filled the air as the Force screamed out their fear and desperation to escape.

The AT-ST's turned and began firing back. Their cannon fire leaving nothing but little scorch marks along the massive SPHA body. The SPHA turned their way and its cannons followed. It opened renewed fire on the first AT-ST. The blue bolts slammed into its head flinging the two legged walker back. The second slammed again and again more came thereafter. Each one jerking the walker until it fell backwards and with a great thud against the metal below. The cannon bolts didn't stop. A miasma of smoke and fire erupted as the whole area around that walker exploded was pelted endlessly by cannon fire.

Mara finally came to a screeching stop from her run and turned back to watch. The smoke cleared in a wisp of wind, and revealed a charred and torn asunder carcass. The second AT-ST made to turn and itself join the men in running away. The SPHA turned itself more toward that walker and once more fired a ripping torrent of cannon fire. It fired early and the bolts streamed up the platform toward the legs of the AT-ST. The first ones to hit it slammed into and severed the left leg. The walker fell, but as it did three more cannon bolts hit it's head and thrust it forward. It fell in a heap head facing forward down and the head compacted inwards. Then the last bolts ripped into it and once again smoke and fire erupted as those within were all but vaporized and forgotten. Both walkers, and many of its trooper allies ceased being. Those that hadn't been torn to shreds now scattered and ran for their lives.

Mara sighed and let her saber deactivate in hand as she released some of her anxiety through the Force. The cannon fire kept up for a minute or two before it also ended leaving craters and a destroyed walker blown in bits. Bodies, missing pieces or whole halves were scattered about and a new smell of rot and death filled the air around her. The oceans all around her and the massive platform carrying the saltiness of its waters with that of the smell left a lump in her stomach.

"Hey! These things have speakers!" Mara turned toward the SPHA in the distance. Offee's voice hitter her ears louder and clearer than ever before.

"I never knew that! This is awesome!" The girl giggled and it rung through the whole region. Mara didn't bother suppressing a roll of her emerald eyes, now intermingled with the yellow of the dark side, before she bounded her way back toward the camp and the SPHA. As she did, the massive walker began turning toward the spires. Its massive legs stomping and pounding through the air.

"Jade! Get your backside in here so we can start the fireworks. Or, if not well I'll just have all the fun." Again Mara rolled her eyes as she reached the massive walker's underbelly. Finding the open port she entered. The first sight to greet her were several dead bodies. One slumped against a wall, missing its head which was next to it. Not far down the hall lay a pile of four all gathered together in various displays. All missing limbs and stabbed through their torsos or abdomens in some place.

A grimace crossed her face but she made passed them in deeper into the walker. Along the way lay several more, maybe a few over a dozen dead. All missing pieces and parts of themselves. One had his helmet on backwards along his head. It took Mara a few minutes to realize Kira had snapped his head entirely backwards into the wrong direction. She also didn't want to know how it happened, but came across another body where his suit of armor was entirely bent in all manner like crumpled paper, and blood was pouring from the cracks of the armor all around. The smell was overpowering, but Mara moved on. Mentally noting to never turn her back on Offee. Ever.

Soon enough she reached the command room of the walker. The door was swung open and as ever there were several bodies flung about. The window looking out was smashed, and an officer's body was hanging out of it. Pieces of glass embedded into his body with a large piece holding and impaling his corpse into place. Standing alone at the command console was Offee. Her cloak hung down to her ankles and whirled about her. Her hood was down revealing her short cut hair. She silently went about pressing keys along the console, and didn't say anything to greet Mara. So she entered the room.

"Bout' time you showed Jade." Offee greeted without turning, and sounding chipper as ever, "Hope the fight wasn't too bad. Really I don't." She giggled again, and Jade know knew for sure a few couplings in her head HAD to be missing.

"Anyways, the walker is ours. So, what say you?" Kira turned as Mara rounded on her right. A smirk along her features. "We gonna take down the towers?"

"Sure. That was the point wasn't it?" Jade cocked a questioning brow along her face and Offee shrugged.

"Just wanted to make sure you came to watch the fireworks. Okay, here goes everything!" Kira grinned and began once more pressing away at the keys along the console. The walker jolted and rumbled ever so slightly. Mara crossed her arms over her chest and watched out the shattered glass. Even against the day sky and light she could make out a growing glow around the walker outside. The towers were just ahead, and they still fired streams of bolts down as small bolts responded and made upwards to hit those that were within.

Kira without another word glanced Jade's way, and she nodded in reply. So, Kira entered in one more key, and then it happened. A massive beam of blueish-green energy fired outward and up. The beam slammed into the very left edge of the first tower several floor levels below the jagged opened top. Fire and successive explosions rippled out from the tower as it was seared into. The beam easily made it through the entire building out the other end, and into the sky, before Kira moved it along toward the right. The cannon was only able to swivel ever so much, but it was enough as it traveled along the entire width of the tower from left to right. The beam traveled and the bolts from up top even ceased. Mara could imagine them trying desperately to escape or leave, but it was futile. Kira, her eyes glowing in the beam light and with the yellow of the dark side, twinkled with glee as the beam reached the right end of the tower.

The tower let loose a loud whine and the terrible crack as metal snapped from metal along the entire width of the tower was heard. Facing Jade and Offee, the tower began to cave inwards. The section up from the beam impact line crack and crumpled as it then began to collapse. The whole sector collapsed and fell in down toward the ground level of the platform. A crash and explosion rocked out across the city a plume of smoke and ash bounded outward from where it had fallen and Mara could only grimace again.

"Hope we didn't take out any of our own in that collapse."

"Well...I'm not gonna apologize for taking out an enemy position. Couple of dead troopers from our side doesn't really bother me." Kira finished with an intone, as she primed the cannon and turned on the second tower. Once again the beam carried over across the width from left to right, and followed the same fate of the first. The top half from the beam impact up collapse inwards and fell downwards into the inner city streets.

The streets became inundated with smoke and ash, debris littered and Mara could imagine it had grown murky and choking along those streets. All she could do was grimace, but feel as though it was all necessary...she hoped.

"There! That takes care of all that. And, you helped me clean out the camp too!" She laughed. Mara felt her face furrow entirely.

"Wait...did you need to take this camp before I came looking for you Offee?" The other girl shrugged.

"So what if I may or may not have had the inclination to clear out the camp? If I was an objective or not doesn't really matter. I just helped take care of your problem along the way didn't I?" Mara groaned and waved her hands upwards in true surrender.

"Okay whatever Offee. Thanks I guess."

"You're most welcome, Jade." The girl giggled, and as ever Jade rolled her eyes. The blaring of Kira's comlink, however, broke her thoughts of how annoying the fellow acolyte was.

"Kira here." She answered. This comlink utilized a small projection of the caller. Materializing before her came the figure of her and Offee's commander. Commander of all planet wide forces in fact. Arden Lyn. The woman with a stern face bowed her head in greeting.

"Kira. I've attempted to make contact before now, but I believe the Moffs have been utilizing a jamming device. Planet wide communication on our channels have been sketchy at best. Have you seen Jade?"

"I'm here madam Lyn." Kira turned her comlink toward Jade, and the woman bowed her head once again.

"Good to see you're in one piece, Mara. You as well Kira. I have just received word from lord Kun that he will be on his way back to Tapani." Kira smiled and turned the comlink back her way.

"Great, master should love to hear how well I...we've taken care of the Moffs since his leaving. How goes the battle anyways?"

"Very well." Arden replied, in the background a trooper ran behind the woman. "We've secured several major platforms across the planet. The Moffs are holding onto platforms twelve, nineteen, and twenty-seven. I believe you and Jade are on nineteen. We'll be reinforcing your position in a few moments. For the most part the enemy has collapsed across all sectors. Aerial is also entirely ours. Planet side fighter and bomber operations have been neutralized. The only threat left to our air power being AA gun emplacements." Jade scoffed.

