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.

62. Chapter 62

Chapter 62

(Epica, Forests)

The speeder bikes hummed and screeched throughout the valley and echoed deeply into the forests. While overhead the large imperial transport hummed its engines over the valley. The speeders came to a sudden stop below it, and the shuttle followed and landed nearby to them along the outskirts of the forest. The forests in these parts were not yet burnt out husks of their former selves. The fires of Moff Trachta having not yet reached this far into the woods, and his unseen killer gas having not followed either.

The troopers rushed off the transport after its ramp fell to the ground with a hiss of pressure release and air. The white armored stormtroopers colored with the insignias of the Moff Alliance scanned their surroundings as all three squads disembarked and let the shuttle climb back up into the sky for the Moff camp.

One of the scout troops on the speeder bikes dismounted and proceeded toward the woods. The three squads were led by an officer by the name of Gar Korvo. He stood and waited for the scout to return. The trooper did, and with him was a staggering and limping trooper. His armor dirty from the soil and his blaster rifle hanging low in his arms.

"This is the sole survivor from the prior attack captain Korvo." The scout designated through his mask. He held onto the trooper's right arm to keep him standing, or possibly to force him closer to the captain and his several dozen men.

"Right." Korvo nodded. "Trooper, you designated that one of the alien beasts attacked your squad. Can you confirm or refute the possibility of their being more than one of the alien scum?" The trooper shook his helmeted head, his breaths sounding ragged through his mask.

"Negative captain. I don't know if there is more than one, but if I had to put my credits on the line I'd bet on their being just the one. He massacred us. We shot him quite a few times but the damn thing wouldn't drop!" The trooper was near hysterical and the scout trooper struggled to keep the man standing and not flail around like a raving fool. Korvo nodded and hummed in interest.

"Understood trooper. Fear not," Gar almost sounding cheery declared. "We're going to hunt down this animal, and like with any rabid animal, we'll put it down. For the security of everyone on the world and galaxy." Korvo smiled and the gathered troopers nodded along as they clutched their blasters in agreement. The rush of hunting down another alien scum that had brutalized their friends and allies filling their very beings.

"Stay here trooper, the medical unit will look you over, and get you transport back to camp. We'll handle the alien menace." Korvo declared and stood tall and stiff. The trooper silently thanked the captain with a nod and was aided by medical troops over to the ground to be examined.

"The tree's are quite dense here. I want you and your scouts to circle the outskirts and keep an eye out for anything alien, or unfamiliar. If you see it, mow it down. Moff Trachta wants the body though, so don't burn it too successfully."

"Yes sir." The scout saluted and made his way back to his speeder. He signaled to the other scouts to follow and they rushed off with a loud hum that echoed through the valley and forest.

"Alright! EVO troops form up behind the shock troopers. All shock troopers form up to the front. Regular infantry form up behind the EVO troops. All three squads follow formation and advance in line. Once in the forest hold together, and follow the shock-troopers. You shock troopers will take point, and cut down anything that moves." he paused. "Especially anything none-human." They all saluted and affirmed their orders. Korvo nodded happily, and smirked.

"Good! Now men, form and advance." They did as ordered. All three main squads formed into columns. The shock troopers took forward point, with EVO troopers, wielding their assault blaster rifles, with their standard flamethrowers at their sides. Regular trooper infantry formed up in several column lines behind them all and awaited the forward movement into the forest. When captain Korvo gave the advance order, they did as told and moved into the forests. Their blasters in hands, and their resolves set for the kill of another enemy beast. Images flashing in their minds of Moff Trachta's tool to empower them. Their lust for death of the enemy powerful, and set.

The body of this alien beast to be but another addition for their Moff.

(Epica, Moff Camp)

Terrosh let the door slide open and up. He entered the busy room and looked about it with a confused expression.

"Your excellency, what is all of this?" The general questioned. Trachta stood overlooking the men work about his command room. The Moff turned to Terrosh and said nothing. Instead waiting for the man to come stand next to him.

"I am setting down some systems as a precaution for possible enemy counterattack." Terrosh frowned and looked to his superior. "We have received intelligence from a source we have inside the Imperial Naval Command; temporarily based on Anaxes of course, that an Imperial fleet comprising several warships of Death Squadron is on its way here." Terrosh looked horrified and stuttered to speak.

"De...Death Squadron sir?! That's...well that's-"

"Yes general, Lord Vader's fleet. However, fear not, the Executor himself is not coming. Rather, he has sent this new fleet at the command of her imperial majesty the undeclared princess of the Empire herself. Leia Vader." Terrosh relaxed some but his brow only deepened in its furrow of confusion.

"His daughter? That is rather odd, but certainly she's not in actual command of the whole fleet?"

"We can assume that she is not. If she is smart, which I would by analysis assume her to be. Vice-Admiral Piett is likely in naval command, and word has been reached that a general by the name of Immodet are part of the force. We can assume that they are here to relieve this battered and broken force. It is a task we cannot let successfully happen. At the least, not without losses being incurred that make this operation worthless." Trachta intoned darkly. Terrosh was loathe to question what he meant by that statement.

"You needn't worry yourself, general. Plans have been made and the preparation underway to assure our loyalist enemies of a swift loss, and if they should win," He turned to glare his photoreceptors toward the general darkly. "they will regret attempting to save this pathetic force." Terrosh stifled another weakly swallow of saliva to moisten his dried throat and merely nodded. Again, not wishing though wondering, what his superior meant. His dark tone, aided by the sound of his robotic voice, not helping calm his nerves.

"Now, what is it you wished to speak with me about general?" Trachta asked, turning his red robotic eyes back toward the bustling room full of technicians and officers. Terrosh looked confusedly back toward the Moff, before remembering he had indeed com bearing news.

"Right. Your...uh, cameras are prepped for the 'show,' sir. Do you swish to proceed?" Trachta huffed a stiff laugh.

"Not yet, general. I wish to see if my centerpiece can be gained from deep in the woods of this miserable planet. If and when that is complete we will commence the broadcast. If, however, the troops prove even more miserable than their prior allies, and fail in either killing or acquiring the 'centerpiece,' we shall commence." Trachta easily and coolly informed. Terrosh merely nodded and remained silent. His eyes catching several technicians move in a large crate. It required six men, and Terrosh furrowed his brow once again.

"Ah excellent." Trachta remarked. "This here are some of the tools I'll need in preparation for any enemy attack." He turned to Terrosh. "Should we need these tools the battle will assuredly be returned to our favor. Be sure to find me in this office, general, should you need the aid of these tools in the battle. Should it reach the planet's surface."

"Of course, Moff Trachta." Terrosh bowed.

"Good. Now, if you do not mind I must make preparations for our broadcast, for any possible orbital as well as ground counterattack by the enemy, and, if fate would shine down upon us, our eventual victory." Trachta made over to the crate, as the technicians and officers filed out. The Moff motioned to the exit, and Terrosh bowed before making his way out. Leaving the Moff to look over his crate and its contents. His emotionless features staring down, and thoughts of what lay within filling his mind.

(Epica, Forest)

Grash had heard them enter the forest. The hum and cries of their speeder bikes and ships. Their machines signaling the coming of more enemies. More to fight and more to kill. The Massassi warrior had gone back to where his lord rested some time prior, and early after dispatching the first enemies to enter these woods near to him and his lord.

---

"Grash?" The teen asked as the Massassi slogged his way near. His body ached and burned across the entirety and within, and no matter how hard he tried, Grash could not hide his great pain. "You took hits." Viathan stated rather than asked. The warrior nodded and kneeled. His face contorted to a pained furrow.

"The enemy has been defeated. Close to a dozen I brought down lord. Not without my fair share of battle scars." Grash pointed to one of his many blaster burns. Viathan grimaced and nodded.

"Good. Now let's get out of here before more arrive." Viathan made to stand. His arms placed firmly to the ground to push him up struggled and shook weakly. His face contorted to one of pain and anger. Before he fell down against the tree again with a snarl mixed with a huff.

"Kark it! Why am I so weak?" His voice was still raspy, and he erupted into a severe cough. His intakes were harsh and small traces of blood fell from the corners of his mouth. Grash couldn't understand for himself what the unseen toxin in the air was doing to those who it killed. All he knew was that it made those affected by it severely weak, and then killed them without failure. Save he and his lord so far as he knew.

"Whatever the enemy unleashed into the air, it smells of sweet death. It affected us all, my lord. It made us all weak, and only recently did I feel my strength return."

"Only for a few blaster burns to take that away?" The teen retorted. The warrior shrugged his massive crimson shoulder.

"I have enough strength in me to defend you my lord. This I promise."

"I don't need nor want your promises of protection Massassi!" the boy seethed in angered retort. His voice hoarse and echoing his military commanding tone. Grash merely stared.

"I want us to move to a safe location where I can regain my strength and aid you in survival. I do not command you to die here in this blasted forest. Not for me, not for yourself and your honor for our master, and not for our Empire. We, you and me, will live and fight another karking day! So if I can't move you better damn well pick me up and push us deeper into the forest!" The Force rippled around them both with his emotion, his eyes, brown and weakly blotched with yellow that churned in and out of its red hue, stared angrily toward the Massassi. His emotion was clear and so was his fear. Fear of death? No, Grash could sense it deep within. The boy was afraid of loss.

"I cannot move you my lord. I have strength enough to fight a warrior's fight, but not enough o move you and carry on as we have." Viathan snarled in anger.

"What sense does that make?!" He venomously shot back. Grash bowed his head.

"You will pick me up or so help me Grash'kil I shall...I'll-"

"Death awaits no one my lord." He intoned with a deep sadness and acceptance in his accented baritone of a voice. "Death at your hands for not being able to carry out your commands would be no less honorable than dying at the weapons of the enemy. It would please me more to die fighting and assuring of your continued survival lord. If you would let me." Grash offered, and the teen clamped his jaw tightly shut and bore daggers to his warrior.

"You will not die this day Grash. You understand?! I declare and order you to not die this day!" His voice broke, even more so than normal. The Massassi warrior, his people, they were not used to such display of open emotion. Of course they knew of such emotions, but in service to their lords they knew to leave them by the wayside. However, even Grash let himself soften for a moment. Even if just for a moment.

"I shall do as my lord, Exar Kun, demanded of all us. Of all my kin on this world who fight under your banner, the banner of our master, we shall fight and die to protect you and bring glory and victory to that banner. This Empire you and our master serve. But even greater still, shall I carry out the command to protect you lord. So that you may bring even greater glory and victory to our master and your banner. We, my kin, we lack vision, but with you, and the master, we have vision, and purpose. We live to fight, to serve, and we do not apologize for it. Never shall we. So, I tell to you this; should I die here, tonight, then I accept it with but one hope. That you, my kin Zar'kai, our lord Exar Kun, and your banner, the Empire go on to return one life for that of a million of theirs." Grash bowed his head in humility. His tendrils fell around his head, and the Force whirled around him. The boy before him huffed in stronger and deeper breaths. Grash knew his emotion to be welling and demanding release, and he did not wish to dishonor him by bearing witness to it.

"I leave you know lord. May your strength return, and your power be doubled. I must fight now." The warrior rose to a full stand and Viathan kept his jaw clamped shut. He feared opening it would relinquish hot burning tears from his eyes would he make even a peep.

"Galez Aureole, ir kraujas Staenas Tu'iea." Grash spoke in his native Massassi-Sith dialect and bowed, before he turned and left his lord in silence.

'May glory, and blood remain yours.' Viathan translated within his mind. He closed his eyes and blinked, and silently felt his hot tears roll down his cheeks. He sniffled, and let out a breath. His friend leaving him behind to fight, and possibly die. While he sat here weak and incapable.

"Stand you bastard...stand!" Viathan demanded of his body and once more made to rise, but could not. So he fell back against the tree once again, and slumped his head forward. His eyes watered and allowing silent tars to fall while he stifled his sobs. His face contorting to one of pain. Pain greater than any flesh wound, for it was one he felt within. Both his mind and in his soul.

Though he knew, one such as he, a mass-murderer deserved no less, than the greatest pains the universe had to offer.

---

Grash huffed as the memories faded, and his destiny awaited him. The hums and whirs of the technological beasts of the enemy had long since come and gone. Within his left hand was held a single one of their simple blasters, with its stock extended. At his side was his vibrosword, and his right hands claws dug easily into the bark of the tree he now hid atop.

For atop this, among many, trees he was hidden, and within his element. The leafs and the branches masked him as the dark skies above did not show him. Only his yellow beastly eyes would shine. But, then again, why would these men be looking toward the treetops? Why would they, for all they wanted, and all they looked for was one simple alien beast.

Grash growled lowly, and watched them from atop his tree. There were dozens. Maybe over three dozen in fact, and they were more heavily armed. Along the outskirts of the forest leading to the valley he could hear the swooping pass of those vehicles he'd seen his allies use, and the enemy utilize as well. However, this warrior was not the dumb beast these men thought him to be, and he would prove that to them too. Before the end that was.

'In the name of Exar Kun, and you my lord Viathan.' Grash snarled his last honoring, and let loose his right hand from the tree. For along his body, from his right shoulder down to his left hip were slung several, and by several it was more like a dozen if not more, grenades. All of them taken from the fallen dead enemy from before. All of them fit to his leather straps that were slung across his mighty warrior form.

A growl that hissed out more into a low laugh escaped from passed his lips as he grinned a toothy grin common of his kin. With his right hand, Grash snatched up one of the thermal detonators on his strap and unhooked it from himself. The men below marched in a large column that broke down into lines advancing one after the other into the woods. Like their allies before them they scanned the ground they walked toward and around, and trained their blaster lights along the trees for any sign of him.

Grasping the thermal detonator, the warrior pressed down on its activation switch. The small ball of death sprung to life, and with a mighty throw of his toned arm, the ball flew into the air in an arch. It fell back down to the soil below and Grash dove along the tree branch toward an adjoining tree. He hopped over from the branch of his current tree to the new one and clung to it with his claws.

Te grenade fell and at the feet of one trooper. He stopped and pointed his blaster downward to it. He looked down some, and then reeled.

"Grenade!" He turned and ran, but it was too late. The others turned as the man ran away, but a great explosion ripped through the soil. The man was sent flying backwards and two others were tossed. Their cries filling the air around them as the tree Grash had been upon was slammed into by rock and debris that embedded itself into the bark, and even into the men nearby.

The thrown men hit the trees and one another before slamming into tree's. Those further away made shock noises. "Whoa," and expletives fell from their mouths through their masks in response. Those quick and caring enough ran to the aid of their fallen comrades to help them up. Grash narrowed his vision and scanned. To see one trooper, and then a second fallen and not moving at all, death whirling around them within the Force, made the whole thing worth it.

"In the name of all that's good, did that come from?!" Their commander demanded from the front.

"I don't know Sigma-14906 is down. He saw it land!" One trooper kneeling to his ally called back. The dead trooper being the one the grenade fell before.

"Scan your surroundings men! Form up and pull together! Don't let this beast catch us split up." The man announced, and caused Grash to snarl low at being called a beast.

"Come out monster! And, we can make this a quick death!" One trooper added his two cents to the mix of emotion and anger Grash could sense below him. He snarled once more, and unclasped a second grenade from his strap. With a grumble that was deep and throaty that carried down into the forest ever so lowly, he tossed the second one, and began to run to another tree.

"What was that?" One trooper asked at hearing the growl. Then a thump of the detonator hitting the grass and soil caught the attention of another trooper.

"Karking hell! Another-" The grenade blew and sent him and another man flying into a tree. One of them smashed his arm against the tree and cracked it in the wrong direction. His screams filled the woods as Grash clamped himself to a new tree.

"Son of a twi'lek whore! The trees you idiots! Check the karking trees!" Their commander howled over the screams and grans of tossed and injured men laying about. The shock troopers raised their massive assault blasters toward the sky and the trees. They opened fire at random and their bolts ripped through, and burned through leafs and stripped bark or branches off from their tree trunk. Two bolts flew passed Grash and next to his face, he clamped closer to the tree, and jumped away.

He ran along another tree branch and jumped his way to another tree branch. He fell along it and groaned. The branch was also ripped into by the Moff bolts, and the warrior jumped, clamping his claws into the tree trunk. He growled a throaty growl and unclasped two more grenades from his strap with a free hand as the other dug into the tree. Activating them, they fell to the ground below, and Grash struggled to climb away and around the tree trunk. A bolt flew up and slammed into the center of his back close to his neck and he howled loudly in pain, but kept moving through it all. Feeding even off of the new addition to his wounds.

"We have you now alien scu-" The grenades exploded and ripped through the small area the two devices fell. Three more troopers were tossed aside. Debris flew and slammed into the helmet of one trooper and he fell backwards without a sound, dead before hitting the ground. The officer groaned and clasped his head. His cap fell to the ground and he growled in anger.

Grash on the other hand groaned himself, as the tree he had been on was too close to the fallen grenade's They ripped into the side of the trunk and sent the tree toppling down with Grash still upon it. He jumped off of it as it swayed and fell. Troopers ran away from where it made to fall, and the warrior landed to the grass into a roll before he stopped in a kneel.

"Argh..." The officer in charge groaned and shook his head again. Having thrown himself aside he looked about his surroundings until his eyes, filled with anger, and hatred, fell onto the Massassi warrior.

"There he is! Kill the beast!" He threw his arm outward and pointed toward Grash. He growled lowly and barred his teeth. A roar erupted from his chest and he dove left as a slew of bolts came his way.