"I think we took care of one of those threats. We're sitting on an enemy SPHA. They ain't the best shots but you fire one up just right you could take out an aerial formation not looking for them." Arden nodded.

"True. Nice work you two. I suggest you hold position and await reinforcements. From what I understand the Moffs are being more stubborn than other positions on platform nineteen." Kira shrugged.

"You could say that. I would say they're dumber than most."

"Be that as it may, I would suggest to the point of ordering you both to hold and await reinforcements. I'll be joining you shortly. Pelagon shall be ours by tomorrow." Jade nodded though Arden could not see and so did Kira who more bowed her head in submission.

"Will do madam Lyn." She followed up with, and the older woman nodded once more before her figure faded from sight. Leaving the two young teens alone.

"Guess we wait then. Just the two of us." Kira smiled her eyes twinkling once again.

"Lovely." Jade responded and took up the seat of one of the dead, and nearby, operators. As the two waited, and the city beyond continued on with the sounds of war.

(Allied Tion Sector, Desevro Orbit)

"Alpha Squadron 113 lead, you and you're wing are on a direct course with over a hundred Vulture droids! Recommend you pull out now!"

"Negative!" The wing leader replied clasping his hand tightly to his TIE fighter controls. "We can take out double more than they could! They're just droids sir."

"Insane talk lead. Pull out now and regroup around the Chimaera for further instruction." The lead settled his eyes outside his viewport as the swarm came into view.

"Your message is garbled sir, I cannot reply." With that he switched off his comm and his wing of eleven additional pilots followed suit. A fool's suicide mission worthy of themselves they believed it.

"Alpha 113's follow me in and hit every one of these droid bastards that you can! If I go down I'm taking at least a dozen of em' with me!"

"We copy, and follow sir!" they answered in unison, and sent a chill through their lead. Behind his helmet he smiled and set his eyes, and hardened his resolve. Death and glory awaited him, and that of his men. All for the glory of the Empire.

The vultures had launched from one of the many Lucrehulk-class battleships in orbit above Desevro in bulk. Numbering over two hundred in total, they locked themselves onto the incoming small wing of enemy fighters. Only twelve strong. They spoke to one another in their chirping and mechanical binary before they thrust themselves forward.

The Alpha 113's pounded their own engines forward, and the vultures met them. Then both sides opened fire. The TIE's were overwhelmed and surrounded on all sides by the swarm as they passed by the TIE's. Red cannon fire rained around them as the vultures shot off and then banked away from head on collisions. The TIE's fired green cannon fire in reply into the swarm. They hit many vultures, and explosions ripped through the open void everywhere as the swarm kept on coming.

The vultures that fired, passed on, and missed then sharply turned back inwards against their enemy. Banking around in swarms they opened u renewed fire against the advancing TIE fighters. Their red laser mingled with those of their allies still streaming in from the other direction. Some vultures even clipped one another. Maybe even accidentally destroyed one of their allies by mistake, but that wasn't important. Only the destruction of the enemy. So they fired endlessly against the TIE's.

A raining hail from front and back hit a TIE and it exploded brilliantly. Sending a shockwave that threw an enemy vulture to the side and into an adjacent Munificent-class frigate. A subsection of the swarm heading toward the TIE's head on broke downward and bounded away, until they too stopped and peeled back upwards. Unleashing a hail from below their red fire pierced through two more TIE's as they had themselves ripped into at least five more vultures, and they exploded. Their combined debris flying into and destroying two more vultures.

Then the rapid spray of endless dozens of more vultures, even among the fire and explosions of their allied units ripped through and slammed into four more TIE's in a matter of seconds. Another two were hit from behind from vultures making their way back against them. The last three broke away from formation. One going forward and the other two going left and right. All three were given chase by dozens of vultures. One vulture following after the lead TIE fired two missiles. Within them were the dread of all enemy fighters. For when they exploded, they unleashed the dreaded buzz droids. They exploded after passing the lead TIE. He couldn't bank away, and the small droids slammed into his viewport. He rolled his TIE to shake them but they wouldn't budge and grabbed onto the fighter. Then they began drilling through his viewport. The glass shattered and all air within the TIE was sucked outward. They entered into the TIE and they attacked the man himself. With drill and saw they hacked into him, his cries and screams going unheard. His last act was turning his fighter directly toward the bridge of an enemy Munificent. The TIE passed the already weakened shield and slammed into the bridge. A great explosion ripped through it and the Munificent lost control diving freely right. An allied Recusant was slammed into on its left as the Munificent dove through it. Meta was sheared and explosions were successively committed across the points where the ships dug into one another. Until the nearest turbolaser battery was hit and a massive explosion ripped both URM ships asunder.

The vultures paid no mind to the destruction wrought by these two ships. They dove under and around exchanged turbolaser fire as a Providence-class and Victory-II class vessels met one another on broadsides and began bombarding one another. One of their last two TIE targets bobbed and weaved his way through the firestorm as well. Several vultures were caught up in the mess and exploded as the two ships slammed their batteries against the other in true and pure naval one on one combat.

However, one vulture fired off a burst round of three cannon shots. Before it too was consumed by turbolaser fire. The three shots slammed into the wing of the TIE and clipped it. It spun to its death by slamming into the nose of the Victory-II as the two titan vessels fought on, and didn't notice just one minor explosion among a sea of greater ones.

The last TIE pounded his engines forward and away. Into the very heart of the attacking URM fleet. A swarm of vultures hot on his tail as he did. Before him were no less than three visible Lucrehulk-class battleships. One lower with two higher above it. Around them were dozens of Munificent's, Providence's, and several Sabaoth-class destroyer's. Without thought he opened fire toward the nearest distant control ship, and in reply a wave of heavy cannon fire from all the massive ships, and cannon fire from the rounding vultures behind slammed against him. One great wave to wipe out one last TIE. Ending the Alpha 113's and their suicidal assault against just a small fraction of a fraction of the URM force.

For all about the low and high orbits of Desevro the same story was occurring for the hundreds of Imperial fighters and bombers fighting and the thousands of droids meeting them head on. Yet, the Alpha 113's would be remembered. They destroyed sixty-nine enemy droid fighters. At a cost of twelve.

(Desevro Orbit, Imperial-I Class Stardestroyer Pride of Kuat)

"Captain! We've lost the starboard turbolaser batteries!" The ship shook and the captain clasped onto a rail overlooking the officer's in the lower levels. They themselves held onto their surroundings as they managed their many computer consoles. Outside the main viewport were dozens of enemy and allied ships. The nearest allied vessel the Gladiator-class ship, Fiery Spirit exploded as a higher elevated Munificent pelted the topside of the ship until oblivion and fire consumed her and wiped her out.

"Bring us about! Turn onto port and open fire on that damn Recusant!" Captain Shead ordered as sweat and fear mixed with unbearable anxiety beaded down his brow. He made to wipe it away with the collar of his suit, but the ship shook again, and outside an explosion was visible along the forward topside of the ship close along the port side.

"Tomlin!" The captain howled to his first officer. The man turned his way as the ship shook again.

"Aye captain?"

"I want you to head down to the starboard turbolaser deck! I want all batteries checked. If any of them have manual capabilities get them manned on the double and return some damn fire already" Tomlin nodded even as the bridge again shook from enemy fire from what seemed to be a Providence in the distance.

"On it sir!" He shakily saluted and raced out the doorway of the bridge. Shead ran over to one of the officers and his console.

"Get me the engineering deck. We need repairmen on all levels and so far I haven't heard anything on comms but calls for some technicians! What are they doing and where are the techs? Figure it out for me."

"Aye sir." The officer replied as booms radiated throughout the ship. While outside a squadron of TIE interceptors raced by the front viewport chasing a wing of Tri-fighters away from the ship.

"Okay men move her about. Move her about!" He continued on as the ship slowly turned away from where it faced. The turbolaser batteries and missile batteries along the top of the ship furiously fired in all directions to ward of attack from other capital ships and from enemy bombers. The Interceptors were trying desperately to fend them off more so though.

"Sir?" the captain turned to his communications officer. The man had a furrowed and confused look on his face as he held his com unit to his ear.

"What is it officer?"

"I can't make it out, but we have men calling in on the ship. They're...well I can't make out what they're saying." Shead shared his look of confusion and stomped his way over. He threw the comms control unit for all the bridge to hear.

"-level below bridge...access..." It trailed off but there were men screaming into their comm pieces.

"The hell?" Shead asked and boosted the volume. The unmistakable sound of blaster fire rung out.

"Six of them! On point moving up...secure...bridge..." The voice went on and Shead backed away from the console. A look of horror and thought crossing his features.

"Grab your blas1-" The door exploded open and smoke with debris masked his vision and blew captain Shead back. He flew across the deck toward the viewport and landed in front of it in a heap with is blaster pistol barely making it into his hand.

The other men yelled and called out, but the sound and sight of blaster bolts ripping through the debris and smoke showed through. The bolts slammed into and burned through cloth and flesh. One officer rose from his seat and a swarm of bolts ripped him apart. He slumped back. Another officer fired off one shot before he was struck in the head and fell back dead. Two more broke into runs from their seats and were mowed down with precision.

The sounds of bolts rained through and Shead groaned as he picked himself up from the ground. He groaned and shook his head, his officers hate having since fallen from atop his head.

"Move! Get the hell-" The voice was cut off by another bout of fire, and the bolts rained down into the lower level. The consoles and officers in it were overwhelmed by precise and unreal speedily bolt shots. Shead finally found his vision working and forced himself to look back toward the blown open door.

Walking slowly and confidently he saw them. Their bodies dark, and their eyes glowing white. They held in both hands their blasters, and the ones to the back of the group fired several more insurance rounds into dead officers. The one to the front had on his back a large knife, and like the others had its blaster in both hands.

"Blasted...commando droids! You scum!" The captain raised his blaster and fired off one round, but the head of the droid unit fired one round in reply and hit the captain in the head. Shead fell back dead in a clump and clank. The head of the BX commando droid unit looked at the fallen organic, cocked its head and moved to the front of the ship. Stepping around the fallen body.

"Enemy bridge secured." the lead droid announced after clasping its head like a com unit was at an imaginary ear. His comment was broadcast at near the speed of light to the far off URM command vessel. A Lucrehulk-class ship called the, Recrimination. Onboard it stood a tall figure. His skin dark green, and his eyes naturally yellow. Tendrils long like those of a twi'lek but more like a nautolan fell down the back from his head, as three small tendrils grew out from either side of his chin. His forehead was ribbed and his body toned and built for battle. A growl escaped the beast that stood just over seven feet and six inches as the Feeorin glared out his own viewport aboard the ship.

"Is the ship still operational?" He asked in reply. His voice a husky and deep growl.

"All primary systems are operational general. Cessation of fire from allied ships will assure of us of the ability to turn the vessel and commit the operation." The deep and robotic voice of the BX commander replied. He nodded to himself and nodded to a nearby pilot droid, who relayed the cease command to all other ships firing on the Imperial vessel.

"Cessation commenced. Carry out the plan commander, and make out of the ship at the earliest available moment."

"Roger, roger, general Narthun." The commando replied and the Feeorin general growled in pleasure. His massively muscled arms crossed over his chest and he watched on as the reconquest for Desevro; his reconquest, was coming to fruition.

(Imperial-II class Stardestroyer Chimaera, Desevro Orbit)

"We've lost contact with second squadron engaging along the left flank. Rear-Admiral Farling has also lost a third of his ships on the right. Twelve Tartan cruisers are down and stuck in the heart of the enemy fleet." The communications officer explained. A distant shake and boom reminded them all aboard the bridge of the battle that raged outside and around. The heavy cannons along the Chimaera fired in bulk forward and slammed distantly against a Providence. The enemy vessel was moving from left to right across the viewport of the ship, and firing a broadside bombardment back and against the Chimaera and several other escort ships along its side.

"We'll hold them here then. Move the Serendipity and the Ascendancy forward. Bring all forward batteries to bare on the nearest Munificent frigates and weaken their flank lines. Punch a hold on the right and sweep left. Cut off the forward Providence's and we can push forward."

"Aye captain Pellaeon." The officer nodded and began readying to relay the commands. Pellaeon sighed lowly and brushed his collar against his forehead, before straightening and clasping his hands behind his back. He would maintain the utmost propriety and form for the men.

"Belay that order officer." Both men and the other gathered officers turned as the door opened and the figure of their commander entered. Wearing his admiral's uniform and with hands clasped properly behind his back, the blue skinned Chiss entered the room and made down the center of the bridge toward the viewport. His crimson eyes staring outward at the battle.

"Admiral Thrawn sir." Pellaeon stiffly and sharply saluted prompting all others to follow suit. "You needn't have come to the bridge sir." The captain assured and made toward his commanding officer. "I have been maintaining our position as you've ordered. The situation is for the most part-"

"The situation is more further from under control than you may wish to admit captain." Pellaeon snapped his mouth shut as his admiral spoke. The Chiss sighed lowly and nodded seemingly in thought.

"I have calculated the tactics of our enemy in the wrong manner I am embarrassed to say. The tactics have been severely modified since the Clone Wars." Pellaeon furrowed his brow.

"Sir?"

"The Confederacy of Independent Systems, had based their tactics on overwhelming power but forced themselves mostly into a defensive posture, galaxy wide. However, these forces are far more aggressive. They have been ever since the battle at Coruscant. I suspect they have taken their numerical superiority as an excuse to throw losses to the wind so to speak, and focus on a wholly offensive posture." The admiral explained in a cool and calm manner.

"Yes sir. They outnumber us by three to one, but we have inflicted severe losses on their part. We have confirmed over twenty frigates destroyed and five Providence destroyers. As well as two Lucrehulks."

"A worth feat indeed captain, but as I have made clear the enemy cares little for taken losses. For every three we destroy they take down one. Where we lose ten ships and a seventh of our fleet, they lose twenty and not even a quarter. With more, ever more in fact to spare, no matter how many we bring down this battle captain, we cannot win." Pellaeon felt his mouth open. As if to throw a retort the way of his admiral, but he found no words would leave his mouth.

"I have given it great thought and have monitored the battle since it has begun captain. The situation as it stands is untenable. Order all ships still active to make for hyperspace. We shall retreat to Raxus."

"But...a retreat. Sir, if I may that-" Thrawn raised his hand in response to his captain's protest.

"Unlike most admirals and officers, captain, I find retreat to be, like any other tactic, a viable one. Now we can either retreat to fight another day for the Empire, or we can stay here and die, and achieve nothing but a place in the history books as brave, but no less dead, men." Pellaeon closed his mouth and bowed his head. His new admiral was odd to him, not to mention alien, but he had to admit he liked the idea of living to fight another day. Even if the idea of retreat just felt...wrong.

"Aye admiral. Order all ships to pull back and retreat by command of the admiral. Set hyperspace coordinates for Raxus." Pellaeon ordered to the men, Thrawn nodded along in silence. The men saluted and went to work relaying this new orders by command of their admiral.

"Now, as for-" Thrawn began, but then the ship shook violently. The men aboard the bridge shook where they stood or sat. Even the admiral had to steady himself while Pellaeon almost fell over.

"Who's hitting us that hard! No ships are in range!" Pellaeon demanded, but the ship shook again, and an explosion erupted along the topside of the ship.