"The right damn it he dashed right!" The officer kept going, and pulled forth his own blaster pistol. His bolts joined those of his many men, as they ran forward and fired into the dark forest hoping for a stray shot, or group of them, to bring down the monster. The brute landed himself behind a large boulder stationed against three trees. The bolts tore past him and overhead.

He grumbled out a groan of stifled pain, and readied himself. Snatching yet another grenade off his strap, Grash tossed it overhead and around the trees. He pulled his blaster close to chest and waited for the signaling explosion. The explosion ripped across the soil beyond and he heard several men scream and cry out in their muffled voices behind their helmets.

With barred teeth once again and adrenaline coursing through his veins, Grash dove around the corner in a kneeled position. Aiming down his sights he fired a controlled spray against the enemy position. Two troopers were shakily trying to rise form the explosion, but were hit by three bolts each. They fell back dead and in heaps. Another trooper bounded around a tree he used for cover and returned fire. Grash ducked down and fired back. The bolts from his blaster slammed into the enemy trooper's right leg, and chest killing him.

Three massive men carrying larger blaster rifles rose from prone positions and unleashed a burst of bolt fire that ripped apart the soil around Grash and sent bark from trees splintering off in mass. Grash spun back right and around the tree. One stray bolt clipped his left ankle, and he roared in anger, and pain, but he would live. For now. Those men were not troopers, they carried shoulder pads on their armor, and signaled their higher rank or superiority in the enemy force. Their blasters were bigger, and their rate of fire faster. They also fought more brazenly than the others.

Waiting in a kneel once more the Massassi let the cascade of bolts fly passed him on all sides of his little shielded spot. The trees were tore into and bark, and wood shards, splinters, all of it flew around him in charred bits. His rock acted as his main shield even as one of the three trees near to him shook and whined as it too fell over from the bolts peeling away into its bark as an axeman would with a cutting tool.

Then finally came the momentary pause. Well somewhat momentary. The blitzing fire of the regular troopers replaced the fast and furious thuds and blasts of the heavy trooper fire. Grash erupted into a run. He ran forward and then flung himself left into a roll. He turned and fired a flurry of bolts toward the enemy and slowly in a crouch continued on left. His red beams of death and pain slammed into several of the heavy troopers knees and legs. They fell in huffs and heaves. He continued firing even as the enemy officer once more pointed him out in a shout of fury and disgust. The troopers piled and fired on him and a hail f death came his way. The Massassi ducked and rolled, but he felt two more slam into his back and one sheer into one of his head tendrils. He roared in fury and fell to the ground in pain even as his bolts furiously cut down two more enemy troops.

Grash took but a second to look to his fallen and severed burnt flesh on the soil beneath him before he dove and ran left again. With blaster in hand, he grabbed frantically at another grenade and tossed it the enemy's way. It exploded and he saw one trooper be flung against the very boulder he had used for cover.

"Blasted all! Hunt it down you half witted imbeciles!" Their commander cried through seething teeth. Grash ran and threw himself against a near tree. He could smell them, and hear their fast approach. A whole army of the white clad enemy. He gingerly brought his left hand to his head and touched where one of his tendrils had been seared from his head. The pain blinded, only temporarily though, all the various spots across his form that burned and pounded in intense pain.

"Got you scum!" A man's voice filtered through a mask howled and Grash instinctively ducked down. A searing flurry of bolts rained where his head had been and against the tree. He swung around and threw his right arm outward. In a sweeping motion he tossed the man with a huff onto his side. His massive muscled arm having caught the man out from under his own footing.

"Get off me!" the man seethed and raised his blaster to fire. Grash snarled and once again slammed his right arm across the man and threw his form rolling and shooting away from himself.

"Over here! I got him in my sights!" The man cried and Grash snarled once again in anger. Raising his blaster he fired a long line up the man's form and heard him gasp his last gasps. His arms swung down as tiredness momentarily overtook the Massassi. A bolt flew passed hi head and screamed into the soil behind him. He looked up as a line of enemy troops took up firing positions and laid into him.

A mass of bolts flew his way, and Grash fired back. His instincts muddled, and his mind clouded with pain and tire. So, he roared. With a fury of his people. A fury of the Massassi warriors, long since in service to their lords, in service to the Sith. Since the time of the great Naga Sadow!

So, he raised his blaster and fired with a great and mighty roar that pounded and echoed the forest. His blaster was carried from left to right and tore into man after man. They fell one by one. The first, the second, the third, the fourth, and the fifth all fell in various displays to his bolts of hot blooded fury. Even as one, two, three, four and then onto ten enemy bolts slammed into his flesh. He fell to one knee and kept firing and felled two more. They fired against him still in kind, and two more bolts hit his arms. One slamming into each.

Grash groaned, and it sounded more a feeble cry as an injured nexu would make. He fell forward and onto both hands and his knees. His tendrils falling around him toward the dirt. His breaths ragged and his body shaking in pain. Only adrenaline, and the unseen power of his people and their blood keeping him alive. His vision blurred and he heard the enemy approach.

"We've got you now you murderous alien wretch!" The cultured voice of the enemy commander seethed. Grash only took in gasps and gulps of air. His arms supporting him from laying to the ground and dying. His eyes feeling now more than ever as if they needed, and wanted to close. To let him drift off into a warrior's sleep. A growl passed his lips.

"Should...have killed me...from afar." He sensed the sudden far spike in the captain, now that he was so close. Grash roared once more and his right arm flung to his waist. Like a song, sung through the air, his blade was unsheathed from its holster, and the Massassi swung his body up and from left to right carrying his momentum. The captain threw himself back, but the blade slashed through three troopers. Their armor meaning nothing to the brute power and strength of the Massassi warrior and his slash.

"Why you..." The captain howled as he lay prone and on his back. But, the Massassi weakly rose to his full height. His groans and grunts guttural and deep. His yellow eyes burning in anger and with resolve. The man stared upwards, and met the eyes of the feral alien brute that had brutalized so many of his men already. His mouth tendrils shivered and the beast barred his teeth, as he once more took in a mighty gulp of air with his great lungs, and unleashed a great tremendous, and thunderous roar that pounded the forest and forced the captain to cover his ears.

He staggered into a crawl and near comically scurried across the dirt to get away from the feral alien warrior. He fell to his face and shakily searched himself for his communicator, and brought it up to his mouth.

"Get me some backup now! The alien is on me!" He cried and turned. The limping beast made its way after him.

The captain huffed and took a moment to simply watch the thing approach him. His fear petrifying him into an unmoving form. Then in an instant his hand fell to the dirt next to him and his fingers twisted across the handle of his still sheathed extra blaster pistol. He grasped it, raised it and fired.

The beast fell.

---

Viathan fought to keep his eyes open. The distant sounds of fighting reaching his ears kept his senses just barely alert. Sleep begged him to cave, but he wouldn't. He still screamed inwardly to his body to move. To get up and aid his Massassi warrior in the fight, but it would not budge. Whatever Trachta had put into that gas, whatever that gas was, made moving damn near impossible.

'Why can Grash move, but I can't?' He asked inwardly and groaned as he managed the most menial movement and propped himself up some more against the tree he lay against. His body shivered as a cold wind hit his body, but he seethed in anger, and cast the shivering away. Remembering some of the 'environmental' trials doctor Lucentos put him through.

"A cold night indeed, on a world so coldly covered with the stench of death." Viathan's eyes opened once again, and looked about himself. Had he just heard a voice?

"Great...I'm losing it...again." Viathan sighed and hung his head. He called on the dark side to fill and surround him with power and protection. His mind now play-

"Insanity? It is easy to assume such insanity when one hears words from the open winds. This I understand, boy. However, not this day. This day your are not insane. Rather, you are blessed." The voice was deep and powerful, it echoed as if broadcast form a deep booming stereo, and Viathan felt his skin crawl. Like electricity had been charged and played across his skin.

"Show yourself! Who sent you? Trachta, or any other Moff scum?! Or did Nelrain sneak an assassin onto the world? Don't hide in the shadows, and just come out and do the job!"

"Calm yourself and lower your voice, boy." The voice was quick to reproach. It boomed and Viathan swore the wind around him swirled with unseen annoyance.

"Great anger, and great darkness do I sense within you, boy. It is fitting that I finally meet you. One such as myself with a destiny much like my own." Viathan furrowed his brow. The forest around him seem to grow cold, and darkness of night seemed to grow only darker.

"What?" He spoke as the wind whirled around him, and a light shone through. Viathan struggled to keep his eyes open as the light flashed a brilliant blue. Then as the light calmed, he opened them once again. Standing before him was a tall figure. He was glowing an ethereal blue, but the color of his clothing was still discernible from the rest. It was an especially blackened long robe that hung down loosely across his...or its figure. A great and foreboding cowl covered its head. An indiscernible black void showed itself where one would expect the face to be. There was nothing save for the faintest hint of eyes. All was missing save for the glow of its eyes. A powerful glow of light where the pupils would be being the only sign of the body parts present on this creature.

This vaguely humanoid figure, raised its arms and seemed to look at them. His arms were covered by the same great blackened cloak, and his hands were shrouded in what looked to be equally blackened gloves. A deep...what sounded to almost be a growl of satisfaction released itself from its unseen maw.

"Much power, does it take to create this visage. Be grateful I did this much child. I have little power to spare, and much to say." Viathan felt his mouth slightly hang ajar at the sight. Then, a sudden shiver crawled up his spine. One that turned and shook into his body with anger.

"Do I have the most convoluted karking life? Why do all the dead want to speak to me?" The being chuckled deeply and darkly, but Viathan sensed an underlying annoyance in its tone as well.

"Trust me, boy. The man in this galaxy with the most convoluted tail to live is not you. You know him, or at least of him. You should be pleased. Your life is actually quite...normal. In a galaxy that seeks nothing but death, pain, and shared destruction among those that live within it. Life, my young friend, is a cheap commodity in the universe, but cheaper still in this galaxy." Viathan openly growled and barred his teeth.

"Why is it the dead wish to speak to me? Now of all places at that? Showing yourself to attain some measure of past glory I presume. Well, I have nothing to offer, in fact I'll be dead soon. So why don't you kriff off!" The being whirled and pulsed with irritation.

"Watch your tone, and your tongue boy! I will not be condescended down by one as young as you, and one as openly suicidal as he is foolish! Respect your elders, child." Power exploded outward from its figure and hit Viathan with a cold and dark wind. It almost seemed to howl at the creature's ire.

"Now, barring any further childish retorts from your person, I have come to help you boy. To escape your demise, and to get to your beast in time." The being spoke, and Viathan felt a sneer cross his features as his body lay near limply.

"He's not a beast." He glared upwards to the being. "He's my comrade, a Massassi warrior. You're the dead man here." The being groaned lowly.

"This is a fact I know very well, child. Your beast...or comrade" He self corrected. "He is in the heat of a battle that may well claim his life, and here you lay unmoving, and surrendering to a fate of inevitable death. Ironic, since he fights to ensure that you continue to live, and continue to fight and struggle for life in this unfriendly universe. In fact, I would go as far as to say you're betraying the whole point of what he's doing." Viathan lowered his head. The by now common sensation of shame, so used to it by now in his life, flooded over him. The smallest bit of anger flushing through him, at being shamed by a dead...thing.

"I betray nothing." He lowly seethed. "I cannot move. I've tried for the longest time, but my body feels limp, almost as if it was dead, save for my head and what little movement I can force into my arms."

"You lack conviction, and you lack will. The purest instinct any creature carries is the will and instinct, the primal drive to live. You should know the power of instinct child. Your life is an open book to me." Viathan's eyes trailed along the dark figure from the bottom to the top. He stared into the great void that was its face, and into its glowing representation of eyes. He said nothing.

"The Force, and more importantly boy, the power that lay given from bogan is what will set you free. Harness it, centralize it and focus it!" Viathan cocked one of his brows.

"Bogan?" The creature reeled back ever so slightly and cocked its ethereal head.

"Ah yes, I forget that it is an outdated title to refer to what you and yours call the dark side of the Force. Or, perhaps I am too old and forget what the many names of it were in my time, but know this boy; my words are not to be idly forgotten or cast aside. Channel your anger, use your hatred and your darker impulses. Feed that power into your body, and command it to cleanse your body of this toxin that makes lame your bone and muscle! Make the Force, a tool, your tool, and your weapon!"

Viathan glared, but didn't say anything. Instead he found himself following the advice of this specter. He turned inwards. His thoughts going to the battles of the past, the pain incurred over his childhood, the face of Trachta, and even more so, the Jedi witch Nelrain as she beat him down and took his left hand.

His heart began to pound in his chest, and he felt the familiar tremors of rage crawl and boom up his spine into his neck. His teeth ground together, and he snarled lowly. The dark side swirled around and then into his body. He'd been too long free of its embrace. He felt his breath catch and a rush, a surge even, of power filter through his veins. He flushed the Force, he..commanded it to enter into his body and surge through his very blood. It felt hot, and filled him with an odd pain. Needles of ice stabbing and meeting his boiling blood, and unleashing a torrent of steam! Raw none diluted power coursing through him.

The spirit lingered around him and idly watched, and Viathan commanded with a gasp of pain for his body to rise. His legs, feeling as though they weren't his own, like some appendages crudely stapled to his flesh, and asleep for far too long, twitched, toes curled and muscles sprung back to life. He began to groan and shake as he rose, but rise he did. One leg went underneath him, and his body near limply fell forward, only for his left arm to hit the soil and block him from collapsing in totality. He forced himself into a kneel as sweat began pooling and beading across his body, and the roar of hatred, anger, pain, and conviction filtered through his mind, and the dark side gave him power. The glow of hateful red, crimson bloody eyes, came back to his features.

He made it to his kneel, and his right leg finally began to push down against the dirt. And with shakiness and weakness befitting of himself, Viathan rose. His breath was ragged, and pained, sweat poured down his form, and his whole body shook of weakness. But, as he made it to a stiff and tall full stand upwards, he stared out into the empty forest and released the longest and deepest gasp of breath he had ever held since his childhood.

"Very impressive. You can indeed channel the dark side well, my boy." The phantom uttered with a thoughtful and familiar conniving tone that Viathan knew all too well from his days under his old master.

"The dark side, can infect and kill any weak lesser with power and viruses made by the mere thought and imagination of its master, and so too can the Force purge the body of any invader. The power of the dark side wells and grows in you young one, and I look forward to how far it will go."

"Charmed." Viathan spat back. "Now tell me who you are." the spirit groaned lowly and merely faded from his sight.

"Your beast, he's near death. I would suggest you move quickly, and move with conviction, boy. Whom and what I am can wait." the vice faded, and Viathan shook himself from his wonder and curiosity. His mind slammed back with thoughts of Grash and what his comrade had thrown himself into. Turning his body with force and will it usually took him to toss a walker, he moved and stretched out his senses across the forest. The Force rung with death and screams. Blood and death was palpable in these forests, and among these trees. His Massassi warrior, his ally and comrade was weak, Viathan could sense it from here, and his heart pounded faster once more with rage, and desperation. His weak and shaky right hand clutched one of his sabers, and activated the brilliant crimson beam and illuminated the trees around him. A growl escaped from him, and he sensed the spirit silently near, but he cast all such thoughts and awareness aside, and slammed one booted foot down, and then the other, followed by the next. Every step was weak and he nearly fell with each footfall, but he ran, and the dark side whispered and seethed in his mind, as he dove forward with the Force as his ally, and as his weapon. His tool!

His legs pounded down and he fell across the forest floor. The distant sounds of blaster fire, and explosions, a roar here and there getting nearer as he went toward the sounds. His eyes fixed, hatred and fear coursing through him, and pain mingled with weakness shaking through his shivering body. Viathan felt his foot catch and he cried out as he fell forward his saber fell from his hand to the floor, and he fell face first into a tree and then to the floor. He growled out loudly and in primal anger mixed with pain as he forced himself up and called his saber to him again and activated the blade. His body covered with even more dirt than before, he ran forward again.

"...alien is on me!" Viathan heard the tail end of some man's voice. He grit his teeth and barred them as he dashed forward and then came between two trees. He paused as his eyes grew wide, and his heart stopped. His comrade weakly standing with sword in hand, body racked and scarred with burns and scars, and an officer before him to the floor, a blaster pistol in hand and aimed at Grash's body.

"Grash down!" Viathan called with hoarse and pained voice. Then, a shot rung out, and a bolt flew outward. The little red beam of energy slammed into his friend's chest, and Grash groaned out like a wounded nerf. The Massassi fell forward and rolled to his side, a gasp escaping him as Viathan watched.

His eyes grew wider than before, and his arms fell to his sides. He felt his breath escape him involuntarily, and his mind go blank, save for the image of his friend laying motionless before him.

"No...I'm here...I got here in time!" Viathan roared with a voice filled with a tone not normal for him. A stray tear ran down his cheek and his body shook. His breath came back to him and he inhaled a breath and released it again and again fast like a raging beat. A boma ready to charge. His head shakily turned to the man still to the ground and his teethe ground together harder and more painfully than he could ever remember.

"You karking piece of treasonous filth!" Viathan raged. His hands came to his head and his free left hand dug his fingers into his hair. The pain of yanking down on his own head as rage consumed him barely making an impact upon him. Cries of pure rage, and throaty gargles of hatred escaped from his cracked and dried lips and equally dried throat.

"You! Get...get down, and on your knees!" The man demanded and rose back to a stand. Viathan ignored him and held his head and leaned down. The image portraying the image of a madman shaking and seething in an open street.