"Sir...it came from one of our own. The Pride of Kuat." The radar officer sounded as the ship shook again. The two escort vessels alongside the Chimaera made to bank and return fire as the Stardestroyer loomed off to the left and headed back into the heart of the Imperial ship lines.

"Have they gone insane?! Or are they simply treasonous?" Pellaeon thought aloud, as Thrawn straightened himself and eyed the incoming stardestroyer. Noting the fires that raged across the ship and how it's cannons along its starboard side were not firing. Only port side fired and the forward facing or underbelly positioned cannons were firing.

"There may be more to this than treason captain." Thrawn coolly intoned. Pellaeon eyed his admiral before the comms officer interrupted.

"I have an incoming message from the first officer aboard the Pride of Kuat sirs. He says it is urgent." Both men quickly came over, even as the Chimaera the Serendipity and the Ascendancy opened returning fire and pelted the incoming ship. Behind it began moving into position several Recusant and Providence class vessels. All opening fire in return.

"Open the channel." Thrawn commanded in his usual cool and softer tone. The comms officer did as told and a communications screen buzzed to life where an officer came into sight. Behind him were several stormtroopers firing down a hall, but whatever it was they fired at was out of sight.

"Admiral Thrawn sir." The officer saluted shakily. His hair was a mess and disheveled as his hat was missing. "This is officer Tomlin of the Pride of Kuat. We have not fired on you sir! I repeat we have not fired on you! Enemy forces have boarded the ship and took command of the bridge. I can only assume captain Shead and the crew have been killed." Pellaeon glanced the admiral's way. The Chiss merely nodded.

"What forces have boarded officer? Describe them for me." The officer looked behind himself. Just as a trooper threw what appeared to be a grenade down the hall. The officer ducked as the explosion ripped from the hell. A flurry of red bolt flew back and struck the same trooper in the head and chest throwing him backwards and to his death.

"Similar bodies to B1 battle droids, but more thin I'd say, stronger overall chassis. Darker paints along their bodies, and white photoreceptors. They're better at tactics than any droid I've seen myself."

"BX commando droids." Thrawn intoned. Pellaeon merely nodded along. He had heard of the commandos being in wider use as of late.

"I recommend your men all make for escape shuttles or pods. The ship is digging far too deep into our command lines, and must be destroyed before it can cause any further damage." Tomlin nodded, though his face was scrunched into a scowl. The sound of getting to an escape pod probably sounding like an arduous task after fighting to get to the bridge at this point.

"Will do admiral-"

"Admiral Thrawn. The Pride of Kuat has just primed her engines." Tomlin was cut off by another officer near to Thrawn and Pellaeon. Both men turned his way and then looked out the viewport. Indeed the stardestroyer was still being pelted by the combined fire of the three stardestroyers, while URM ships behind it returned fire.

The engines burned bright even for those who could not see them. The stardestroyer lurched forward at greater speeds allowed for such massive ships, and it aimed itself more squarely onto the Chimaera.

"It means to ram us!" Pellaeon seethed.

"Maximum power to our engines. Point her downwards and bypass the collision. Get us clear of her at once men." Thrawn followed up. He still maintained his cool and calm demeanor, but his crimson eyes were narrowed.

"Commit thrust move us out of position at once!"Pellaeon followed up his admirals' command and went about moving between every officer station he needed to.

"I suggest you evacuate yourselves at once officer Tomlin. It would appear your lives are at the mercy of suicidal machines." The officer nodded fervently and shouted to his men to break off from their engagement and make for their nearest shuttle or escape pods.

Thrawn turned and stood his ground as he watched the nose of the stardestroyer bank downwards. Even below there were many Imperial ships firing off into the distance against the URM ships beyond.

"Maximum speed, thrust downward!" Pellaeon echoed similar commands and clasped his hands behind his back. His face growing hard and stern as he watched the ship like his admiral was, bank downwards. Ships below them began moving away and aside from the down facing stardestroyer that was making to barrel through.

"They're committing full thrust." The radar officer confirmed and Pellaeon just barely made out the bright burn of the other stardestroyer that now loomed above them. The Chimaera burned its own engines and thrust its massive body downwards to avoid the taken stardestroyer.

A deafening and consuming shutter overtook the ship and the men as it filled all their ears and shook them to the bone.

"Near miss." The same officer sighed and fell into his seat. In fact everyone followed suit and released sighs of relief and some men broke into grins. As the danger passed.

Then came the boom. The ship shook with a tremendous tremor and threw several men from their seats and to the ground. Those who stood were also slammed int the ground. Pellaeon clutched the side of the wall and kept standing whilst Thrawn had clasped his hand onto a seat bolted into the floor itself.

"Did we get hit?!" Pellaeon commanded. His voice rising above the still echoing shutters through the ship. The engineering officer and the radar officer hurriedly checked their consoles.

"Negative sir. The engineering officer, with furrowed brow affirmed.

"Comms are scattered." The comms officer announced as he made to clear up the channels.

"Confirmed, sirs, the Pride of Kuat has rammed into the Ascendancy. The officer informed and both the captain and admiral shared a similar glare across their brows.

"Show me." Thrawn commanded, and the officer brought up and external screen showing the damage extent.

The Pride of Kuat was lodged int the center of the Ascendancy and fires along with successive explosions were ripping out across the impact sites. Then came another explosion. It ripped across the impact site and a great light overtook the screen. A shockwave threw itself outward and once again the Chimaera shook violently.

As the screen cleared and came back from the light. It bared the sight of both ships drifting apart. The Ascendancy had cracked into two and was exploding across the hull in several sectors. The Pride of Kuat was similarly cleaved in two. Explosions ripped across both ships as they fell into various states of catastrophic failure. The gravity of the world below, Desevro, now pulling both ships down into it. Aboard both ships over twenty-five thousand men each.

Pellaeon felt his lip curl in anger, while his admiral watched the sight but merely shook his head.

"Captain, relay the retreat order at once. We have lost too many ships already. This attack is more symbolic than a true tactic, but I will not have it repeated. Not in this battle." Pellaeon nodded

"Aye, admiral." He nodded to the comms officers and they went about relaying the orders. TIE fighters, bombers, interceptors, and all other ships barreled their way back to safety and the nearest allied hangars. The enemy pelted and fired on the ships as the capitals, frigates destroyers, and all other ships tried desperately to fire and ward off the URM attacks against their smaller retreating vehicles.

Thrawn watched as the enemy advanced and his ships pulled back. Their engines primed and they readied to leave this system to its fate of reconquest by the URM. His hands clasped behind his back, and his eyes danced across the viewport. The enemy's tactics and their methods, whomever their leader was, his style being taken in. Absorbed and cataloged by the admiral as he watched. For Thrawn knew he would return, and when he did he would be more than prepared to meet this enemy head on.

Now though, was the time for retreat, recalculation, and reflection. Now was the time to learn from the experience. And in time, strike back.

As is the way of the Empire, to strike back.

(Epica, Epica System, Bes-Ber-Bikade Sector)

Grash breathed in deeply and exhaled just as deeply. His breaths were ragged as he finally came to a stop. Hours upon hours had he been moving, walking here, jogging there, and running a lot more. The tree's silently towered above him and were all around him. The breeze rustled the leaves and the grass flowed beneath his feet. His body still ached, but he could feel some semblance of normalcy return to him. The burning sensations across his body continued but were calming and the stinging in his lungs, vice grip around his heart and organs were all easing up on him.

He finally sagged to a stop and his leg muscles began pounding from endless use. His arms wavered and a tremor went through them. Equally he had never let his arms rest from hauling around the massive repeater cannon he held close for future use. Having stopped next to another mighty tree whose trunks were great and large that dug deep and firmly into the soil, Grash glanced to his left. Next to his ears and resting with uncommon sereneness for him, the boy, his lord Viathan, rested. His eyes were closed and his mouth slightly ajar as he took in and let loose ragged breaths. Even those sounded weak and hoarse. The teen's hands were still held clasped together around his neck and his body hung down low from his back.

However, night had fallen. The starry sky above shone down upon them and the forest was silent. Grash could not hear or see, not even smell anyone approach. But that ever looming voice within he and his people, that connection to an ancient power whispered inside his head. It warned him, and called to him. There was something, or some group of enemies out there looming. But he could go no further.

With a low grumble he placed the cannon down to the soft grass and let his arms momentarily drop to his sides. His breaths sounding like growls, he sighed and took pleasure in the release. Yet, still he had to move them. Every movement felt shaky and weakened, but he still managed to pry his lords hands apart and move the teen carefully to rest against the tree.

He groaned in his sleep and his face scowled, but he remained asleep. The Massassi warrior nodded pleased with himself and allowed his body to fall back and into a sitting position along the grass. The cool air hitting against his crimson body and sending a chill through him as the wind met his sweat laden body.

He swung his arms out in front of himself and let them relax. He outstretched one leg forward in front of himself and let the other fall to the side. A low and deep sigh released itself once again from his resting figure. The Massassi warrior took solace in the dark and cool night. The stars above shining down through the leaves of the tall trees here upon this one world of endless. It reminded him somewhat of the great moon. Where all of his kind made their homes when not in service to their lord and those he made servants in kind.

Having but months ago been awoken from the endless sphere, where his lord had imprisoned he and his young kin away, and then made to be a warrior all in a matter of time too fast for the Massassi warrior to sometimes comprehend. It was odd, but Grash would not have it changed. For it was a Massassi's duty to serve and fight, and if need be, die in the name of his lord. The one Dark Lord of the Sith, Exar Kun.

His new lord, lesser than Exar Kun, Viathan. He was a worthy brother on the field of battle. All the Massassi felt as such that Grash would speak to. A fellow servant of their lord, who would fight and die gladly in his name. A brother, a Massassi in all but the flesh! It made the warrior proud to serve and fight under or alongside him. Now, as he lay unconscious and beaten the warrior felt a sharp anger pass through him, and boil deep inside. For on the field of battle there was only your brothers, and kinsmen to rely on. His lord was one of those, and here he lay lame and immobile. By the unseen hands of their enemies! Fools who could not see the futility in serving his lord, their lord.

So Grash knew it was his duty to watch. To protect and save his lord, Viathan. Save and protect him to help lead the glorious future charges against the enemy. All enemies who dare to think themselves above Exar Kun, or think themselves capable of defeating his almighty master. For now though, his lord Viathan would rest, and would no doubt rise again in time to serve their lord again.

The night air dragged on, and the Massassi sat in silence and even let his eyes momentarily drift closed. Every time making sure to awaken with a snap and check his surroundings and his lord. Every time there was nothing and all was quiet. The stars shone down as ever and the rustle of greenery was all that met his senses. The smell of clean air doing wonders for the warrior.

Then came the snap from far beyond. It jolted the beast awake, and he jumped to a kneeled position. His inner voice and power calling to him and warning him, sending every sense into overdrive. His yellow eyes narrowed and he looked far beyond from where he had made his way into this deeper section of the wood.

He could not see them, but he was sure he knew they were there. The enemy had come. They had followed, and he couldn't understand if they knew he was there or if they were just lucky. He growled as his clawed fingers wrapped around a tree root.

Glancing back he saw his lord still resting. He growled in anger and rising frustration as his aching body was pushed to move again after resting for such little a time. Silently skirting his way back over toward his lord, he forced himself to shake the figure. The teen groaned in protest but his eyes did open. They were weak as ever and his eyes were the uncommon shade of brown and lacking their red glow.

"Grash?" He questioned. The Massassi noted his voice sounded better, even if still weak.

"The enemy continues to approach. For hours I marched us deeper into the woods. Yet still, they near us." The Massassi bowed his head almost as if in a defeated manner.

"I can no longer hope to move us on. They simply will not cease coming. They are scouring the whole forest it would seem!" He lamented in a hushed growl.

"What are you planning than Grash?" The Massassi hardened himself and his face. Grasping his repeater cannon and checking his sword was still in place at his side, he bowed his head.

"I will meet them head on. I will drive them back and send them running from this site! I will defeat them lord." The Massassi growled with great assurance. Viathan furrowed his brow and barely pushed himself up against the tree he rested against.

"How many are there?" Grash glanced back where he knew them to be coming from. The sound of them moving through the grass, snapping twigs and some of their hushed talk now finally reaching his ears.

"I do not know, but it doesn't matter. I will bring them down no matter what." Grash again assured. Viathan, however, grimaced.

"You can't run wildly into battle Grash. You..." He silently seethed as a bout of pain undoubtedly shot through him. "Can't go blind into an enemy force without having a clue what's waiting for you." Viathan protested. Grash, however, just grinned the usual toothy grins of his kind. A deep and low growl escaped form him and what sounded like a laugh also shot up from his chest.

"It doesn't matter what awaits me. I will destroy the enemy no matter what! So long as you live to lead and fight another day lord, all in the name of Exar Kun." The Massassi bowed his head, and Viathan growled lowly.

"Grash!" But, the Massassi picked himself up and clutched his hands onto his cannon.

"Grash!" The boy repeated, his voice weakly getting louder in protest, but again the Massassi ignored him, and hiked his repeater up. The teen fell back against the tree and groaned. His hand fell to his saber hilt and weakly wrapped around the hilt.

"Damn it Grash." Was all he could muster as he pulled the Force into himself and the one ally he had made his way off to fight alone.

Grash stomped his way across the open grass of the forest. Bobbing and weaving through the trees with his massive repeater cannon in hands. His breaths were heavy and his conviction in this mission strong. The enemy, not but several meters away. A few dozen of them or possibly more. All walking in a line and waving their blasters with light attachments about. They talked and whispered to one another, and obviously didn't expect any sort of enemy forces to be among the trees awaiting them. In fact Grash could swear he sensed from a far a jovial air about them all. The warrior snorted and felt his anger rise, and will harden even further. He would make them regret ever moving about the trees and for being ill prepared for him!

Slamming his right foot and then left down against the ground; Grash raised his cannon and aimed it down toward the incoming line of men, and he felt his breaths gain pace. His body pounded with adrenaline to keep him running, and his thoughts raced. The Massassi warrior inhaled a great bout of air into his lungs, his chest expanded, and then, he let loose a mighty roar. A call for battle and release of a primal instinct to challenge and fight an enemy.

"What the?!" The men stopped and suddenly their blasters waved about as the roar echoed through the trees and boomed through the region they all stood. Grash felt his tendrils along his face quiver with anticipation and a shiver crawl along his spine in ever mounting anticipation.

"The heck was that?"

"Nothing good. Keep close and shoot anything that moves and you don't recognize."

"So much for an easy mission."

They bantered to one another and the Massassi sneered, though to him it was more a grin.

Hoisting up the repeater and gripping it tightly with both hands, the Massassi slammed down on the trigger. The repeater sprung to life, and a pounding explosion of blaster bolts erupted sending shockwaves up his arms as he easily held them in place with strength common of his kin. The bolts flew and lit the dim and dark forest around him with a brilliant red light. The first dozen or so slammed into one trooper and then a second onto a third, as Grash carried the repeater easily from right to his left across the line of enemy troopers.

"Down! Get your heads down!" Their commander ordered as return fire came Grash's way, and he easily sidestepped it. His bolts flew and slammed into tree and soil sending bark or dirt flying as few after hit their targets. Those that did threw these pitiful excuse for warriors back and thrashed their bodies until they lay dead on the ground. However, most dove and hid behind tree, and behind small inclines in the forest where the dirt almost rose into a small hill.