"I...I said get down damn it! Or I'll put you down like this alien scum here!" His voice, prim and proper, warned, as he pointed to the fallen warrior, with fear and lack of conviction in his own voice.

The boy clutched his head and he hyperventilated, until finally he grew louder his breath louder and his voice louder. The officer cocked a brow and his hair across his form stood on edge. The air around them became charged, and he took a cautious step back while keeping his blaster trained on the shaking figure with crimson blade in hand.

"Captain!" Swarming around him came several troopers. They aimed rifles down sights and onto the figure, he looked left and right and sighed as his backup arrived.

"You're outnumbered and beat boy. Surrender now and I'll let you live. It's more than-"

"Let me live?!" The shriek was terrible and powerful. His voice sounding filled with rage, but more that that, a power unknown to the captain. He even swore that he felt a slight push on his body back.

"You let ME live!" He looked up barring teeth and breathing like a rabid kath hound. "Let me return the favor you gave to my friend, and show you what I did to YOUR friends, and what I'll do to your WHOLE KARKING ALLIANCE!" A scream escaped him and both hands rose above his head, and the troopers back up as the air filled with a terrible crackling shriek, and then he threw both hands down and outwards. A blinding bright flash of light appeared and blasted through the air. Captain Korvo shielded his eyes and groaned as a terrible wind consumed his body and pushed against him with unknown power. His men screamed and cried out sharply before they were silence. The sound of trees uprooting and splintering apart was heard and what sounded like the burst of a turbolaser unleashed around him.

"Argh!" Korvo cried as he was lifted off his feet and thrown far away from the screaming boy and felt himself slam against something. That was it until it all went black for the captain.

Viathan dropped his arms and let his saber hilt fall lifelessly to the soil beneath him. Before him and his weak almost dazed glazed glare was an entire sector of the forest...gone. Trees torn from their roots, and bodies strewn about. Some troopers impaled and broken across trees or rocks. Their bodies twisted and blood pouring from them. The murderous scum of their, their captain, lay limply across a boulder where his head had slammed into. Right where Viathan wanted him to stay.

"Hmm, Force blasts. A terrible and rare power indeed. I am pleased that you have grown more powerful with this tactic boy." Viathan paid the voice no mind, and weakly turned to his fallen Massassi warrior. He stepped forward on weak legs until he was before his body. He fell to his knees and next to him.

Carefully Viathan turned the warrior onto his back. Just as carefully, he brought both hands to the face of the warrior and cupped it. He scanned his face, but his heart fell only further as he could see, as well as he had sensed some time ago, but kept to hope. The warrior, Grash'kil, was dead. The Massassi warrior, stained with blood, and scarred with burns and mutilated across his body, worn out and tired from carrying him to safety. Hours upon hours of fighting and moving, and what had he done? Lay down in weakness, and all but surrender to death.

Viathan let the face go, and it fell to his right, lifeless and unseeing. Viathan let his face drop and felt himself rock back and forth next to the fallen corpse. What more did he deserve? With all the lives lost, taken, and destroyed, what was one more Massassi life? Even if this one among the many he held in such high value and regard alongside that of Zar'kai. Of all the lives he took, their screams and bodies rushing through his mind, what flicker of deserving did he hold, that should decree his friends and his allies did not fall like the others?

"I was too weak." Viathan croaked out, another stray tear rushed down his cheek, and he angrily took his arm to his face and wiped it from existence with such force he thought he cut his face. His breath hitched and he shakily loosed another breath. He felt nothing but self hatred and disgust at his moment of weakness, but only he and the forest were there to observe him, and possibly a dead man. Why shouldn't he let loose his weakness now? His right hand laid onto the warrior's chest and Viathan hung his head in silence as the forest stood in awe before the great heap of death and the unleashed power fueled by fury and rage he had unleashed on the strewn and broken corpses.

"A terrible thing, to lose comrades on the field of battle. Worse still is to watch their deaths and incapable of doing anything to stop it." Viathan could sense, and caught sight of the specter's form from the corner of his eye. His glowing form stood motionless but tall next to the two and silently watched over them.

"What do you want?" Viathan mumbled out, his body still rocking back and forth, his pain diluted by grief, and feeling returning to every inch of his body, bringing new soreness to bear.

"To aid you child. You cannot fathom how long I have waited for one such as yourself to rise and come to their own in the power of the Force. The dark side is and always has been our ally. The death of this...of your comrade is tragic. Indeed no matter whom you are and what your titles can be, no commander takes the deaths of their true allies lightly. Vengeance, that is the only price to be paid, and the debt to be repaid."

"What are you saying then?! Just come out with it, or leave me alone." Viathan spat back, even as the cold air whirling about the spirit hummed around him and whipped through him. A grumble once more escaped it as it bit back the retort from the boy.

"I'm saying, boy, that the loss of your comrade is regrettable. I sense that he was a fine warrior, and unquestionably loyal. That is always good in servants to our causes. However, you should not let this death go to waste, and wallow in self pity."

"Well then what should I do?! What does a dead man think I should do with all this...this...-" Viathan growled and silenced himself. He couldn't verbally admit yet to his pain.

"You collect the debt owed to you now. Find the killers of your ally, use your hatred for them and unleash yourself upon them. Fill your heart with hatred, and feed your power. Let it carry your fragile body so that you may make it from a broken shell to an unbreakable and unstoppable machine. A machine of pure death." The spirit silenced himself, and Viathan thought on his words. The image of his master flashing before his mind, and what he would have him do.

"That one," The spirit moved before him and pointed its glowing arm outwards. "I believe can point you in the right direction. Seek out and dominate the cause of your pain. Master it, and become even more powerful child." Not knowing who or what this spirit was Viathan glanced up and watched it point to the fallen officer, before it faded back into the wind. His gleaming and glaring crimson colored eyes, now even more red and bloodshot fell onto the officer who lay unconscious against the boulder Viathan had slammed him against.

"Stay here Grash." Viathan ordered and patted his hand down upon his fallen comrade. The scene to anyone not inside his mind would have seen to be brought about by insanity. Nonetheless, the boy clutched onto the sword in the Massassi's hand, and pulled it gently free from his still strong grasp of the hilt.

He rose more steadily and stiffly than before with vibrosword in hand. He called his fallen saber to his other hand and clasped it back to his belt and angrily he took his ragged and ruined cloak and yanked it off from his figure. Leaving just him and his dark tunic and jeans. He stepped with a narrowed vision and mindset toward the fallen officer and leaned down as he neared. Grasping his collar and yanking him up with strength aided by the Force, Viathan shook him.

"Wake up!" The man groaned and shook his head. "I said awaken filth!" Viathan threw his body left and to the soil, not wanting him to hit his head against the boulder again. The officer coughed and groaned out even more with pain.

"What?" he shakily asked and looked about the ground and weakly pushed against the dirt. Viathan rounded to his side, and watched the worm move feebly for a moment. Then with a sneer and terrible snarl he slammed a kick into his gut. The man cried out and flipped over onto his back and held his stomach as he curled into a ball of pain.

Viathan fell to a knee and with sharpened, clawed, metallic, left hand he grasped his collar and let the finger tips scratch the man's neck and collar leaving blood trails as he scratched through the skin. He gasped in pain, but Viathan yanked him up again.

"Call your master, call Trachta now. Or, I will use the sword of the alien you just killed to take your life. Inch by inch I will remove your flesh and scrape free from your flesh your skin, and then the muscle before I carve bone." The man stared with great and wide eyes of terror, as the teen spoke with a terrible conviction in his hoarse voice.

He fumbled through his clothing until he pulled out his holo-communicator. He shakily set in a key to call and Viathan stared down with blank eyes filled with hatred, as the sword hung near to the mans flesh. The communicator beeped and waited until the image of Trachta appeared. The Moff stood in full uniform with his mask on, and his slight breaths sounding out as he had arms crossed over his chest.

"Captain Korvo. I do hope you're calling to inform me my centerpiece is dead and ready?" Viathan felt his lips curl in disgust and hatred even further and he snatched the small communicator from the man. So fast in fact the hologram fazed out in a blur and had to reform once held steady in Viathan's hand.

"He and his team of Moff bastards killed my Massassi comrade Moff, but he did not, nor did his little friends kill me. In fact I have his whole platoon scattered around. Body parts missing bones broken, and impaled on trees I have torn asunder. For the one death caused here and now, I shall impart twenty fold, thrice over, on you and your ilk Moff!" Trachta stared forward toward Viathan and then, he scoffed.

"Foolish child. War involves death, and you brought this down onto yourself. His hand pointed an accusatory finger his way. "I warned you, and offered you a chance to surrender. It is far more than you and your rabble of beasts deserved. Now that one among many of their kind lay dead at your boots you cry? Grow up, and learn that when you cross one such as me, death is the only thing that will follow after child." Trachta re-crossed his arms and scoffed once more in blatant defiance even as Viathan felt his hand grip the sword hilt so tight he swore it would crack in half.

"You kill scores of Moff troops here, on Neona, and through all of Tapani, you loyalists massacre us in sectors across the galaxy," He waved his arm in a sweeping manner. "The droid hordes of the URM come to bear against all, and death follows in their terrible wake. Coruscant burnt and still recovering from their siege. A siege you took part in defending against, and through the billions already dead in this Galactic Civil War, you dare confront me over one dead alien beast? A mongrel beneath the boot of any self respecting human being? The Emperor must be desperate and weak indeed to rely on children and aliens to fight and win his wars." Viathan shook with uncontrollable rage as the dark side bristled and sparked around him, crackling through the air and moaning as the terrible beast was awakened inside.

"The alien beast slaughtered more of your men than even I have this night Trachta! You rely on gas to kill what your men cannot, and you rely on words where your actions fail! You want me to grow up?! Then let me start 'growing up' by spilling a little more blood!" Viathan turned the communicator and swung the sword left and over shoulder.

"NO!" Korvo screamed, but Viathan flung the sword outward and across himself to the right. The blade slashed through his neck, and he clasped onto it as blood spilled and flowed freely. Viathan growled openly with every breath, and the dark side whispered of hate and death to his mind. Trachta watched on in silence before Viathan turned the communicator back onto himself.

"His death is but one of millions, one of billions, and if need be trillions of you and your kind Moff. Your wretched kind shall be wiped clean from the face of the whole universe before this war is done." Cold crimson eyes stared hatefully into the equally red photoreceptors of the Moff.

"I'm coming for you now, Moff. I will dance upon your body before your men, after I have broken them and beaten them all into submission. When they are all impaled onto PIKES for all to see, shall I free them of their pathetic lives, and shall you watch! Watch as blood feeds the soil and grows flowers of dread, so shall your kind be forgotten for all time. In time, you and yours will be fed your own intestines, and I shall watch with lee, a smirk, and laugh at the horror that befalls you, as it echoes what will befall those who ally with you. Know that Moff! And, know that I am coming for you. I am coming, and you cannot stop, only prolong the inevitable." Viathan raged with a voice that was sickly, deep, and filled with a power and darkness the Moff had seen before in those of Sith. The Moff cocked his head to the side and then waved both hands before himself.

"Then come and get me, boy. Hurry now, I'm waiting." The call ceased, and Viathan gripped the device but did not break it. Instead he felt his spine crawl and tingle with rage as the captain's body fell over with blood drenching his clothing and ground about his limp form.

Then he threw both arms down and unleashed a scream that was terrible as it was loud. The forest billowed out from his presence, as the Force whirled and his body flooded with power that flowed and escaped from him with a wild and desperate fury! A mighty Force scream emanated from him that tore at his throat and racked his body before he ceased and fell to his knee. Wind and energy knocked momentarily from him. His breaths now the staggering and husky breaths of an angered rancor escaped from him as he used the sword to keep him from collapsing over.

"Such power..." The spirit, still unseen, stated with great wonder and awe. "It is deep, and repressed! Such envy and anger, rage, and uncultivated wrath do I sense in you boy. If you harness, and use it, than any enemy that comes before you will fall." Viathan didn't respond. He had no words left in him to speak. His mouth curled into a deep sneer, and his eyes glowed powerful, and red.

"You have your mark, and you have your desire. Let loose your baser instincts. Hunt down this threat and this foe. Make him low, and kill him. Make your vengeful lust fulfilled and taste the full power of the bogan, of the dark side of the Force!" Viathan barred his teeth and nodded, while a throaty growl escaped and he rose to stand.

"Now...go!" And he did. Viathan with the Force at his feet and leading him where he sensed the enemy lay, stomped his way through the broken forest. His mind having only one instinct. To kill all that moves and smelled of Moff perversion, of their treachery! There were some still in the darkness of the forest, and he would hunt them down, tear them to shreds and leave their broken forms to rot and linger their stench in the woods. Before long, and with little envious, contemptuous, rage lost he would undo what Grash had done, and broke into a run for the Moff camp.

The death of one man, being the only thought filling his mind.

(Moff Camp, Epica)

"Are we all set and ready for the broadcast?" The team of camera operators turned as the Moff came toward them. With him was general Terrosh looking stoic and beaten as ever. The lead camera operator cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Yes your excellency. We have several dozen cam-droids in operation and on the...targets you have specified we focus on."

"Very good. Then we are ready." Trachta nodded, and moved into position before them all and the main camera. The lead operator cleared his throat again and raised an inquisitive finger.

"Yes sir, but um...what of the centerpiece you spoken of?"
"It shall not be coming. Nor is it truly needed to convey the message. Merely, it would have added, an extra..shall we say flare to the occasion. Now, however, we can no longer wait. The enemy makes its way back for Epica. Now is the time, so start the broadcast on all channels. I want all of Epica to see what I have awaiting for them." The fear inspiring robotic voice dictated and the team all nodded as Terrosh waved them to proceed. He stepped behind them and watched as Trachta stood alone and ready with his collection about them all.

The broadcast signal went out and across Epica and into orbit. The men aboard the Moff fleet watched as the overriding command signal of their Moff came across their screens and through their personal communicators. His image showed as he stood on a patch of dirt in a valley with hill of burnt and scorched earth behind him. Behind him were allied trooper meandering about as massive flood lights illuminated the camp and beyond.

The remains of the loyalist forces, stood in scattered laces around the forest. Their armies beaten, their commander lost, and their weapons near depleted. Suddenly their holo-communicator's, projectors, comlinks, and what video screens they had come to life. Before them all stood a clear and present picture of the enemy Moff in his well defined and proper uniform. His robotic features staring unemotionally back and toward all of them. He was stiffly standing with hands clasped. A small rasp, very reminiscent but much lower and subtle than their lord and supreme commander sounded out, before the man spoke.

"Comrades of the Moff Alliance, citizens of Epica, and of course our esteemed loyalist guests. As you all are full aware by now, I am Moff Trachta. Given supreme military authority over all Moff forces here upon Epica; I came here with a single purpose. To destroy the enemy in their entirety." He began and raised his chin upwards taking a regal stance as the cam-droid obviously filming him wavered up and down subtly. All eyes fell upon him and became glued as he spoke. In their homes the citizens watched, from the camp and on patrol, the Moffs watched and paused, laying in wait for death and their end among the trees and dirt the imperial loyalists watched, and one teenager, battered, bloody, and standing over a freshly killed Moff trooper pulled his stolen communicator forth to watch with hateful silent eyes.

"To destroy an enemy is not to kill a living body. A thing made of skin, flesh, bone, and brain matter. To destroy an enemy, one must tear down so much more than their physical selves. One must take their hearts, their spirits, and their minds and crush their hopes, dash their dreams and obliterate their courage." He waved both arms out in a grand waving gesture, and slowly left them.

"For too long the loyalists, you my enemies, have held out on this world, when it has long since been beyond your grasp to retake. You cower and run into the forests as if they can protect you from our wrath and our impending victory." He mocked with a subtle scoff in his tone.

"You hide among trees, I burn down your forest. You defy me and spit upon my hand when I offer you the chance of surrender, I choke your lungs, and make your men drop like gnats as pesticide falls upon them!" He finally lowered his arms and he grew deathly quiet once more. His theatrics doing much to fill his allies with pride, and his enemies with hatred, and fear.

"You send your foul alien savages; these red twisted barbarians to slaughter those who were once your allies like cattle nerfs, and so I do unto them what any savage would do in kind. Behold! My gift to you loyalists and your alien savages!" He thrust one hand forward and outward before himself. The cam droid watching him ceased broadcasting and another took over.

The loyalist watching all gasped and the Massassi watching went silent. The Moffs watching who hadn't yet seen the sights echoed their enemies gasps, and the citizens of Epica fell into silent shock and horror. Those who were of weak stomachs feinted and some vomited. Viathan watched and felt his fury only be fed further as his stomach knotted, and his mind clicked as to why Grash's...corpse was desired by the Moff.

The cam droid flew from one to the other for all to see, in up-close-and-personal detail. For, before them all were dozens upon dozens more of bodies. They were for the most part Massassi, and a few troopers. Their bodies were mangled. Flesh hung from their corpses, their stomachs cut open and entrails hanging out and swaying. They were nailed into trees and poles, some hung by their necks, and others by their wrists. Eyes were gouged out, arms removed here and there, other arms and legs had been obviously broken and twisted into the opposite direction than naturally meant to be and made to loosely stay in those positions. Some had been skinned, and others hand muscles and organs draped along their bodies, their insides now spilling blood and bodily fluids over their dead hosts. A lien of three Massassi had pikes slammed up through their bottom jaw out the top of their heads, and left their for all to see. A final cam-droid took over the broadcast as it floated and flew above the region. A whole field seemingly had been created just to pike, strap, nail, and crucify the dozens, which now seems to be hundreds of dead men, and Massassi.

The Massassi, led first by Zar pounded their lanvaroks to the ground and began howling and crying through the forests. Their rage filled the air, and the loyalists felt anger boil in their veins, and their bodies tense, as their minds played the images again and again in their minds, even as the broadcast fell back onto a calm and cool looking Moff Trachta.

"The price, is exacted for every head of my men that were put down, I broke a bone of your dead. For every tank destroyed I snapped a body part, and for every injury incurred I cut out another organ. Your dead are no more safe from me, and our wrath than your living. Let all who see this know that our victory is utterly imminent, and the death of every imperial can be made to show our enemies their folly, and their eventual defeat is a looming eventuality." He clasped his hands behind his back and stared forward into the cam droids lens.

"So come. Come my enemy and fight with every last ounce of pitiful strength you have. We await you. Await to make you our new trophies, to fill your longs with dioxin, and watch you writhe and squirm in your last moments of death. To fire a bolt into the backs of your heads and see you fall over limp, and then to make you decorations for your pathetic allies to bear witness. We're ready for you, and we eagerly expect you arrival." He cocked his head to the side, and swept his vision over his works.

"I wait with eagerness my friends. For this trivial conflict, which is but one insignificant mark on the face of the galaxy will end in but one way. Death." The broadcast ceased. The roars of the Massassi grew into terrible cries that shook the forest with anger, and rage. The imperial loyalists were silent but let their own disgust and rage well inside. The Moffs cheered with their blood lust only made greater and fueled hatred made stronger, and Viathan clutched the communicator in his hand as his rage only shocked back through his spine, and he again made his way toward where he knew the Moff camp, and Trachta to be.

"General, you don't approve." Trachta stated knowingly as the Moff nodded to the camera crew to pack their things up and return to the fleet. The general nodded, but did not speak. He already knew his position and that of his superior.

"It is to be expected. These tactics are necessary, as I have made clear to you. Just wait though," He spoke with a little more enthusiasm in his voice. "In time, maybe an hour, two, by morning for sure, the enemy will be attacking with rage in their hearts and blind fury clouding their minds. Then and there we will wipe out the remaining forces and achieve victory." Terrosh bowed his head, and said no more. Trachta made his way coolly and calmly back toward the main control building, as the sound of the cheering men sounded off around them. The stench of the bodies clouded by their elated cries.

"You will see. In time general. In time." He bowed his own head this time and paid no more attention turning on the general. Leaving him alone with the dead, and to hang his head low.

(Osarian System, Expansion Region, Imperial Stardestroyer Reprisal)

"The attack shall commence at any moment. The attack on Rhommamool and its following subjugation has the Moff planetary forces dug in and prepared for the attack." Vader spoke with arms clamped to his belt. He moved about the hangar bay with a large line of pilots ready and waiting with their helmets held in the curve made under their arms next to their torso. They were all men, and all a growing mix of experienced pilots picked from across the Empire.

"Intelligence gathered from the ground indicates that Moff forces pulled down all battle capable ships from the system defense several days prior after the battle was obviously lost for them. The citizens of Rhommamool have informed us that the siege of the Moffs lasted several days after Grand Moff Vellam announced the formation of the Alliance. The neighboring world of Osarian, the namesake of the system, has been for a longtime ruled by the many wealthy families on the world as a collective. Little more than petty wealthy industrial rulers who exploited the workers on Rhommamool. Theses workers; who have fully cooperated with us, have information that Osarians maintain a large ground force of mercenaries, and a small fleet. They have formed an alliance with the Moffs under the promise that the workers of Rhommamool will be little more than slaves so long as allegiance is maintained." Vader went on.

Off to the side stood his son. Luke listened on to the information as he crossed his arms over his dark clothing. His hood down and along his shoulders and lightsaber at his side.

"I sense impatience." Luke glanced left. Next to him stood Starkiller who kept his face straight and watching from afar with Luke as the Dark Lord continued to inform the pilots that the Moffs would be sending their grounded naval forces to meet the landing craft and escorts in battle.

"I guess. Really wish I was leading the pilots into the fight and not working ground duty with father."

"Cheer up you'll have me to keep you company, and safe."

"Safe?" Luke cocked and eyebrow. Starkiller shrugged.

"Gotta make sure you don't do anything stupid. Like that deal back on Bogden." Luke rolled his eyes and shook his head but said nothing.

"Besides I'm older. My word over you means more just on principle."

"Older?! By what a day or two?" Starkiller grinned and eyed Luke.

"I've been training in the ways of the Force, and under my master for years more than you have. You may be his son, but I'm way older than you in the ways of the Force." Luke chuckled and nodded.

"Point taken." Vader seemed to finish addressing the pilots who all saluted, bowed, and placed their helmets atop their heads and began running to their fighters, and interceptors. The Sith lord turned and made his way toward the two. His breathing, as ever, droning on.

"You two will be with me." He motioned out and both boys started walking with the tower lord behind them.

"The Moff and their planetary allies have set up a defensive nightmare for us. Anti-air turrets mark their cities, and the surrounding regions. They've flooded several sectors of the entry to the cities, and water surrounds some dug out positions for them to hide in. The flooded regions will make it near impossible to attack the enemy holdouts with full Imperial fury. Making our bombers instrumental." Vader pointed out as he and his two charges made their way into an adjoining chamber and hangar.

Inside of it dozens of stormtroopers, and more heavily armored Imperial reservists stood in legion and marched onto their MAAT or IF-120 landing crafts. The massive AT-AT dropships, the Y-85 titan's stood massive, tall and ready to deploy. Their cargo of walkers waiting silently and patiently inside.

"Father. If the Moffs and there, obviously high planet side allies," Luke opened with and Starkiller stifled a snicker. "have placed AA turrets everywhere, how are we going to land the troops? I mean yeah we could put them all down on the far outskirts I guess, but those guns need to go." Vader nodded.

"Precisely. Seeing as we cannot get our teams too close to their gun emplacements due to flooding, and we cannot land the armies near because of the emplacements themselves, we have opted to take the less costly route." Vader and the two Sith acolytes came near to a shuttle. Waiting by it was an admiral Luke and Starkiller both knew Vader to despise, and find to be utterly grating upon his nerves.

"Report admiral Ozzel." The admiral snapped to attention and Vader crossed his arms as he hung like a mighty obelisk over the man. His two charges looked to one another and shrugged as they remained silent.

"Lord Vader the 212th, 498th, and 13th, legions are prepped and ready to launch from the ships. In total one-hundred and eighty thousand men. Twenty armored brigades and ten walker brigades are ready and ready fr launch and support. They await your command to begin the drop." Vader did nothing but scan his unseen eyes across the men behind the admiral moving onto their transports as the fighter and escort pilots mounted their TIE's.

"Very good. Relay to all forces to implement secondary attack procedures at once, and land at the secondary landing points." The admiral looked shocked and both his brows jumped upwards along his features. Luke could sense his deep confusion, and anger.

"Yes...my lord at once, but the men are fully prepped and ready for the first attack plan. All coordinates have been set and ready, all objectives relayed! To change them now to secondary may throw of many of the men. Not to ment-"

"I do not need to informed on how to conduct an operation I put all the planning into, admiral." Vader briskly interjected and silenced the elder officer.

"The given gear, and units will more than suffice for the secondary attack plan. Relay the new coordinates for landing, and as planned admiral, you will hold the bulk of the force back until I give the command. Not a moment beforehand. Am I entirely and explicitly understood?" The admiral bowed his head and obviously bit back another objection he held. Luke half frowned, and half smirked. On one hand the guy just wanted to prove himself an apt military commander. On the other? He wasn't all too good from what Luke had heard and seen before. At least not at this high a position.

"Understood milord Vader. At once." Vader looked him silently up and down before he boarded the shuttle. Starkiller followed and so did Luke. He gave the officer a passing glance to see him shake his head and leave to relay the new commands no doubt.

"What was that all about?" Luke dared to ask. Starkiller said nothing. For far too long he had been taught and knew to never speak unless it was absolutely needed with his master. The Dark Lord stood to the front of the shuttle and turned his back against the way to the piloting seat. Starkiller took a seat along the left of the dark lord and remained silent.

"That, was the opinion of a man of whom I find little to care for. Two operational plans were drawn up by myself and general Brashin. Both expertly crafted, but one lacking the foresight to handle enemy anti-air emplacements. One plan, the first, was composed and leaked to the enemy via a known spy they have implanted onboard the ship." Starkiller glanced with a shocked look upon his face hidden beneath his cowl, toward his master. Luke cocked a brow, and then smirked.

"You made two plans, one to entice and direct the enemy away from the other operation. The real one. You didn't even tell the men." Luke grinned. A stiff laugh, like chuckle came forth from the Sith and he bowed his head.

"Perceptive indeed, my son. General Brashin and myself drew up two plans. The first and one that Ozzel, and the other commanders were made aware of were of operational plan one. Plan two was 'scraped,' by myself and Brashin prior to the preparation of the attack." Luke nodded and sat opposite of Starkiller.

"The fact that I have 'changed my mind,' and want operation two implemented has the admiral confused and annoyed. He has to look over the whole plan now, and order it to go underway with little planning on his or the other commanders having much prepare time. However, with us on the ground all orders shall go and come through me. We needn't their support, only that they follow our orders. General Brashin shall coordinate ground forces from here." Vader explained. He then held his hand up to keep his son and Starkiller silent, and he pulled forth his holocomm.

"General Brashin, the operation is a go. Order all forces out and send forth the fighters and interceptors." The hologram bowed deeply.

"At once my lord. May your victory be swift." Vader bowed his head and ended the transmission. A sound from the hangars reverberated and a flurry of TIE fighters and interceptors exploded out from their hangars into the open vacuum of space, and Osarian's orbit.

"We need only a third of the first plans force for our initial landing. Our new target is no longer a simple forward assault from the valley's leading to their cities. Rather, the second plan calls for a full, and all out assault on the enemy's planetary shield facility on what is an otherwise barren and useless continent on the planet." Vader added.

"Now hear this! Secondary pilots to your ships now!" Vader seemed to nod to himself, and folded his arms over his chest in wait. Once again the sounds of men running was followed by the sounds of many craft exploding out of the hangars. The ship would very lightly shutter and sound out with hits, but Luke could imagine the futility of enemy fighters and bombers lightly tapping the shields of this ship and the others while the imperial fighters slowly annihilated them. He didn't want to admit it, but the thought brought a smirk to his lips.

"We shall be landing our initial force to this waste of soil, and seizing or destroying the generator. Once done, we shall bombard enemy AA emplacements into a barren field plasma waste. The cities will surely, and easily fall after." Vader finished, and both teens remained silent. The mission sounded...easy enough. Though Luke was sure that wasn't the word he wanted to use exactly.

So, he entered into the Force. His father and sister...it was still weird for him to think of them that way even months later, but he rather liked it. In fact it never failed to bring a smile to his face. Even though saying to your hypothetical new friend; 'Hi I'm Luke my dad is Darth Vader. Wanna go out and eat?" Did always bring a chuckle and uneasiness to him. But what could you do? It was his family.

But within the Force, he could sense, almost taste and smell even the wanton and great heaps of death, hatred, chaos and fear that no blistered and festered around the galaxy. The Force was aching and wounded. Like a flood of blood was spilling from a body, and leaving it cold and in need of fresh blood. It was a thought that had often entered his mind, and once more today, as scores of pilots outside and in the void fired and blew one another up, he thought the same thing again.

Luke recalled his father saying that this war was in fact a great blood cleansing. The galaxy being a body, those who died on the battlefield and those who his father and lord Kun sough to remove were poisoned blood, and the only way to get it out of the galaxy's body was to bleed them out. Thus they had to cut, gash, and drain the galaxy near dry of it, so that pure fresh and renewing blood could be formed. All metaphor of course, but Like got the picture...the bloody red, sticky and metal smelling picture.

He couldn't remember how many ships he had brought down. Over and on Coruscant he had destroyed dozens of droid ships, but those were droids. Since then he had been fighting Moff units. The first three he shot down he could sense the fear and sudden split second acceptance of death from those he had killed when and as they died. From there he stopped counting. When firing against enemy ships Luke couldn't think of those inside of them as being fellow humans, or fellow sentient beings. It made him near sick. No it DID, make him sick. A frown crossed his face as his mind played over the battlefields he had seen.

But, after what he had seen back on Coruscant, after the battle had been over? Luke could remember the tens of thousands of dead being moved into long lines for 'disposal' of. Whatever that meant he didn't ask his father. He really didn't want to know. Too many of them had been younger and smaller than him. Massive spires had been broken down to the very bottom level of the platform they were upon. Even the lower depths of the capital were reporting damage from falling debris up top, and reports of droidekas hunting down and killing packs of humans or aliens, anything living filled his mind. With evidence later provided showing the utter brutality and unthinking mass destruction caused by the droids.

Something was different in him after that. When fighting and not allowing himself to think on those in their ships or on the ground as he dropped a bomb here or there, he felt a spike of rage flow up his spine, a sneer spread along his features, and the Force whip around his form. The dark side growling and howling as he unleashed and used it to guide him. After what he saw on Coruscant, Luke wanted nothing more than to find Nelrain, and stab the schutta in the heart.

From what Leia had told him though, she wasn't easily beaten. At least not by someone as still new and raw to the Force as he was. So? He used the Moffs as stand ins. Te traitors that used civilians as fodder, and wiped out whole cities of dissenters to make way for its defense against the reconquering Empire. Details and whispers of details, of things happening in the deepest, darkest places of the galaxy. Experiments and ideas being thrown around by the Moffs in their desperate bid to redouble their efforts to win a war most saw them as being the weakest party to. Though Luke couldn't explain it, and neither his father nor Starkiller could verify it for him, but he swore he sensed something. Something about the Moffs when he faced them that let him know that the future held in store for them all something dangerous, and something far more disturbing that would keep this foul assortment of treasonous men in the war for years to come.

He hoped he was wrong, but something told him he wasn't. And it made him sick to his stomach.

The dinging of his father's holocomm caught his attention and he was pulled from his communion with the Force.

"My lord," Brashin bowed, and Luke caught Ozzel standing next to the general looking displeased as ever. "Report general."

"Thank you my lord. The enemy's fighter forces have been severely thinned and I feel it prudent we begin our assault planet-side at once. All by your command of course though, milord." Brashin offered.

"What of the chatter on the enemy side? What have we picked up on their channels?" Ozzel cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"The ground side forces are...unpleasant. The enemy generals and commanders are raving about this attack not being the er...'plan' sir. I haven't the faintest what they're babbling about, but they are reporting a need to rush formerly garrisoned units back to the planetary shield. They had apparently reassigned them to their emplacement positions." Vader smirked behind his mask, and both his charges could sense it as it bled out from him and his massive figure.

"Then we have our advantage. We shall seize it at once. Order all initial forces to take off with escort at once. My shuttle included. We will destroy this facility, or seize it for future use, and remove the Moff menace of AA emplacements." He gave a more clear pointed look to Ozzel. "When I make the call admiral, have your bottom side cannons or those of another vessel zero in on AA emplacements and destroy them all." Ozzel bowed his head.

"Yes, my lord Vader. He made to step away but stopped and pulled back.

"Er, all of them my lord? There are quite a few inside their cities?" Vader made to answer, but before he did, he caught the look of his son. Luke stared his way with one raised brow and with his emotions clearly being sent his way through their ever stronger bond. He felt of worry, disgust, anger, but most irritatingly of hope. Hope that his father would say no...and disgust if he said yes. It drew the Dark Lord wild with vexation, but...

"The AA guns inside the cities will fall to our ground forces. Let us show these self-righteous nobles the righteous wrath of the Galactic Empire." Both Ozzel and Brashin bowed and Vader ended the transmission.

Vader glanced Luke's way and saw a big, self-satisfied grin crawl along his face, but he said nothing and simply crossed his arms and looked toward the ceiling. As if there was something fascinating to look at.

'Blast these children and their methods of toying with me!' Vader growled but followed his son's example and crossed his arms in silence.

Within some moments the shuttle shuttered, and the hangars outside the shuttle rumbled again with life, and the sounds of pulsing engines and blasting power resounded. The shuttle ramp had since closed and the pilot had since entered the ship and prepped for launch. Vader turned and moved forward and watched out the viewport to the front of the lambda shuttle.

He scanned out the viewport as several transports followed by walker carriers, with escort interceptors following them all, burst from the hangar sections. An explosion of several dozen bombers flowed out. Vader knowing their targets were the skeleton AA-emplacements around the planetary shied in place.

"Take us down, captain. To the very front." Vader commanded. The helmeted pilot looked his way and nodded stiffly.

"Of course, milord." The shuttle shuttered and the landing gears rose into the ship. It easily worked its way out of the hangar and into the void. The wings on either side of the shuttle extended down, and two TIE interceptors formed up on either side of the ship. It blasted forward toward the planet.

Around the shuttle flew dozens of imperial fighters. Every now and again an enemy vessel flew by or came to near. The protecting interceptor units, being the elite aboard the ship, hunted those down and brought them to a fiery end before any damage could be done. The bulk of the fighter wings doing the rest of the work and systematically hunting down and eliminating all other enemy ships in orbit above the world.

"Transports landing at sites alpha, and bravo, we've lost three prior to landing! Bombers be advised, we have high concentration of AA batteries to the northwest of the facility. Airstrike is requested on site immediately." The comms channel was live and loud. The pilot looked toward I and made to turn it off.