"Get me some return fire on that crazy karking schutta! Somebody get a bead on target!" Grash heard their leader demand and he snorted. He ceased firing and dove his body behind the nearest tree himself and hugged it to his back closely. An eruption of return fire came his way and flew wildly in between the trees and into the soil or flew upwards with no rhyme or reason as the fools sought to blindly land a hit on him.

It lasted for some time and Grash merely waited it out. Allowing himself a small reprieve as he checked his repeater for amount of energy left to fire. It was enough, and he felt himself relax and ready to fight at the same time. When the bolts finally ended a deafening silence overcame the region.

"We clear?!"

"I don't have a visual! It's too damn dark."

Once again Grash heard them banter and call to one another. They couldn't tell that he had or hadn't fallen. It allowed the Massassi warrior to grin once more. He stifled a cough as he felt his chest feel a pang of pain, but he contained it, and peeked around the corner of his tree. Several of the men had come around from their own cover and were scanning the area, their lights mounted along their blasters searching for him or whatever may have been shooting at them.

Grash primed the repeater once more and swung around the cover tree and began moving easily from right to left as the cannon unleashed bolts once more. They sprayed forward and the men dove back to cover as they grunted or screamed in terror unbecoming of warriors. A spray of red bolts exploded and struck another trooper several times in the head and threw him back as more bolts splintered and burned into another trooper and sent him falling with his friend. Grash kept moving and kept spraying. The bolts ripping into trees and dirt once again as the men fell behind cover and took wild random pot shots toward the Massassi.

"I can't get a bead!" One trooper howled and the men fired desperately where the hail of red bolts were flying from. Grash continued to unleash and a slew of bolts ripped into one last troopers shoulder and head, and sent him flying back, before Grash dove around another tree. The enemy bolts ripped into the open space once again and slammed against trees and dirt. Meanwhile Grash took a moment to take deep breaths and another momentary reprieve.

Grunting and wincing, Grash looked down and let his repeater sag to down to his side on the left and clasped his right hand across his abdomen. A singed burn wound now charred along his crimson skin felt like a hot stick had been placed along his body. The warrior sneered and growled openly. Wounds were not new to him, but his body was already weak, and failing him. He could not afford anymore such wounds. A low growl escaped passed his lips and his tendrils twitched in hot fury as he once again clasped his repeater and made ready to fire.

Again he swung around the corner but stood his ground. He unleashed another rapid flurry of bolts. They rushed forward and slammed against the dirt and tree bark sending pieces and chunks flying. The men dove back down and around cover to hide from the savage attack with the endless swarm of fiery bolts of death. Grash howled once more as the exhilaration climbed through his body and out in the primal call. His naturally glowing yellow eyes bore forward against his enemy, as he sensed from afar their fear and anger, their friends lying dead near to them, and their enemy not yet fallen! It filled him with a great and powerful vigor.

The Massassi warrior again went behind cover and ceased firing, and like clockwork the enemy returned a great bout of return fire against him. The bolts flew all around and missed the warrior in bulk. The shredding bolts ripped into the surrounding trees and burned through their bark. The soil around him was ripped up and thrown about the air down. Dirt fell back on the warrior, and Grash ducked down as the soil rolled down his shoulders and across his repeater cannon.

"Kill the karking thing!"

Their commander barked orders, and Grash snarled. Diving around the corner again during the enemy attack, Grash unleashed return fire and made his way back right. His bolts flew passed those of the enemy heading his way. They flew and slammed against the soil where one trooper lay prone on his stomach firing against Grash. One of the troopers bolts slammed into the right shoulder of the Massassi and he was whirled around. He groaned but did not cease firing his repeater. Grash snarled into a great rumble that once more filled the forest around them, and fired his endless bolts back against the enemy. They slammed down into the head of the same trooper over and over again. The corpse went limp and rolled away down the soil near to his allies, who doubled their own return fire.

The Massassi reached the old tree he had first used for cover and ducked behind it, as the bark opposite where he stood was once more attacked. Fire was focused on it, and Grash growled low as the enemy had finally gotten a line and tracked where his hulking figure was. A split second decision and Grash broke back continuing right. The bolts stayed and mutilated the tree or the immediate area around it as the warrior dove away from it, hidden in the shadows of the trees in the blackness of night.

Grash slammed his feet upon the grass down and away from his old position falling down a small incline in the dirt and becoming level if some ways away from the enemy troops still prone and firing madly against where they still thought, or hoped he was. Checking his repeater cannon again, Grash snarled as its energies were running low. It would have to do though.

With renewed adrenaline and pounding conviction the warrior stomped back left toward the enemy lines. He rounded an ever so slight curve in the dirt mound where the troops took up prone position and stopped in his tracks once again. He opened up a new blistering bout of fire against them.

"The hell?!" One trooper called as the bolts hit the dirt to his left. He turned just as Grash came into view lit by the starlight and zooming red lights around and coming from his repeater cannon. The Massassi leveled the repeater and let a new flurry of bolts rip into the prone figure and the troop screamed before slamming back against the soil dead.

"The left! The left! Cover the left flank!" They called and Grash turned his repeater and in an arch wildly sprayed the whole region again. This time the bolts shredded into three more troopers who swung back and fell into dead heaps among one another. Those that were smart dove away and hid behind new trees or even a boulder here and there.

Grash roared in triumph even as his repeater ceased firing, and he brought it up to see he had expended its last bout of ammunition. He threw the useless weapon to the ground with a great heaving huff, and felt his muscles relax from dropping the great weight, though he was used to such heavy objects.

Ducking down the warrior just missed a bout of fire from the troopers. The bolts flew overhead and just missed his head tendrils. He scowled and sneered. His yellow eyes, however, caught sight of the many dead troopers. His lips curled back into a half grin and half sneer, and the Massassi snatched up the fallen E-11 blaster rifle of one of the many dead troopers.

The weapon was tiny and unbelievably light in the warrior's massive hands. Grash snarled and pulled the stock down from its coiled position out. It gave him a more firm feel for the weapon unlike its non-extended stock position. The warrior kept his body ducked low and even fell into a kneel as the enemy fire flew over him again and around. He took the time to grab the ammo clips from the other fallen troopers and stick them into pouches and pockets along his belt and shoulder strap. The beast roared again and crouch-walked away from the incoming fire. The men were incoherently calling and ordering one another about, and Grash could all but smell their desperation. He thought he could actually, but the smell of death may have blotted out that profound smell.

Grash picked up speed and fell into a run. Diving around a new tree as the troops sprayed into the incline, even hitting the bodies of their own dead, Grash took another moment to gather himself. His two burn wounds, mingled with his insides still reeling from the noxious gasses of the enemy erupted in pain across and through his whole body. Grash could only shake his head, his tendrils whipping about him, as he willed the pain to feed his power and not slow him down in his mission.

Skirting and barely peeking around his left corner, and aiming his puny weapon down sights, the warrior unleashed a burst of bolts from his E-11 blaster. His natural strength and power made the blaster feel as though all recoil was non-existent. The bolts thus flew and almost all stayed where the blaster had been aimed. They ripped into the first tree the Massassi knew a trooper hid behind, and sent shards or chucks of bark flying off. Until he caught the barest glimpse of the trooper's white armor peeking from behind the blown out section of the tree. Firing again and aiming for the glint of white, Grash watched the bolts rip out and slam into the trooper's shoulder. The man cried out and flung himself forward and fell into a kneel. However, Grash could not gain sight on him again, and growled before pulling back behind his own tree cover.