"Leave it captain. I will know all of this soon enough." Vader dictated further. With the pilot acknowledging and returning to piloting the shuttle with escorts on either side.

"Sounds like they're still getting some heat down there." Luke intoned toward Starkiller. The boy was already beginning to remove his cloak and checked that his saber was still where it had been one minute ago. He looked Luke's way and shrugged.

"They weren't expecting us to hit there, but it would be suicide to leave it totally undefended. Treat any situation like it is a failing mission I say." Starkiller offered with a smile. "Act like your life...no, like the whole galaxy depends on you, and though your ego might be a bit overinflated, the mission most likely will get done." He shrugged again. "Or, at the least you'll go down in a blaze of glory." Luke rolled his eyes.

"Sure. I always wanted to be remembered as 'Luke Sky...er, Vader. The boy who died serving the emperor on some backwater world.'" Starkiller smirked.

"Better than, 'Luke Vader, the boy who died a moisture farmer on Tatooine.' Right?"

"Fair enough." Luke sighed.

"We'll be landing in a few moments. Both of you, prepare yourselves." Vader warned with a glance over his shoulder. "We may be have a shaky landing." The Dark Lord uttered. Luke glanced Starkiller's way and he merely shrugged it off. Luke quietly copied Starkiller's example and shrugged off his cloak and picked his saber hilt up and waved it in the air for a moment as he prepared fro anything and everything after the ship landed.

The shuttle began to shake and shutter as they pierced the atmosphere and lowered down toward the surface. Vader stared out the viewport and watched as the nose of the vessel dove downwards further. A wing of TIE bombers flew beneath them and sped from right toward his left as a torrent of bombs fell from them.

"Dropping payload." Their wing-leader's voice rung out over the comm. A series of explosions followed and sent fire and smoke blowing upwards. The facility had come into sight and shook with the nearby explosives. Vader could still see, however, many speedy and wild spraying AA bolts flying through and up into the air. While on the surface transports dropped in and unleashed their cargo of troopers before taking off to possibly pick up more or make for the secondary landing. Titan walker transports landed further back and unleashed several AT-AT walkers, and even AT-ST's. All as the men below began their assault on the little Moff resistance that awaited them around and within the planetary shield facility itself.

"I have our landing zone milord. Heading there now." Vader nodded and returned toward the back with his two charges. Both had removed themselves of their robes, and held in their hands their saber hilts. It pleased him beyond measure to see his son wielding a saber, wearing a blackened tunic, and pulsing with power through the Force. And, that was not to take away from the...pride, he felt with Starkiller. The boy had come from some wasteful hut on Kashyyyk, to be an embodiment of raw Force energy, and an efficient, as well as loyal servant to his will. The will of the Empire.

"Be ready. We land in mere seconds. I do not think we shall be greeted so amicably. So, both of you watch your sides, be mindful of bolt fire, and use the dark side to make you stronger, feed on the pain, anger, and death around us, and we shall all do just fine."

"Yes, my master." Starkiller bowed his head. Luke merely nodded. Talk of death as a good thing still didn't elicit a response from him. In fact Luke was more than comfortable on calling on the Force as it was, and not feeding off any anger or rage he held inside. He knew himself he wasn't easy to make angry. Luke rather liked being his casual serene self. Much to his fathers chagrin whenever he asked Luke what he thought of the Force. But, Luke knew the Force...light or dark was with him, and that was enough. Enough to fight by and with his father, and win.

'Man things are different from Tatooine. Wonder what the old gang would think of me now?' Luke wondered with a slightly morbid grin and in silence. Before the ship shook again from nearby AA fire. The sound of the escort fighters speeding downward and firing their cannons to the ground reached his ears before the shuttle came to a steady paused and swiveled while floating in one place.

It came to a, for the most part, steady landing and a hiss of pressure and air followed before the ramp fell down. Exposing the light of the day and dirt beneath the ship. Further beyond dozens of troopers ran from Luke's left toward his right and amid fire heading their way. One or two of them were hit and flung back as their bodies fell to the soil dead. A sight he had already grown used to, but still it elicited a gulp of saliva from himself. His throat was already dry and he grew annoyed with himself over the tremor of fear that still showed itself even now after all these prior battles.

Starkiller bounded down the ramp and activated his crimson saber in backwards held shien form. His father strode on down the ramp with calmness and coolness that still surprised the ex-farm-boy. Luke simply walked off, and looked left and right before making it fully off the ramp. As he did the shuttle ramp picked itself back up and blasted back into the air and beyond the clouds. Making it safely away fro the mess of haphazard AA fire.

Free from the shuttle and in the open field Luke turned toward where his father's men ran and found the facility beyond. It was a tall structure with a massive antenna pointing upwards toward the sky, and producing the unseen shield around the planet with great power. Likely being drawn thermally from the planet. It was a box shaped facility and was made of heavy stone and metal. Along an upper tier, what looked like a long stretch of a second floor that was some meters up from the ground, was a line of enemy troopers using the balcony walls as cover and firing down into the mass army of imperial loyalists gathering and returning fire to keep the Moffs pinned down.

They fired back with great ferocity and the loyal troopers fought to dodge the great wave of bolts that came raining down upon them. The bombers that screeched overhead rained down bombs near the facility but not upon it. That shield generator could still be useful. Only this time under the careful control, and return to the Empire.

"My lord Vader." An officer approached in armor designed for officers. He saluted stiffly, and Vader waved him to go on speaking.

"Than you milord, the enemy has placed barricades; some sort of personal energy shields and other sorts of devices along the walkway up to the second level. The second level of course being where the entrance to the facility is located. The men cannot rush the barricades. They're guarded by two heavy repeaters and four auto-turrets. Not even to mention the cover from above the Moffs are maintaining." Luke felt his father bristle with annoyance through the Force. In kind, Luke sent his own wave of calm through to him. The Sith turned to glance his way, but said nothing and refocused attention to the officer.

"Utilize the AT-AT's commander. Fire a controlled burst onto that position. Have your men surround the facility walls and secure it. I will take two squadrons with me, and my two apprentices. We shall handle the rest personally." The commander glanced at the two teens. The one with short hair smirked, and the blond one, caught his glance and smiled with a shrug.

"Uh...uh es milord right away." He sputtered and began relaying commands. Luke could have laughed, but thought better of it. The commander obviously didn't think two teens could handle an operation alongside Darth Vader himself. That or he was really late to the memo, on Vader having a son, and an apprentice. Who knew?

"With me." Vader commanded briskly and began a stiff walk toward the facility. Seemingly he didn't care about the rain and hail of bolts flying toward them all. Luke could sense his father expand himself greatly through the Force. He felt his father's power boom outward, and felt his father step with such confidence and ease because he had the only thing he knew he needed with him. The Force. To guide him, lead him, and protect him. So, Luke did the same, and expanded himself outward. An unseen power stretched out from his form all about him, and he could sense the emotions that fluttered the battlefield as he followed after his father who walked as men around them fell screaming and dead.

Luke cringed as he felt them all. Their fears, their hatreds, and disgust. With themselves and their enemies. Their pain and sorrow, their thoughts so easily and wildly flung outward as they fought and died together. It made Luke's head hurt and he indeed placed one of his hands to his head. He held it so that his thumb sat against his temple and he rubbed it. The noise...was all too grating.

"You have to learn to block it out." Luke glanced right as Starkiller's voice broke through. The fellow acolyte was still stone faced but he marched along after Vader just as Luke did.

"It's not easy at first. They're too loud, unprotected and grating. You can't hear them all at once, because if you did, you'd drive yourself insane." Luke nodded, but try as he might the noise of their emotion and their thoughts flooded his mind.

"Sound advice, my apprentice. Heed it my son. Focus on what you seek to do by expanding yourself outwards. Do not blindly seek outward and expand your presence in the Force." His father paused and looked his way. Both acolytes paused in his wake, and the Sith seemed content to stand closer to the enemy base than any of his troopers and turned his back toward the Moffs in fact. It boggled Luke's mind how his father could be so confident.

"Use your presence and expand. Feel the Force around you, and feed off your inner emotions. Your instincts to drive your power and control over it. Command and wield the dark side as your weapon, tool, and shield. Think on feeling outward for danger for yourself. It is a basic instinct of all sentient beings. To live, to not die on some barren field and continue on. Use it to drive what you look for, you seek out danger with your senses. Now you have a sixth. The Force." Luke furrowed his brow but nodded and then proceeded to close his eyes and do as his father instructed. He sought only danger to himself, to those around him immediately. He 'looked,' and 'felt,' even attempted to 'smell' or 'taste,' danger to him. When he did this, the noise lessened. The grief lowered, and the cries of death, anger, hatred and all manner of vile thoughts and feelings faded to whispers, until Luke was left alone, and quiet in the darkness of his own thoughts and his own shut eyelids.

There he sensed nothing. No danger, but glints of worry all around him. Like little sparkles of bolt fire itself. He could see it. The energy blasts fly like little pellets, and strike unseen men. Their fire, their light extinguished in a flash, in a very instant. Like the firing off of fireworks. Within seconds what was there would be gone. Luke was seeing them live, fight and die through the Force. It made his body tremble, before he opened his eyes and heaved out a breath he didn't know he was holding and suck in a new one to fill his pleading lungs.

"Very good. You are powerful indeed my son. A natural, gifted in the Force. A powerful Sith you will be." His father beamed with pride. Starkiller nodding off to the side in agreement. The dark and powerful gloved hand of his father fell on his shoulder, and Luke smiled back. Though whenever he heard that word, 'Sith,' for some reason it always bothered him. It made him a little ill. Like all the death he'd gotten used to.

'Something rotten about it all I guess.' He thought with a little sigh.

"They make ready to fire." Starkiller suddenly announced, and Luke shot a look his way as his father nodded happily enough and finally pulled forth his own saber hilt into his hand, and activated the mighty crimson beam of his robust saber. He turned his back on Luke and his cape flowed around his massive figure. Luke felt a shudder...but more so it felt as though it was within his very head. He activated his own crimson saber and Starkiller followed after. The sound of heavy cannon fire from behind the three rung out and overhead flew at great speed massive bolts of red. They slammed into the walkway beyond and sent stone and metal shards flying. The men did not though. They were vaporized.

The ground shook and the facility rumbled as the screams of terrified Moff men and noble loyalists filled the open air and split through the Force as well. Smoke erupted outward in all directions, and little pebbles of debris fell across the three Sith figures as their sabers shown through the fog of death and destruction. The sound of footfalls behind them against the grass did not bother Luke. He sensed no danger, and he guessed neither did his father or Starkiller.

"Lord Vader. Squad eighty-zero-forty at your command." Luke did glance back to see about a dozen or so men, all imperial stormtroopers, standing with their similarly masked commander to their front. His father did not bother turning. It was another stubbornly abrasive trait about his father both he and Leia rolled their eyes to, and hoped one day to change.

"Follow in after myself and my apprentices. Do not engage any forces directly in confrontation with myself or these two. Watch our flanks, commander, and follow. We will secure the control room first. The rest shall be the job of the main army. Am I understood?"

"Completely my lord." The commander quickly replied, and brought his blaster close to his white plated armored chest. His team followed suit quickly thereafter. Luke turned full attention back toward the facility as the dust settled. Fie came raining back and forth from the upper level, and the heat of battle and chill of death returned full force. His father extended his one free hand, and with a pulse of breathtaking power, he sent a single pulse through the Force that spread outwards and Luke watched all the smoke clear from their sight in at the very most a second. Luke's eyes, needless to say, went wide with wonder for the moment given to him.

The cared smoke gave way for all to see the sight of destruction and carnage that now remained from the massive and deadly strike from the AT-AT just seconds prior. The turrets were gone. Their placements smoldering and heaps. The men were even more so fully destroyed. No real sign of bodies, save for a corpse hanging off the side of the walkway leading up to the second floor. Though Luke thought he might have been thrown down to where he was by the shaking of the blast and not killed by the blast itself. The stone and metal of the walkway and it's shielding side walls had seemingly been sheared away. Support bars and inner stone was exposed as smoke rose up fro the super heated strike points of the cannon fire from the walkers. Enemy men situated on the upper floor, and nearer to the sight of the blast were groaning, their world spinning, and their heads pounding. The blast had thrown and tossed them about more furiously and powerfully than those further away. But, even those men had struggled to remain standing from the force and power of the At-AT cannon fire. Truly, the walker was a pure engine of destruction and power.

"Follow me." Vader began his walk, and everyone followed after. Several Moffs had regained footing and sense and returned to firing down into the field against the loyalist forces. They fired back in bulk and with greater tenacity than before. The walker had created for them an opening to dive toward the walls, and secure them. Leaving dozens of loyalist troops beneath the very noses of the Moffs firing down into the fray of loyalist forces.

Luke ran after his father as they reached the shattered remains of the walkway. Despite the heavy amounts of destruction there was enough walkway left to steadily and carefully walk up it. The Dark Lord simply used the Force to send all troublesome debris in his path flying away from himself. The three Sith and dozen stormtroopers soon enough came to the top of the walkway, where they could either go straight and down the long stretch of balcony overlooking the field where dozens of Moffs remained and fired. Or, they could go left down an adjoining balcony with few men further down. Either way would have taken them to the entrance leading to the control room.

"We continue straight." Vader turned to the commander. "Your squad will clear out the left walkway and all the Moffs on it. We will deal with this side." the commander bowed his head and directed his men to follow after. They broke left and soon began firing on Moff sentries and guards.

"We will eliminate every one of the Moff on these walkways. Watch for stray bolt fire from our men below." Vader commanded with a twinge of annoyance laced in his tone, even notable through his deep baritone of the mask. Luke nodded and readied his saber. Starkiller did the same but was more loosened and ready for the fight. Luke was still getting all the lightsaber stuff down. Luke, however, had found himself partial to the Soresu, and Shein forms, but his father would show him all seven of the classical forms. He found Juyo too hectic, and Djem So overbearing, but useful. Ataru he could handle just fine, but the required and demanded acrobatics were not necessarily his taste, with his sister's preferred Makashi being so precise and quick that Luke thought you needed to actually have been a noble at some point to get how to move so gracefully and with the fineness she had, and his father showed her to need. He liked Niman, though it was rather overarching in his mind. Knowing all seven forms through Niman gave you basic insight but nothing more. Not bad but not great. Unless of course, you were lord Kun. From what his father had told him, Kun was one of the few in history to become a master of the form. A master that utilized the form to easily go from one saber style into the next when in battle. His father had told him, that Kun in the heat of battle was wholly unpredictable. Making him respect Niman more, and perhaps look into the form himself more, later. For now, he fell into a Soresu stance. A stance, that, for whatever reason, annoyed his father greatly...than again a lot did Luke had come to be aware of.

"It's Vader!" Luke finally shook himself from his thoughts as an enemy trooper called out and pointed as if he had found some famous holo-film star he'd never thought he'd run across. His fear and horror were clear through the Force. Luke sensed his father feeding off of such fear.

But, his father said nothing in reply. Instead he raised his free left hand again and stretched the palm outward. A new and even more powerful pulse of power exploded from his body and slammed into the man. He screamed as he flew through the air and off the facility itself. Down, likely to a long fall, and death.

"Whoa!" One trooper, Luke could have laughed at his nonchalant reaction, uttered as he watched his ally fly away thrashing the whole way he went. "Blast him...blast them all!" Their commander finally yelled. Luke swore the man was boiling with rage...well he could sense that he was, but he couldn't figure if it was because of his father throwing a man through the air like nothing. Or, if it was because his men seemed highly incompetent.

They did, however, finally turn on their right and opened fire on the Dark Lord and his two acolytes. Vader easily and with his single arm, wielding his single saber, block each and every bolt heading his way. With his free left once again he brought it outward and forward and clutched his fingers inwards in his dreaded 'pinching,' motion. One trooper of them all rose into the air and grasped and clawed at his neck, but Vader simply threw his raised body left. The armored men slammed with great force against the building, and Luke cringed with a jolt as he heard the snap, and sensed the life leave his body.

Starkiller dove under the hail of bolts and ran with amazing speed into the group of men. He spun himself around and slashed through the first he came across and swiped up left into the second as he ended his twirl. He spun up into a kick right and slammed his boot into a third trooper's helmet and sent him flying to the ground with a heave. Once more he spun around and sent a massive blast of Force energy all his own outward that sent at least three more troopers flinging back int one another in a pile.

Starkiller dove forward once again, and under a flurry of bolts heading his way from another trooper. He switched the position of his saber and dove it upwards into his chest. He pulled it back forth and slashed right into another troopers chest then tore himself left and swiped the saber through a third's neck and all three fell.

Frowning, Luke looked to his own saber, and watched his father approach with great ease and coolness as ever, toward the enemy force. They both showed such ease and power, and Starkiller all but tore this initial group apart, and here Luke stood watching with a face filled with wonder.

'Come on, you've fought before...move it Skywalker.' Luke commanded himself, and took in a calming breath. He released all worries into the Force, and joined his father on moving forward just as Starkiller kicked a trooper out from under himself and dove his saber down into a stab through his chest. He pulled it back out and threw the saber over his left shoulder and flung it out. It spun with precision and with an endless droning whir, toward the turn of the ledge left and to the far opposite right wall of the facility. Luke saw no one, until the saber reached the edge. Just as two more men came around it the saber slashed through both of their necks and they fell over in heaps. Allowing Starkiller to recall his saber and catch the hilt easily, and with a large grin of pride on his face.

Vader came upon more troopers. They rushed out a side entrance along the facility wall, and aimed at Starkiller's flank while the boy cut down another two troopers. The Dark lord slashed down left and then flung his saber back up right. Two more troops fell. His father's strikes were powerful, overbearing, and precise. Luke sensed such detached coolness and ease in his strikes and kills that it made him envious. Not to mention feel a little more powerless in the face of his father's skill.

Vader swiped his hand and the door opened. Revealing several more troopers running to reinforce those outside. They came to an abrupt stop when they saw the Dark Lord standing before them.

"All too easy." Vader coolly intoned. He, like Starkiller had, flung his saber easily. The crimson blade hummed through the air toward the men. It slammed and impaled one who screamed as he was carried back to the far wall where he was hung to. Three troopers fired on his father, and Luke rushed to his side. On pure instinct his saber danced before him through the air, and several of the bolts were sent away from his father's figure.

Yet, some made it through, but the Sith lord merely raised his gloved hands, Luke watched the bolts slam into those gloved hands, and do nothing. Again and again, his father seemed to predict where the bolts would make for his form, and each time he would catch them with his hands, where they hit and did nothing. Simply disappearing and leaving not even a scorch mark.

"How...?"

"In time you will learn, my son." Vader assured him, and recalled his saber. It shakily yanked itself from the wall and corpse it burned into like molten rock, and flew back into his father's hand. As it flew back it swiped across and through the leg of another trooper and threw him to the ground in agony.

Luke nodded, and cringed again as the man down the hall cried out and clutched his now...burnt stump of a leg. Starkiller came bounding in heaving some breaths and with a smirk of satisfaction across his face. His eyes slowly taking on the colored glow of yellow, Luke had come to learn all those who delved into the dark side took on.

The three silently carried on into the hall. Vader approached the fallen trooper, and with his left hand grasped his neck and with a jerking motion up snapped his neck, ending his misery.

"How very...gruesome." Luke commented aloud, though he hadn't meant to and snapped his mouth shut.

"An apt observation my son." Vader simply replied and walked on. Starkiller smirked more broadly and Luke uncomfortably laughed. Though it was genuinely funny...in a morbid way.

The hall turned right down to another. They passed the impaled lifeless body of the trooper from before and made their way down the hall. There was no security team, and no troopers awaiting them in sight. Just several doors on the left side.

"Starkiller, take the first, Luke...my son, take the second. I shall deal with the third." Vader ordered and made his way coolly down the hall. Starkiller patted Luke on the shoulder and did as ordered. He planted himself against the wall beside the door, and awaited his moment.

Luke followed his example and hugged the wall alongside the door he was to take. His father made for the third door and swiped it open with the Force. A hail of bolt fire came his way but he blocked them all, and sent another powerful wave of power funneling through the door. Luke felt the walls shake and heard metal crack and snap from the shear awesome power of his father's blast. As the Dark Lord brought saber down low to his right and in form to begin fighting, and entered the room. Only cries and terrified screams echoed from under haphazard blaster fire, as Darth Vader tore those inside apart.

Starkiller and Luke's eyes met. They shared a nod, and Starkiller used the Force to yank the door open on his side. It did so and he leapt from the wall to the center of the doorway and dove in. Leaping up he slashed down and carved one man down his center, before slashing right and then left, spinning round across another, and turning to impale another. He slashed right and sent a small jolt of lightning coursing from his fingertips outwards into two more men who fell into spasms and screams before he was upon them. Cutting them down with savage but precise brutality.

Luke released all fear into the Force. He had no need to rely on his or anyone's fear. He instead, drew on the power that was within him, and all around him. He felt the liquid like power of the Force fill him like an empty glass made full, and invigorate him. He let his feelings calm and his hold of his saber hilt become firm, before he too turned and gently waved his free hand from left to right and the door opened.

He dove around the corner, and extended himself. He sensed bolts from the right and blocked them. He sensed them coming from the left and sent them back. They flew and hit two troopers who had fired, both in the heads, and they fell back. He leapt forward and over a squad of four troopers barring down on him. He ended up behind them. He swung around and cleaved the saber through all four across their chests or abdomens. They all fell back, but not before Luke sent them flying with a Force wave of his own. A Niman tactic he found very useful.

He ducked then as more bolts flew his way from hie left. He dove into a roll away from his position and nearer to those firing upon him. He jumped back into a leap and swung down left and across another trooper before swinging right and through another man. He carried his momentum into another swing and sent another bolt flying into its shooter. He took in a breath or two as his body shook with power and nerves. A bolt flew passed his head and he jumped.

He brought his saber up into Shien defensive posture, as he found the source of the bolt. It was a trooper, in dark armor. He had a large pack on his back, and bulkier shoulder pads. In his hand was a blaster pistol and another blaster at his side. He fired at him again, and Luke dove left as they his the wall in little sparks.

Luke sent another push through the Force and he flew back into the far wall. The man picked himself up easily and shook it off. Luke ran upon him and made to cut him down, but the man ducked down and jumped into the air. A trail of smoke and a burst o power exploded.

"Jetpacks? Great." Luke intoned and turned. The trooper landed behind him on a table and yanked up his second weapon. Aiming it down sights on Luke he charged it. Luke furrowed his brow, but the Force cried for him to move. It shocked him to his core, but he did as instinct told him and dove left into another roll. A flurry of lightning bolts exploded from his barrel and slammed into the wall behind Luke.

"The heck was that?" The man didn't answer and brought his blaster pistol up and fired on Luke again. The acolyte growled and ran toward him. His saber before himself he blocked each and every one of the deadly bolts heading his way, and jumped up. He slashed down, but the trooper dodged in another jump of his jetpack toward the sealing.

This time Luke caught him in his sights and let the Force guide his hand as he, like his father and Starkiller had tossed it over his shoulder and swung it up toward him. The red blade flew and slammed through into the trooper's right breastplate. He lightly coughed and sputtered as the jetpack lost control and sent his corpse flying against the ceiling and then against the wall, as Luke recalled his saber to him.

Reaching out with the Force Luke found and grasped the body and the jetpack. With a tug of his hand, he struggled at first, but he managed to crush the jetpack easily with the Force. Crushed it and turned the volatile thing off. Luke approached the fallen form and looked it over, before kneeling down and inspecting the body even closer. Something about him didn't 'feel' right. The Force was off with this one, but Luke couldn't put his finger on why or how.

"You have done well, my son." Luke glanced to the door as his father approached with saber still active in hand. Behind him stood and wait Starkiller, seeming pleased with himself.

"Thanks. Father, what are these? Well I mean what kind of trooper." Luke pointed his saber to the body, and his father towered over it in inspection. His breathing never ceased, but Luke sensed intrigue from him.

"Curious. This is a phase zero dark trooper." Lowering his tall and mighty form to the corpse, the Sith lord removed his helmet. Behind it Luke and his father took in the sight of a very elderly man. Short black hair that was severely graying. Wrinkles all along his face, and eyes that seemed near wholly covered in cataracts. The visor of the mask obviously doing most of the 'seeing,' for the man, as several implants into his head seemed to go for his eyes. Possibly being cybernetic replacements.

"He's so old! I didn't think I was fighting some one that old. Well, I mean his jetpack did most the work, but he was pretty quick to respond." Vader nodded.

"Phase zeros dark troopers are the elderly clones. Relic soldiers from the Clone Wars and Grand Army of the Republic. Long since now, have they all been forced into retirement. These veterans all underwent enhanced aging. This man is by the cloning process perhaps sixty to seventy years old. By our standards he should be only in his late teens perhaps early twenties." Luke grimaced again.

"Well that sucks." Vader nodded.

"An apt statement." Once again Luke stifled a laugh. Hi father was far too formal. Even when he attempted to not be. "They served their purpose and fought for the Republic, and brought the Empire into fruition. The only clones still serving are bred for specific purposes, at least clones of this stock. The Fett line has long since been relegated to only priority legions. Such as my 501st legion." The Dark lord picked himself up and made toward the doorway with Luke following in tow. Giving a last and passing glance to the fallen elderly man he had killed. It made him inwardly feel guilt, but he fought to stifle it. The man had tried to kill him, he had no choice...it didn't help that he told himself that.

"These men were once loyal without question. Too old now to fight. What is curious is that they have one acting as a phase one test subject. The dark trooper program was put on hold with the outbreak of this conflict."

"Dark troopers?" Starkiller finally spoke aloud, but quickly snapped his mouth shut. Luckily Vader seemed to not mind. It allowed the boy to breath.

"It was a project to create a droid army that would in eventuality replace the cloning and recruitment process the Empire undergoes for organic forces. Ironic if you think on one of the winning factors in the Clone Wars. Even more so with our droid enemy returned and reborn under a new banner. It was a chance for these veterans to have one last gasp of battle and service, by becoming test subjects for the phase zero of the implementation. Them serving the Moff Alliance, is disconcerting, and despicable." Vader seethed coolly.

"Why were the plans put on hold?" Luke asked. The idle fire and shake of the building reminding them all that a battle still raged around.

"It was decided by the many propaganda ministries as well as my master, the emperor, that the public support of the Empire using droids or cyborgs in bulk to fight the droids of the rebels forces of the URM banner, or the Moffs organic forces would send the wrong message. It was perhaps, even more well thought out than I previously gave credit. If the Moffs have continued down the path of utilizing dark troopers, or even reached phase one or two operation, we may have a fantastic opportunity for a propaganda coup all our own."

Luke scoffed a small laugh in reply. "Yeah and a bunch of droids from the Moffs including a bunch of droids from the URM. Makes ya' feel like the whole galaxy is filled with droids out to kill us."

"Indeed." Vader returned. The facility shook from an outside blast. Luke assumed it may have been a nearby AA gun being bombed, but he couldn't be sure.

"However, we have plenty of time to think on such matters later. We have a battle, and a world to take." Both acolytes bowed in reply, and their master turned and lead them toward the far fourth door along the left of the hall. Beyond the door the three could hear rapid and heavy blaster fire being exchanged. The sounds of men calling out and dying were heard and felt together. Grenades blasts sounded off and the inner room rocked.

"It would seem our squad of troopers have gotten themselves into a nest of gundarks." Starkiller offered. Luke watched as his father looked to the acolyte for a moment. He sensed a tremor of nostalgia and memory flood through and from him. But, the Dark Lord shoved it down and away, before he threw up walls on the nature of this memory.

"Ready yourselves. Starkiller, break right. Luke follow after me and go left."

"Yes father."

"Yes, master." They readied. Vader took hold of the door with his hand. He crushed his hand and watched the steel metal of the door twist, crack and bend, until it was rend from the wall, and floating before the three. Vader stepped forward with the door before him. Once inside he found a group of enemy Moff troopers firing from cover against his squad of trooper huddled around support beams and their entry doorway.

With an ease unknown to most who used the Force, Vader raised the removed door and aimed the broken metal husk toward this enemy group. A pulse of directed power, and the metal husk flew out and slammed into the group of men. They fell in a group of cries and shrieks of pain as they were crushed under the frame that weighed more than several hundred pounds.

The other troopers turned in horror and then onto Vader. By then it was too late. Starkiller dove right and jumped over a rail to an elevated position. He slashed down then right, flung left and then jumped back right. He twirled and fired a pulse of energy that sent two troopers slamming into a rail and then against the back wall dead. He threw his saber spinning into an officer and three troopers Each one fell to his saber with a great gash along their figures.

Vader with his son in tow, went left. The Dark Lord displayed speed Luke hadn't fathomed. He dashed forward and slashed from left to right severing a man wholly in tow, before slashing down left, back up right, and back left he impaled another trooper. Grasping a heavy crate with the Force he sent it hurling through the air and slamming into a rushing in support trooper. It snapped the mans neck back, killing him.

Luke leapt up and slashed downward impaling a man. He fell to the floor with the body and went into a roll before kicking his leg out left and forced another man to fall. He brought his saber down and impaled him. He jumped up at a height he even was surprised with, and felt the Force rushing through his young body. He twisted and fell once more to the ground. This time he rushed the Force through his body, down his arms and into his saber. It was wholly instinctual, as he slammed down, his saber piercing through the metal grating and out from his body exploded a pulse of pure energy that sent a group of five more enemy men flying in all directions. Only afterward, letting Luke realize that they slammed their bodies against rails, beams, and consoles to death. Their bones snapping and cracking as blunt trauma took the light of life from them, and their presence in the Force ceased being.

Vader grasped tow troopers to the back end of the room with one hand, and clutched his hand into a fist. Their bodies slammed together and they were knocked unconscious, as he threw saber out from under his left arm and flying into an elevated Moff trooper with a sniper aimed at Starkiller. The head of the trooper fell to the ground below and Vader recalled his blade.

As it returned to him, the Dark Lord grasped it with both hands and held it low in ready posture. Only or a silence to overtake the room save for the hum of three saber blades. The allied troopers peeked from where they had taken cover from the fire. Several of their own dead around them, and a good portion of enemy troops lay dead from blaster marks as well. But, they didn't dare attack while their lord Vader struck. Accidentally hitting the Sith would be, undoubtedly, their end.

"We are clear commander." Vader deactivated his saber, and hooked it back onto his belt. His two apprentices followed suit, and the trooper commander lowered his blaster with his men and approached. He saluted and bowed.

"We were happy to assist my lord Vader. The control console was damaged by fire, but the secondary console is still intact." The trooper pointed toward it.

"Very good. Access it and enter in the shutdown commands on this datapad commander. I shall contact the fleet. Send out a broadcast that the control room has been seized to all forces. Moff included. Issue orders to secure the surrounding perimeter around the facility under my command, and order an immediate surrender to local Moff and noble allied forces, or face total destruction. All by my authority." The commander stiffly stomped his foot and saluted.

"Right away lord Vader." He ran over toward the console to relay the commands by his supreme commander himself! Starkiller inspected the kills he had accomplished while Luke sat himself on the top of what he thought to be a conference table with his saber deactivated in hand, and watched his father go on. Trying as hard as he could to push all the death and those dead by his hands aside for now.

The Sith lord snapped his holocomm to life, and waited as the duel figures of general Brashin and admiral Ozzel appeared. The men both bowed.

"The facility is taken. The planetary shield is falling as we speak. Proceed with the operations. Wipe out all anti-air emplacements, and any Moff units in transit to this position. Leave the cities to the ground forces. Land the bulk of those ground forces at sites Bravo-one, and Gamma-one. Once landed I will take direct command."

"Understood my lord." Ozzel bowed and faded from sight.

"I shall aid in directing any forces you see fit to place under my command lord Vader. Otherwise I shall maintain watch over our 'leak,' in security."

"See that you do general." Brashin bowed and Vader ended the transmission. The Dark Lord made his way over toward the viewport overlooking the field where the first landing force was. The fighting had cooled to a crawl as the glorious imperial loyalists marched to victory. The facility shuddered as the great planetary shield deactivated.

For above them all in orbit the Reprisal and the Glory of Rendili stardestroyers, loomed over the galactic sphere. Their bottom facing turbolaser cannons moved and aimed down onto their targets. Beneath the great behemoths of the galaxy were dozens of Moff AA-guns, and rushed reinforcement transports making their way toward the since lost, planetary shield facility.

"You may open fire when ready men." Ozzel commanded as he paced along the bridge with hands clasped behind his back. The operators issued the firing commands t the cannon operators, and the batteries let loose.

The great bolts of awesome capital ship destroying power rained down onto the fields of the world. And slammed into the dirt and guns. The ground shook and skies lit with the lights of the turbolasers before the eardrum shattering explosion slammed into the ground and eviscerated or annihilated all it slammed against. The many buildings within the cities these guns and forces protected shattered in waves after waves of pounding by the cannon fire. Previously placed defensive walkers and tanks exploded successively and were tossed like a child's toy's in a tantrum. Bodies ceased to exist if they were caught in the great cannon bolts raining atop their unsuspecting heads until the first one landed. Then those who knew what was coming ran, and dashed like wild scared animals. Abandoning posts and leaving weapons behind as the Empire rained destruction onto all traitors.

The many transports in flight began breaking off and fleeing along with their escorts, but the laser fire was too massive and too mighty. Those struck exploded and fell into millions of metal shards to the planet soil. Those clipped lost half their ship and crashed into a rolling heap of sheared metal and death. Those not hit were hunted down and destroyed by loyal and blood thirsty TIE interceptors of the Empire. TIE bombers dropped extra payloads atop those vessels that weren't wholly destroyed and killed all who remained.

As the fields before the cities turned to plasma slag wastes, and death overtook the planet.

"Well, that's one way to get rid of enemy defenses." Luke quipped. Starkiller snorted a laugh and Vader remained standing toward the viewport like an obsidian monolith. Unmoving with crossed arms, and pervading power out from himself. Luke watched him as the distant skies lit with the light of distant turbolasers, and the planet shook beneath them all. The cries and cheers of the men outside filling his ears along with the booms of war.

His father, Darth Vader. Luke could only imagine what he had seen...and done, to make him to stoney and cool when such destruction and death was underway. Made him wonder, what happened to Anakin Skywalker. He hoped one day he would know. As Osarian came under the awesome power of the Galactic Empire, and Darth Vader.

(Outer-Rim Territories, Nuiri Sector, Gala)

A column of several hundred B1 battle droids with OOM commander droids to the front escorted dozens of locals away. On either side of the column stood many B1 and B2 battle droids who waited in standby on this newly conquered world. In the distant skies Vulture droids roamed and patrolled overhead, and droideka forces rolled across the open fields of the planet.