"Eat this!" Grash turned right and then jerked down as a rock fell by his foot. Growling and feeling a flash of a powerful instinctive warning shoot through him, Grash ran left and away. Just as the obvious grenade exploded. The warrior was flung against another tree. He clutched his blaster as he fell back first into the hard bark of the plant. Shaking his head again as the world momentarily blurred and sound deafened to him, Grash forced himself up even as his flesh burned from his wounds and new scrapes or scratches formed along his body in assorted places.

Grash got to his feet and began staggering toward a new set of cover. The sound of grass shuffling caught his ringing attention, and he swung right.

"Got ya'!" A trooper announced and fired at Grash. Once again the Massassi was hit in the abdomen, and he hunched over himself. Howling in rage he flung himself straight and fired against the trooper. He swung left then right and left again as the bolts slammed against his armor. He fell and Grash fired a long bout into his fallen form. The blaster ceased firing and he cursed in his native tongue. He released the old clip and made to add the new one into it.

"Alien scum, die!" Again Grash turned as two troops ran on him and fired madly. He dove left under a hail of bolts. Dropping his blaster, he grasped his sheathed sword, and pulled it forth into hands and before his massive body. He turned and curved his way left. The troops fired and tried to stay on him, but he roared with a mighty blood lust and rounded on their flank.

"RUN!" One cried and turned while the other continued firing. Grash took another two bolts to his chest but swung the sword overhead, and slammed his mighty arms downward. The blade cleaved down into the trooper's left shoulder and down into his chest he gurgles and crimson liquid spurted from the gash.

The warrior yanked the sword out and swung back from the left taking the trooper's helmeted head clean off.

Grash winced and huffed his breaths in and out. His yellow eyes watching the retreating trooper run back into the forest. All his allies, in one way or another dead around him. So, the warrior fell onto his right leg and into a kneel. Grash fell into an eruption of coughing, blood came from his throat and he didn't bother trying to stop it from coming forth. His bolt wounds, burning and scarring his crimson flesh throbbed along his body, but the Massassi used the pain to continue on, as he ever would.

A new snarl erupted forth from the hulking figure, and the Massassi warrior clutched the fallen trooper's blaster rifle, and rose to stand once more. It was shaky and slightly weak, but he hid it well. The enemy would be back in no time, and he would be ready. He would fight until he could no more. All to ensure his lord's servant, his lord, and kinsman on the battlefield remained safe. So, he prepared, for what he knew would come. Even if he didn't know just what was coming. Only that it was.

(Epica, Moff Camp)

"Your excellency!" Trachta and general Terrosh turned toward the incoming voice of an officer.

"General," The man saluted, the general quickly reciprocated. "Squad twenty as been utterly wiped out! Only one trooper survived and is requesting support." Trachta stepped forward and cocked his head to the side questioningly.

"The entire squad save one man is dead? What enemy force did they encounter and where?" The officer pointed sweepingly toward the western forest.

"The trooper only could confirm one of the red alien scum. The beast killed more than its share of his fellow troopers." Trachta glanced back toward Terrosh who shared the momentary look with his Moff superior.

"One...warrior killed his whole squad? Is that what I am to believe?" Trachta lingered over the officer, who swallowed but nodded.

"I cannot confirm that one warrior alone was there sir. Only that the trooper can confirm one warrior was present. It used a hand held repeater cannon to deliver the first bout of death, then took up the arms of the fallen troops. It also killed at least one of our men with a sword." Trachta nodded slowly but didn't respond. The officer was obviously growing nervous and swallowed again, before he cast a glance the way of his general.

"Perhaps it is best we handle the situation with full force. I recommend we send out the quick reaction squads you've had created, sir." Terrosh offered with a bow. Trachta sighed, the sound muffled and odd through his robotic mask.

"Very well." Trachta nodded, before turning to Terrosh. "I want this beast added to the number of bodies we already have. It will be my centerpiece." Terrosh nodded, his mind flashing with images of Moff Trachta's project.

"Of course, Moff Trachta." Trachta waved hie right hand and made to leave. Terrosh nodded and turned toward the officer.

"Ready the fifth quick response team. Transports and speeders are to be employed."

"Yes sir, general Terrosh." The officer bowed.

"One last thing officer. What of the main loyalist forces? Where are they?" The officer pointed back westward again.

"They've reportedly regrouped west as well, but deeper and more south than this trooper reported this break away unit. We've mounted an engagement force to venture in, but several regions of the forests till show signs of the dioxin in the air." Terrosh noted the burnt husk of a forest before the camp that led further away to the green leftovers beyond.

"Very good. Keep me up to speed. And, get rid of that alien. Get the Moff his new addition to his collection and redouble your efforts on the enemy remnant." The officer saluted and quickly made off to relay the commands.

Within moments scout troops in their armor, jumped atop a small fleet of speeder bikes and blasted off into the distance. The moaning hums of their bikes trailing along the outskirts of the burnt forest along until the burned blackness became green once more in the cover of night. Three squads of troopers with EVO support units and shock troops boarded a single IF-120 landing craft. The ship with all squads aboard it flew into the air and trailed the speeder bikes from above.

For they would bring this ravenous alien scum to its knees, and avenge their fallen Moff troops.

(Imperial Stardestroyer, Magnificence, en-route to Tapani Sector)

"I want my shuttle prepped and several landing craft readied when we arrive above Pelagon. Load the two groups of my Massassi warriors I have ordered onto those transports. Tomorrow, standard time, I want a full overview on our intelligence concerning Procopia and its situation. I want viable attack methodologies planned up and brought before me, and I also want a status update concerning House Pelagia. Considering their capitol world has been brought to its knees, I would think the nobles of that house would be more appeasing to their returned masters."

Exar went on as his captain kept in pace with his lord down the hall of the stardestroyer. Captain Quor nodded along and took notes on his datapad. The two had been in this walking conference for some time. Ever since leaving the Roche sector speedily after the battle and making for Tapani.

"Be sure to have the special accommodations ready by the next hour. I know we'll need them. Also, I want medical on standby for the troops on the planet. Better yet," Kun froze and pointed toward the captain thoughtfully. "Have one medical unit on standby. We'll likely need them too. All things considered that is."

"Of course, my lord." The captain nodded.

"Good. Now, you best take care of all that. I have a call to make with the good grand admiral. We left in such a hurry I fear he may have taken offense." The captain smiled some and bowed.

"Of course, milord. I'll keep you up to speed and meet you in the accommodation room."

"Thank you captain." The two men nodded to one another and captain Quor turned and made back down the hall away from Kun. The Sith lord for his part turned in on a seemingly random door in the hall and entered. Inside was a simple conference room, but he didn't need even that.

Locking the door and sealing it with an added bit of pressure with the Force, Kun made his way and pressed in the right keys along the conference table holocomm. A subtle and low beeping sounded out and Exar waited with crossed arms for the figure to show itself. Indeed the figure of grand admiral Zaarin quickly showed itself. The elder man stood with clasped hands and with a stiffness common of his title and office. Behind him Kun could see figures moving about and likely cleaning up his mess of a research outpost.

"Grand admiral Zaarin. I feel I must apologize for my hasty retreat from the Roche sector, but it is pertinent I get back to the war front in Tapani." The grand admiral nodded once.

"Understood. Things are a mess here as you can obviously tell, and know. However, we have set up secondary lab environments and the Verpine now more than ever feel the drive to aid in researching newer and deadlier weapons or projects for our efforts against our enemies. I daresay the attack was the best thing to happen for our relations with them." Kun smirked and chuckled lightly.

"I can imagine. Give my regards to Nota'lx. But, onto more pressing business." Zaarin bowed his head in agreement. "We have no doubts, or at the least I do not, that those who attacked the station were working for or were directly affiliated with Moff forces. Considering the loses they're taking, I would consider this attack extremely desperate, and would advise you to up your security, but hold to the ideal that another attack is highly unlikely. Needless to say, I will be launching a full investigation with the resources at my disposal into where the synthetic stygium crystals are headed, and to what extent they can, if they have the capacity to, use or understand the crystals at all." Zaarin nodded.