The distant fields within sight and over several sectors of the planet were littered old battlefields. Old by mere days, and some by hours. Thousands of dead were strewn and broken. With thousands more droids scattered among their ruin. Above loomed an awaiting fleet, and on the world stood the commander of the battle.

"The fleet is prepped and ready for launch whenever you are mistress." Kellia turned as her dear new general, Egriege, stood before her and bowed itself low. The EG-series assassin droid had cloaked itself in a gray cloak and had begun taking on odd traits more suited for detached sentient beings. The new personality packages installed on his memory core, playing havoc with his droid personality. The droid was undoubtedly unstable, undoubtedly loyal, and undoubtedly sadistic.

At its belt and clipped to it was it's previously crafted blue lightsaber, but also five, five more lightsabers. All of them red, and all of them from slain foolish Inquisitors. The droid was the embodiment of the future. The palms of its hands had been installed with highly powerful directed magnets, and pulse wave emitters. Giving it synthetic Force abilities. Its legs were given magnetic clamps and emergency drill launchers to plant it were it stood. The chassis was layered with cortosis, and hand turned more into clawed appendages. All seven forms of lightsaber combat have been installed along with the best counter-tactics to each.

Kellia had instilled into...him, as it referred to itself, a sense of blood lust. It enjoyed killing, he enjoyed breaking an enemy and taunting it, and taking trophies. The droid had a warped sense of defeating enemies and winning battles. It also had come to wear this cloak it had found and Kellia had told it to take. It was stained and dirty in places. Blood and dirt dried and possibly forever staining it. Ripped in places at the bottom, but for the most part well kept. Hundreds of kills were under his belt, along with the sabers of the inquisitors the old man sent to kill Kellia. Sure, she killed one or two, but Egriege was on five already.

'My perfect own general Grievous. Fitting your name be Egriege.' She smirked as the droid remained bowed before her.

"Good. Very good general. We shall depart momentarily." Egriege brought its deeply red photoreceptors to meet Kellia's eyes.

"The annoying one, Vorum, seeks an audience before your departure, mistress." The droid had an audible grumble escape from its vocabulator. Something Kellia didn't know was possible, but she nodded nonetheless. Ever since Kellia had brought Egriege's broken form back from Coruscant, Dase had shown animosity and distaste for the droid. Especially after his personality began to fully take shape. She didn't know why, but it could have had something to do with Egriege nearly killing Dase in a frenzy when his initial personality package was installed. Kellia had stopped him and the Geonosian techs fixed the glitch...and disposed of the two dead of their kind from the incident.

"I'll meet with him. I think I know what he wants. You go ahead to the fleet. Board the Assimilation, and await me there." It bowed deeply and nobly.

"As you will, mistress." The droid turned and made its way toward its own personal two magnaguard units that followed next to it. Kellia smirked as she mused again, that she indeed had her own, fully mechanical, and full droid, Grievous.

She shook herself from the musings and made her way over to where Dase was speaking with Bers. The weequay still had his scarf over his mouth and looked antisocial as ever, but he had since proven his ability with this battle..and Nelvaan before.

"Vorum. You wanted to talk?" He pulled himself from his conversation with Bers, and excused himself. The weequay nodded and returned to overlooking the field of defeated locals being marched into 'democratization' camps. It was Kellia's name for them at least.

"Yeah, thanks. I wanted to speak about the er...plan."

"Plan?" She cocked a brow.

"Yeah, ya'know." He leaned in. "Mandalore Nelrain." Kellia rolled her eyes.

"Of course it is. What is it this time Dase? I have a whole fleet waiting in orbit for this talk, so it had better be important." The Corellian nodded and motioned for them to walk away from the command units where Bers stood. Kellia obliged and began pacing with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Look, I know I'm a pain in the backside. I'm not exactly the most tactful, and well I can deal with a little vengeance and bloodletting. Perhaps I get a little too loud...and drunk...and dirty...and smelly."

"The point Dase!" Kellia irritatedly demanded, and watched the Corellian raise his hands in surrender.

"This attack, I know what you plan on doing. Maybe not to the extent but it will happen. I know about Nelvaan and I know what's happening to the Hutts in their region of space. For the love of the Force Kellia! You're broadcasting half the atrocities commit and some of the boys don't know if they can handle it. I can't imagine they'd keep their lunch if you broadcast everything." Kellia sighed.

"War is ugly, Vorum. Surely you remember Dubrava. All the things done to those who fought peacefully, and with care. You know, you remember don't you? The Empire and the Moffs? They're one in the same. One happens to have a crazed old man in charge, and the other has a crazed group of greedy plutocrats in power thinking the galaxy in any way asked them to rise up in rebellion. Their sedition is nothing more than a symptom of the same disease. It all begins and ends with Palpatine."

Again Dase raised his hands to calm and placate her.

"I get that all, but the Hutts? The Nelvaanians? And, now the Mandalorians?" The Hutts, I could maybe understand. They're scum, but the Nelvaanians? What did they do, huh? The Mando's? Hey I don't like some of the bastards either. They're more arrogant than even some Corellians can stomach, and think they're better than everyone, but they don't deserve what Nelvaan got."
"You're right, they deserve and shall receive worse." Dase scoffed and brought his hand to his head.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." he for once put on a serious look and took on a serious tone Kellia was mostly unused to. Still, it did little to phase her.

"I worked with a couple Mandalorians in my life. They ain't bad. In fact a few don't like the Empire as much as we don't. Sure...the majority could care less, and work as mercenaries or bounty hunters, but it's only because their culture likes all that hunting and tracking and beating threats stuff. You really wanna punish them for that?" Kellia smirked and laughed coolly as a scoff barely contained itself.

"Vorum, they'll pay for what they have done many times throughout history. Again, and again they think themselves worthy and capable of taking on the Jedi or the Republic of old. For what reason? None other than their pathetic and savage culture. They wish to find foes worthy of fighting so they seek us, the Jedi, and the republic out. They murder in wanton slaughter. Cathar was almost driven to destruction and the race to extermination thousands of years ago when they attacked. They committed genocide for the fun of it." She paused and a sarcastic smile overtook her. "Oh wait, I'm sorry they did it for honor. Because the Cathar were potential rivals. Or some moronic nonsense."

Her face took on a cold and hateful glare though the rest of her features remained neutral.

"For what they did, one of their kind forming the backbone of the entire clone army. The very same one that killed almost every single Jedi alive. Those who fought with them, led them, and saw their worth. They threw it all away as the organic droids they were and are. For the past transgressions, they will suffer as none have before in this war. Thy will let loose a great wail though the galaxy that shall never again be repeated or imitated. For, save the Sith, the greatest threat to galactic stability and freedom, are these barbarous cretins." Dase went silent and a deeply troubled look overcame his features, as he sighed.

"This movement had and still does have, potential to be something more. Something better and for the good of all, and not vendetta settling or score evening. The more you drag the URM and her allies into this chaos, and unleash in full the droid hordes as you have with your sick droid. The more the people will see the Empire as their saviors. We're only lucky really that the Moffs are murderous psychopaths and sycophants or the people may turn toward them as well." Dase paused.

"I still have faith in ya' Nelrain. That ain't worth much more than a dead nerf to you, but it's all I got. I'll follow your lead, but I don't like this. I also think we could be much more. A beacon, a light, and a hope for a galaxy that is desperately losing it. But," he sighed, and forced a cocky Corellian grin onto his face. "You're the boss, and what you say goes. I ain't worth much to the galaxy. At least here I can make a difference. Or try. For better or worse? Heck I don't know. I just hope my name is not forgotten like the quadrillions who've gone through this galaxy." Kellia nodded, and the two fell into a pregnant silence. Dase sighed and glanced toward the hundreds of marching B1's and their escorts mounting STAP units.

"Guess I get things cleaned up here, and head off to that mission in the Inner-Rim. Wont be seeing me for a few weeks or something I guess." He offered with a sad smile. Kellia bowed her head.

"Carry on commander Vorum. I look forward to your reports." Dase grinned.

"No doubt." He saluted and took off back toward the droids, and Kellia simply stood in her own silence again. Letting her emotions fester and seethe as her thoughts chewed on Vorum's words. Then, she forced her thoughts to turn back toward the coming campaign.

"Mandalore...shall burn." Kellia intoned lowly. Almost as if in a growl. She turned and made for the awaiting Sheathipede shuttle transport. All the while her thoughts being plagued by the words of her annoying Corellian commander. The shuttle blasted off and upwards piercing the atmosphere and into the void of space in no time. An escort of four Vulture droids came in to lead the shuttle toward the Providence-class destroyer Assimilation.

Around the ship were not hundreds, but once again a fleet of thousands. Ten-thousand warships in totality. Enough for several sector defense fleets by Imperial standards. Thousands of Providence, Recusant, Munificent, Lucrehulk, Sabaoth, Diamond-class, Fantail-class destroyers, Gozanti cruisers, and supply ships all packed under the one singular command of Kellia Nelrain.

On board there were billions of droids. B1's were the most present. B2's, and B3's, droideka's, crab droids, EG-series assassins, BX commandos in bulk, OOM commander droids, AAT's, Persuader-class tanks, Hailfire-tanks, MTT's, STAP's, magnaguards, spider droids, both homing and dwarf variant, and every other droid under the command of the CIS before her were aboard these vessels. Two-hundred thousand Geonosian warriors were aboard, ready and willing to fight the Mandalorians. A hundred and fifty-eight thousand allied organic units were aboard and ready to destroy Mandalorians. Most brought from Hutt worlds, enslaved or treated like ack dogs by Mandalorians once or twice in their lifetimes.

Save for a dozen or more men and women within all the galaxy none knew where this fleet was headed. Some intelligence that picked up on it worried and alerted the Imperial core of the movement of a massive fleet larger than the Coruscant attack force. Security went to high alert, and the Moffs doubly hid their leaders and power-bases while putting Outer-Rim worlds into critical security alert status.

For this fleet was not for conquest, it was not for pacification, nor was it to instill fear to force a surrender of an enemy. It had a single purpose. To annihilate all life, liquidate a planet, system, even a sector of all assets. Living or material in nature. The full might and force of the vast CIS turned URM reserves unleashed.

Kellia knew when word spread of her actions disgust, anger, horror, and damnation wold follow, but her droids would follow her in turn. They would not, could not, even if they wanted to, betray her. They were her loyal forces, her soldiers, and warriors on the field of battle. And if anyone complained with her ranks, those of the URM too loudly, and threatened to rupture the unity of this quickly growing rebel society across the galaxy?

'Well that's what you're for. Isn't it?' Kellia thought as she held the 'Droid Mass Controller,' in her hands before pocketing it. Loyalty, unlike these barbarians who play at civilization, all in the palms of her hands.

"Send word to the fleet and the admirals. We make for the edge of the Botajef sector. We link up with commander Kast's force, and from there we shall relay the final commands." Kellia ordered. Her wholly droid crew did as ordered and went about entering the commands as general Egriege came to stand beside her as both stood looking out the forward viewport of the Assimilation. The thousands of warships around them blasting into hyperspace was a sight to behold.

"Let's see who wins, general." Kellia intoned to her murderous droid. "A thousand 'warriors,' raised and bred for battle. Or, a billion droids with no conscious, fear of death, and complete loyalty." the droid bowed his head, and in an odd way Kellia knew the droid was more than ready and aching for a fight. As the Assimilation joined the thousands of other warships and made for the edge of Mandalorian space.

Kellia Nelrain's greatest campaign yet, was about to begin.

(Imperial Stardestroyer Exactor, en route to Epica)

"General Immodet, vice-admiral Piett, thank you both for seeing me. I understand that this is an awkward situation. My age is not lost on me. That is why I've deferred all operations planning for the coming attack up to you two." Leia greeted formally and politically as she folded her hands in her lap and sat straight and gracefully in her seat along the overly long half circular table. The room was dully gray, floors matching, with blackened breaks in between. The table and chairs were sparkling clean and equally gray and sterile. The two men sat in seat somewhat far from one another, but not too far to suggest animosity. They both wore officer uniforms of their standing and status within the Imperial hierarchy. Though Immodet, like most generals had a uniform that was more dull green, while the naval officers like Piett wore uniforms of dull gray. Leia was just happy to see something other than gray or black. Though she felt slightly hypocritical since she was wearing a black cloak. Though underneath she had on her snugly fitting white shirt top, short sleeved, along with matching white jean leggings.

"The only stipulation I hold is that I get final say on what does and does not go in the counterattack." Both men nodded, and Leia smiled. "Then I'm ready to hear the plan."

"I shall begin milady." Piett offered, and she waved him off. Immodet sat back in his seat. Probably already having heard the admiral's plans.

"The bulk of the enemy fleet is concentrated near the planet. Obviously this tactic is to prevent any and all enemy reinforcement landings. Myself, and general Immodet have come to the conclusion that the Moffs are aware of the impending attack, and are at the moment making preparations to defend against it." Leia paused the admiral.

"How do they know? Have we any clue how they found out?" Immodet cleared his throat.

"It has becoming increasingly clear throughout the war so far, milady, that the enemy force maintains sympathizers to their separatist ideals inside our ranks. Those of the military, and intelligence branches. So far we have maintained a similar tactic, and have many agents embedded in their military and intelligence circles. Someone aware of the nature of our counterstrike, and in the planning or authorization process, be it here or back on Anaxes, is feeding the Alliance information." Piett broke in.

"It will not help them milady. Our own spies have made it clear that the Moff forces planet-side are battered and bloodied. The strike against commander Viathan's forces inside the forests of Epica have eaten away at their numbers. Their fleet was battered by the first attempted relief force, and have at least a dozen ships undergoing emergency repair to be at least fifty-percent battle ready by our arrival time. Secondary reinforcements have been called to the Moffs from surrounding systems. But, nothing substantial or otherwise damaging to our plans." Immodet nodded in agreement and folded his hands together over the desk and leaned himself in.

"Proceed admiral." Leia motioned.

"Of course. The bulk of the naval forces are, as stated, guarding the planet as near as they can be. Several packs of warships maintain a loose perimeter further beyond. We will have to puncture it. The operation shouldn't take more than a well placed set of capital ships, and bombers to wipe the enemy perimeter into a broken mess. Then we spearhead. Half break to the left and the other right. Subsections of these halves then begin top-down bombardment maneuvers. We essentially sandwich the enemy fleet with a stack of our force beneath and above them, and bombard them while they are force to pick and choose where to return fire. Considering our forces are fresh, with more TIE fighters, interceptors and bombers at the ready we will be more than capable of holding enemy starfighter units at bay, as well as maintaining pounding momentum against the Moff fleet." The admiral seemed very pleased with himself and kept himself sitting prim and properly with clasped hands atop the table, as he laid down his methodology. Leia nodded along and sighed with some small sense of content come over her.

"Well, that sounds fit to me. I haven't...led..well any battle of as large a scale as this in my life. So, I can only ask what you think of the plan general. I know your expertise is ground based, but surely you have an opinion?" the elder man bowed his head.

"It is sound. The Moff fleet is in shambles. If they do not break into full retreat within the first hour or two of our counterattack, I will be forced to assume their masters denied them the capability to commit retreat."

"Is this plan to your liking milady?" Piett added at the end. Leia smiled, and felt a sense of overwhelming responsibility fall over her. The lives of tens of thousands of men would be ended or saved based on a simple yes or no. And, unlike her father, she wasn't as sure on any and everything as he seemed to be all the time. But, what could she do? Order a review and waste more time reliving those trapped on the surface?

"Yes admiral. It sounds fitting enough for me. I defer the true soundness and worth of your tactics to yourself and general Immodet, but as far as I can tell based on your ideas, it seems solid."

"Thank you milady. General." Piett nodded to Immodet and took silenced himself as the elder of the two men cleared his throat once more and leaned forward once again as well.

"I have brought forth a plan that answers the concerns your broached milady. The allied force of commander Viathan, was last reported to be here." He pointed a holomap, that sprung to life the moment he touched the table. It nearly made Leia jump, but she kept herself composed. His gloved finger fell onto what looked to be a cleared small section of a dense forest.

"We shall shore up the defense of our allies by making landings here, and here," He pointed towards two position along the very outskirts of the forest. "We will have thousands of fresh troops, and several fully armed and ready brigades of walkers. A whole division of repulsor-tanks will be landed along this elevated sector of the valley. We will break over the top and fire down into the enemy camp here." The holomap displayed a previously incarnated display of saber tanks by the dozens taking positions facing down into the valley before the forests and firing down into the camp. Acting like close ranged artillery even.

Thousands of troopers would be flushed into the forests and take up the front line protecting Viathan's positions, and then advanced once the walkers and tanks bruised the Moff position and morale to fracture point. It met her goal of seeing Viathan's men, and Viathan himself not get utterly annihilated.

"What about the end game? When we have them beaten and where we want them?" Immodet nodded.

"We'll advance the forward lines toward the Moffs. Push them along their general front back toward their camp. We will form spearheads here, and here, and then commit blitz tactics, and have the spearheads break both left and right and begin encircling the Moff lines. Those that do not surrender will be...cut down, milady." Leia nodded. She had killed so many already. Nameless and faceless enemy troopers who wore basically the same gear as her father's men. And she'd broken more droids than she'd ever feel comfortable telling Threepio out of fear he'd faint..literally. It didn't matter or phase her anymore, to hear and talk about death. This was the new norm for her. Even from afar she knew it affected Luke more than her.

But, as ever, she would fight to ensure her father's men, her men, would not die in vain and, or, be needlessly sacrificed like sacrificial nerfs.