"It's good to hear that. As you know we'll have our hands tied here. I would hope, however, that our deal to broach the emperor with some of our ideas and projects stands. As does our mutual agreement to further benefit our standings in the Empire, and our allied defense of it." Exar grinned and bowed his head.

"Why of course."

"Excellent." The admiral replied. "Oh, there was one final thing." Kun nodded for Zaarin to go on ahead and speak.

"It may seem an odd question. However, the inquisitor, Raydonn, deposited his plans and research as per the request of his superiors, and made a final hypercomm-call out, but hasn't been seen since. His ship, the err, Lucky-Star, is still docked here but we cannot find him. He did not sustain fatality during the attack did he?" Kun waved his right hand.

"Don't worry about our lost inquisitive friend. I'm sure he'll show up in no time. Keep the ship there, and if he doesn't reclaim it within a few weeks at the most I'm sure he won't mind me authorizing it being scrapped." The grand admiral let loose a small snorting laugh.

"As you deem fit my lord, Kun." Both men easily and silently parted and ceased their communication between one another. Leaving Kun alone in his conference room, and a sigh to escape from him.

The Dark Lord made his way out of the conference room, and clasped his hands behind his back. His hands moved his dark robes behind and about his person as he delved deeply into his own thoughts. The upcoming battles in Tapani, and the loss of the stygium. The addition of Zaarin as an ally, and the war that waged now in full fury in great part due to his own scheming and designs. A thought passed through him, a single thought, and he quickly stifled it. On just how the galaxy would treat him, act toward him, and feel about him if they all knew just how much his hand played into fabricating this war. A war that now tore planets, armadas and people apart.

A distressing thought for him indeed.

As he moved his way through the halls of the ship he came to a lower section of the ship close to the engines. He stopped and scanned the hall around him. In front of him was a hall that led to a turn right, and behind him was where he had come from in his seemingly random pacing. The whole hall was lined with doors leading to system control rooms and storage areas for droids.

"This is as good a place as any." Kun spoke aloud and stretched his arms outward and upwards. "This would be the fourth time an agent of the Empire thought they hid themselves well from my vision, and only the third time an agent of the enemy landed themselves on my ship, or at least the one I am currently upon. I am not a man to be thought of as stupid or blind, and I am growing weary of these games. Played by not just yourself, but those of your ilk. So show yourself, inquisitor, or lest I shall come grab you and pull you out myself." Kun barked into the open air.

The footsteps of the man in question met his ears, and Kun turned. Standing and coming to a stop in the middle of the hall was the inquisitor. Raydonn.

"Just what do you hope to gain from sneaking aboard my vessel? From following after me like some lost gizka smuggled aboard my ship with no food to eat? Your kind continuously trifles into my business with no invitation, save for either a single command by your lord and master, or by some blind ideal of glory by saving your glorious institution from the newcomer making moves as I am. So tell me, which is it, Raydonn?"

The inquisitor had his hand clasped onto his saber hilt still clasped to his belt His deeply dark blue eyes boring against the Sith lord, and the Force whirling around him like a storm.

"You're pretty good at sensing people you know that? Then again I wasn't really putting on my A-game." Kun huffed and crossed his arms. Showing no sign of fear at the inquisitor's provocative move.

"I can tell you one thing though. I sure as hell am breaking so many protocols exposing myself like this and talking to you, but really I don't care. You, and from what I saw, your little friends, and this whole thing, you being in the Empire doesn't sit well with me, so if I have the chance, and the ability to take you out of the hair of every living thing in this galaxy, then I'm sure as hell going to take it."

Exar broke into a snorting and sarcastic laugh. Raydonn narrowed his eyes and sneered.

"You know boy, I got it, you're the second one. Although you got a mix of the first option in your head as well. You have some inclination that you sure as heck know better than most of the galaxy and see me as the bad guy. I can't believe someone so idealistic and moronic like you has survived as long as you have inside this emperor where anger, hatred, and betrayal is the key to success. But, I can't give you this, you're not that bright." Exar pressed his right hands fingers down onto a small communicator on his wrist.

Raydonn swung in place and erupted his saber to life in all its purple hued glory. Out of the many doors lining the hall came a stream of stormtroopers, who all pointed blasters down their sights at the man, and following them came squads of Massassi warriors. They wielded in their massive hands their lanvaroks, and on their left arms hung their Sith lanvaroks sported as shields. Even from behind Exar came a small army of stormtroopers all surrounding their lord and aiming their many, many blasters down their sights at Raydonn. A single officer followed u p behind them looking prim and proper as ever, and came up next to the Sith lord. Exar didn't bother nor try to go for his own lightsaber. Raydonn growled and stood tall and rigid as he bore daggers toward the Dark Lord.

"Captain, are the 'special accommodations,' made for our new friend here?" Captain Quor bowed his head and kept his own sight fixated on the inquisitor.

"Yes my lord. I have it set up and ready as you specified."

"GREAT!" Exar clapped his hands together. "Now the way I see it, you can either surrender, or we can all bring you down where you stand like a rabid kath hound. What's it gonna be my inquisitor friend?"

Raydonn looked around himself, his saber humming around him as he did. His eyes met the emotionless sneers of the troopers and the grinning growling heaving Massassi beasts.

"I think...I'll take my chances." He raised his saber, and Kun waved one hand up and shrugged.

"So be it." The hall came to life as the troopers all fired on him, many of them jumping away from allied fire. Raydonn blocked the first few, but over a dozen and more hit him, and he fell limp to the ground.

Kun walked over toward the fallen figure as the saber deactivated. Lightly, he pressed his right boot against the body and kicked it over to look upwards. The blue eyes of the man stared up toward the blinding white light on the ceiling, and toward the looming shadow of the Dark Lord. The looming Sith bent down and came very near to the face of the fallen inquisitor.

"Great thing about these blasters? They all have a stun setting on them. And, despite how good you think you are, you still have much to learn." Exar mocked, Raydonn's eyes followed him and winced in an unspoken sneer.

"We're going to have a long good time I think, and I'll teach you the, shall we say, error of your ways, and maybe even a trick or two before all is said and done." Exar grinned openly, and all Raydonn could muster was a stifled groan Kun thought was meant to be a growl.

"Take him to the accommodations made then. I'll meet with him later, after a proper rest. Place the Massassi guards around him, and put the gear I've ordered on him, and he'll be just the greatest prisoner." Two stormtroopers came up and hooked their arms under those of Raydonn's. Exar grasped up the man's lightsaber hilt, and laughed.

"Hmm, lightweight, purple, and good grip. We may have a skill found in you yet boy." The Dark Lord mocked, and made his way out of the hall. The many men brought into this operation congratulating one another and going back to their regular posts. Only too happy to help their charismatic Sith lord take down a perceived enemy. The captain oversaw everything.

Including the wrapping of chains, and lifting of a limp body into the air some. A band was placed onto his head, and fingers clamped together incapable of moving. Clothing down to but a simple pair of boxers were removed, and the air control unit in the room lowered some to add a little discomfort to the captive.

Captain Quor noted the many scars along the mans back and chest, as well as the obvious burn scars along his face, and could only scoff. The thoughts of the new ones to come overtaking these old ones crossing through his mind, before he left the man in darkness, and cold.

---

Authors Note: Why do I write so much? I don't even know if it's necessarily a good thing that I do write so much. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy, yes it's really long but oh well I gave in to the fact this story is going to be a monster for the ages. Please excuse any and all grammatical errors, or point them out to me too. Please leave me a review of what you all thought and make my day. :3