"I like it general. I put my full support behind both your, and admiral Piett's plans." Both men nodded. Then, the door opened and all three turned. Leia furrowed her brow, general Immodet seemed unfazed, and admiral Piett very subtly grumbled under his breath. Only Leia caught it and it could have made her crack a smile. If not for the sudden intrusion.

"An impressive strategy, to be sure," announced a refined and exotic Coruscanti voice, from the open bulkhead.

Leia knew then and there that this had be the Inquisitor that Shira had told her about, he walked in wearing full body armor similar and yet different to those worn by the Emperor's Royal Guard, pitch black with high collars and shoulder guards emblazoned; the symbol of the Empire upon them. But what caught Leia's attention was his physical appearance, not what he was wearing.

He was tall, a few inches shorter than Viathan by her visual estimate. He looked as though he had been training all his life in physical combat, he was lithe in his height with long legs, but he still had a slightly muscular and athletic build. Well, she assumed as much based on how much she could see with his armor upon him. His eyes, his skin and hair looked as though pure electrum had been woven into him. That, was slightly off-putting for her, but she wrapped herself in the cloak of the Force. As her father taught her. His presence was already present and apparent. Powerful and probing. Though Leia made sure he didn't reach even her surface thoughts.

Still looking him over, she noted that his hair was short and she guessed it was sophistically cut that short whenever it grew too long, at most his bangs lay sprawled across his fringe and at the sides they touched his ears, but at the same time it was wild and unruly as though he had only gotten out of bed or never cared to brush it. His hair was a golden blond, and it shined like light upon electrum. His eyes were just as golden, his skin was an exotic dark bronze and seemed to be woven with that very same electrum on the cellular level.

"Lord Inquisitor," greeted General Immodet, amiably. The old man bowed his head, and glanced Leia's way with a calm in his eyes. She couldn't tell if that was what he meant, but that's what she sensed.

"At ease, General." greeted the Inquisitor in turn, grinning white teeth shining like pure silver. His accent and tone seeming all too kindly and greeting. It held an air of unease about it, that made Leia all the more protective as the young...man, boy? Whatever he was stood before her.

Upon arriving at the table, the Inquisitor began moving parts of the holomap around and rearranging forces designated to certain objectives, discussing changes in strategy while Leia watched on silently. Her eyes darted back and forth and a half scowl, half sneer came across her as he seemed to simply ignore her. The tactics Immodet had just laid out fell away and an entirely new plan took shape before the three, and Leia felt a rise in her. The Force crawled along her spine and whispered into her mind. Anger, and annoyance, the dark side. So quickly had the Inquisitor had torn apart her plan of reinforcing Viathan's rear with relief, he instead had divided their forces intentionally and brought down further reserves from the fleet.

"As you requested when you came aboard, Lord Inquisitor," proclaimed Admiral Piett, giving Leia an apologetic glance. "We moved the fleet into spindle formation and as requested." He paused, and again gave Leia a look. "However, as acting military lead for this operation as directed by Lord Vader himself, I have decided to conduct the battle using a different operation. Spindle was and is a good idea, however, I think we can more adequately destabilize and diminish enemy forces with both downward and upward facing cannon bombardment." Leia felt a small sense of relief flood over her, and the admiral seemed to almost slightly nod her way in support, but she wasn't sure if he really had or if she was seeing things.

"Spindle formation?" She questioned aloud.

"Spindle formation is a fleet formation designed to prevent losses while breaking through the very heart of an enemy fleet," explained General Immodet, to her. "The Emperor desired that we... rip the enemy's heart apart." Immodet cast a worrisome and weary gaze Piett's way, but the admiral remained stoney and defiant almost. It was becoming clear to Leia, as she silently, observed with clasped jaw, that the two men had been meeting with the Inquisitor without her knowing...or being informed.

"And in doing so my way, it will cause massive damage to the enemy and open up the path for the ground forces without much loss. The enemy would be so shocked at our sudden appearance, coupled with the collapse of their fleet's command structure, that we will be able to ensure the success of our mission and the destruction of the enemy's forces!" proclaimed the Inquisitor, making a dramatic gesture. "Additionally, Moff Trachta is believed to be in charge on that world. His specialty is as a conspirator, naturally he has an affinity for chemical and intelligence warfare. If we cannot capture him, then the resources at his base would become a useful resource!" He paused, and crossed his arms with a shrug of his head to the side.

"Of course, this way woks too. I can only hope this minimizes losses as well as my plans had, admiral." Piett nodded.

"I'm sure it will, my lord Inquisitor." He replied with a calm demeanor and cool voice. It made Leia like him even more.

The Inquisitor paced around the table gesturing at specific points of the map as though to reinforce his decisions, and Leia frowned looking at it. The Inquisitor's plan made Leia's prior guidelines seem inadequate in comparison, and a little selfish. It also made her feel as though she was being indirectly condescended to. Her blood boiled and nostrils flared as the Force felt and fed off her anger, driving more power coursing through her body.

While Leia had before intended for all forces to support Viathan's remaining units, she had to admit that it would have only made the perilous position that Viathan's men were in even more dire, it would make their defensive position the front-line of the raging conflict; an imperial kill-zone. But now, the Inquisitor had formed three additional fronts in which to destroy the enemy, and to lure them away from Viathan. All the more reason to feel anger, and not without a dash of self directed anger.

Within his rapidly shaping plans three IM-455 modular garrisons were to be dropped at hidden locations with their specific forces, one commander would use a fraction of their forces and attack the northern flank of the enemy base, gradually withdrawing to draw them away from their eastern advance. Then, General Immodet would move his forces in the south, into the position needed to attack the enemy forces from their rear inside the valley.

Naturally, however, Immodet would wait for the signal for the third force, who coordinating with those discontent within the enemy base, would take control of the emptied base with minimal losses and attempt to capture Moff Trachta. All weapons and intelligence information would be received from that base, and a jamming field arranged to be enveloped from it, coating the battlefield and throwing the enemy army into disarray.

Meanwhile, Immodet would launch his attack on the enemy flank and hidden reserve forces in the north of the enemy would leap out of hidden locations, ambushing the enemy with greater numbers than previously expected. The enemy forces would be crushed, if not right out destroyed, and then the relief forces that had been shored up to aid Viathan would initiate a retreat with those in need of relief.

Even if the Moff got away, even if some enemy forces survived, it was the Inquisitor's hope that their position would become untenable. And that with the destruction of the enemy fleet and a blockade of orbit, that the survivors would be forced to surrender, and many executed. Unlike Viathan and those under his commands, the Moffs were led by greed and privilege, take that away from them and stress them to breaking point and they would have... nothing worth living for. They may as well, be bare naked, for the galaxy to see.

"So, does all of this meet your...qualifications, milady Vader?" The Inquisitor asked with a semi-smug smile upon his face as he held most of himself behind unemotional eyes. For the most part he was too reserved for her to get a viable read on, and she didn't really wish to test the waters so to speak with him, and try to pry his mind open. Rather, she merely sneer. Openly, lowly, and with what distasteful grace the Alderaanian royal houses and nobility had imparted upon her.

"The plan is good. It is fine. Implement it as you will general, admiral." She nodded to Piett who returned it. Immodet bowed low. Almost like an apology. She sensed a freely thrown thought. The vision of her father choking him, choking Immodet. It gave her a momentary, but fleeting pause to remember that these men feared her as if she were Darth Vader himself. So she closed her eyes and released a calming breath. Letting the anger and aggression out into the Force. And, away from herself.

"When do we arrive above planet?" She directed the question toward Piett.

"AT earliest three hours, milady. The men shall be prepped and ready by then." Leia nodded, and let her gaze cross toward the Inquisitor once more. Their gazes met and she held it for a moment before tearing away, and addressing the two military leaders.

"I accept and fully support these plans. Their modifications included. I and Shira will head to the surface with the first landing wave. When we arrive, attempt to make contact with all surviving forces planet-side." She paused. "Attempt to ascertain if commander Viathan is still alive, and if so direct his forces to form up, and wait out the counterattack, and rejoin only after we have a secure noose around the neck of the Moff beast on planet." She added the imagery and sent one last glance the Inquisitor's way. He smiled her way and she sensed he found the analogy...agreeable.

"I shall see you both planet-side then. You and your friend, milady Vader." The Inquisitor bowed his head, and Leia cast a feigned smile, and made to leave. Admiral Piett and general Immodet rose and followed her out the conference room door. The Inquisitor remained and nodded to himself in his loneliness. A smile crawling along his bronzed features.

Epica was bound to be quite entertaining.

(Stardestroyer Magnificence, en route to Pelagon)

"We shall arrive shortly, milord. I have your shuttle prepped and ready. Your Massassi detail is in wait along with their leader. And, a report was received via hypercomm, that milady Lyn and your other two charges await your arrival. Apparently Pelagon is secured, with minor pocket resistance. House Pelagia has sent emissaries to express their 'renewed desire to begin cooperation with the gran Galactic Empire.' Or, something as such my lord." Captain Quor laid down everything properly and without a hitch or stutter. It made Kun appreciate the man more.

The two, once again, marched their way down one of the many halls of the grand stardestroyer they occupied. As they made their way deeper into the bowls of the mighty vessel of war they passed the wayward trooper or officer, all of them saluted, and Kun was sure to send them a smile and a lazy, but sincere reply salute. The ship neared its destination in the Tapani sector to resume the grand campaign to retake it whole for the Empire from the Moff infestation. The victories at Neona, new Shella, and now Pelagon were driving morale in the Tapani sector high for imperials. Fresh recruits, disgusted by their Moff oppressors during the temporary occupations were flooding from worlds retake in the sector. Neona alone offered up four million recruits. Most of them having lost family members in forced Moff guerrilla tactics.

Indeed things were looking up, and could only go higher from here! Save one thorn in Exar's side.

"Things appear to be in order captain. Your attention to detail, and reliability have made their mark. I will be sure to recommend to admiral Refflet that you be given the appropriate accolades when the time is given to us," The captain forced himself to hide a smirk and bowed his head whilst keeping pace with his lord.

"Thank you my lord, Kun. It has been an honor serving you in these last few months of service. I seek to continue improving myself and pleasing you in the future, milord." He bowed deeply once more. Kun smiled and paused, forcing the captain to pause as well.

"There was never any doubt, captain. Now if you would excuse me I have a pest to deal with. Be sure to have my shuttle looked over and checked one more time before I head there." Kun looked to the door, his gray eyes taking a far away look as he seemed to lose himself in thoughts for but a moment. "This shouldn't take too much time."

"At once milord." Quor bowed. "Be warned sir, that man has been perhaps the loudest and worst prisoner we've had." Kun raised one brow.

"Oh? From a man who seemed to pride himself on being affiliated with the office of the Inquisitors, he sure does lack much of their resistance, and skill. His skills on Shantipole must have been the only thing of use to such a man. A pity," Kun spat. "I had initially thought him interesting. Now I must sadly admit to myself the hard truth. He's a mere spy, in a game between myself and the Emperor." Kun laughed as the officer very subtly took on a frightened expression.

"You needn't worry, captain. I the Emperor, and even my dearest Lord Vader have an understanding between us. This man, is nothing. A pawn in our game. I will deal with him as any pawn too deep into something he isn't prepared for should be dealt with." Quor relaxed some but his demeanor remained slightly stiff.

"As you say, milord. I leave such business and affairs to you and those of your station."

"A wise decision captain. Now if you would please." Kun motioned down the hall but maintained a pleasant suggestive posture. Without a word more the captain made off to complete his business with a final bow Kun's way.

Exar turned and opened the door. Within it on either side of the door there was a Massassi warrior. Their yellow eyes staring forward until he came in. They turned and kneeled themselves to his presence. He waved them by and entered into the room more fully. In its center was hanging the man in question by his two wrists as they kept him chained and elevated above the ground. Atop his head a simple Force disruptor. His thoughts incapable of fully forming without the deepest concentration at his call, and thus his Force abilities rendered all but useless.

Inside the room were three officers. Special men that Kun had learned were aboard each ship. At least one always was. 'Interrogation specialists,' they were known as. With them were two hovering black and foreboding droids. Interrogation droids with all manner of syringes, tools, and other jutting material along their surfaces. All of them for one devious purpose. To break a man, or woman. In every and any way.

"Gentlemen!" Kun greeted and waved his arms outward in a welcoming manner with a smirk. "How have our accommodations been for our esteemed guest?" The lead expert turned, a slender man, tall and stiff like any good imperial. His eyes hard and blue, and his head capped with a standard officers cap. His name was Carsol Wensaal. A devious man if Kun had ever met one. His presence in the Force brimming with disdain, and pleasure only in the sight of others pain.

"Very good, milord. The subject has so far been 'cooperating,' but only with the most minute and inconsequential information. His resolve is quite," A piercing scream filled the room and Kun grimaced as the three interrogators did nothing but silence themselves. Kun even sensed his Massassi grow irritated.

"I will get out of these bindings Kun! And, when I do I'll rip you to pieces!"

"Charming to the last." Kun replied as Raydonn let his head hang once again. His scream slightly empowered by his rage and the Force. A raw use of its power. The only kind possible for him at the moment.

"Apologies my lord. He's done that in intervals since we've arrived. We think it may have to do with the cocktail of truth serums, and pain inducers flooding through his bloodstream right now. I would say," Carsol turned back on the man with a wicked grin as his hands remained clasped. "He's more high than a Hutt's harem of pleasure slaves." Kun chuckled as he began to pace a circle around the hanging limp man. His clothing was gone, save for his undergarments. He looked a mess, and Kun took in the sight of multiple old scars and burns across his back and chest. The one upon his face reading in Sith was off, and odd to him. Everything else to him seemed there just to inflict pain. Kun would see to it they would be but mere scratches if need be.

"I have always meant to ask you my dear Inquisitor, you could say I've always meant to inquire a question I've been withholding." Kun mocked. Raydonn raised his head ever so slightly and stared his groggy and glazed over eyes toward Kun.

"You scars, those burn marks upon your face, they read in Sith. Can you tell me why that is, who put them there, and why the translation is off?"

"I haven't the slightest why it's 'off' you idiot. I didn't exactly read it myself, and I don't know the damn language. As for why it was put there, it was to inflict pain and degrade me. By whom? None of your concern." Kun nodded to the interrogator closest to Raydonn. He pulled a syringe from the nearest probe droid and flicked it with his finger before jabbing it into the inquisitor's arm.

"Argh!" he seethed and stared daggers into the interrogator. "Watch your...aim..you karking womp rat." Carsol scoffed. Kun got the impression his mild name calling was growing tiresome to the man and his crew.

"Let's try that again now that you have a little more truth serum, I assume in your veins?" Carsol nodded, and Kun clapped his hands together. "Splendid. Now, how did you come about those scars inquisitor?!" The Sith Lord demanded, his voice powerful and echoing in the room, the Force adding more power behind it.

Raydonn visibly shook as his eyes slammed shut and fought against his need, his compulsion to speak. Kun sensed the rage welling and weakness growing inside his captive. He began stuttering and words forced their way out, and Exar stopped in front of him next to an interrogator.

"Out with it!" Kun clutched his chin and brought Raydonn's gaze to meet his own.

"I...wa...was a...Jedi! T...took me to un...known loca...tion. Tortured..burn..ed. Tur...ned to dark side!" Exar released his chin, and he went limp once again and hung his head. He gasped and stuttered, and visibly clasped his jaw shut, and tried to keep himself focused. It wasn't working out well for him.

"Not so hard was it?" Kun again began pacing. "The words marked on your face must have been planted by some fool, an idiot who can't translate or read. I get the impression he meant to etch into your flesh 'Peace is a lie.' Instead," Exar stopped pacing once again and idly noted his back covered with scars. "Instead it reads, 'Peace is no lie.' A disgusting and erroneous mistranslation of the Sith code if ever I've read one." Kun spat and continued on pacing.

"Sorry to diss...appoint Kun. Ya'know..." He began. "It took me a bit...took...me some time, but I re...remembered where I had...heard your name before. In the temple back on Coruscant...years ago. You're a dead man, or...were at least. Turned on your own accord and started the Great...Sith war right?" Exar stopped, and cast an annoyed glare Raydonn's way as the inquisitor met his gaze for once, though he still held a glazed look about him. The Sith lord sensed his Massassi bristle with pride, and the imperials with confusion.

"A long time since anyone has mentioned that to me boy. You have a lot to learn about history and the power of the Force. But, that aside, yes. I am the same Exar Kun that began the 'Great Sith War,' as you call it. Most men and women in the galaxy could care less. Their history is worse than their pettiness. More so now than ever before I would bet." Exar stopped before the man and motioned with a nudge of his head for the interrogator to step aside.

"The Jedi attempted to kill me. They came to my moon, and sought to cut me off from the Force wipe me and my Massassi out? Who knows what they sought to do, but I split myself from this mortal shell. The Force is so much more than flesh, and bone. For four-thousand years give or take a decade, I remained inside my tombs and slept in the cold infinite darkness. Then I was awoken to a galaxy in the poor state it is now. A man, another man half machine, and a galaxy full of hatred and lots of weapons. More systems, more sectors, infinitely more opportunity and possibility to gain power." Exar went on. The entire time, the inquisitor fought to stay focused. Now and again his head would fall and he'd jerk it back up to look at the Sith Lord.

"Leave for a moment." Exar nudged to the men. They bowed and did so. Exar remained silent until he was sure they were outside the sound proofed room. His Massassi standing tall and to attention as ever.

"The first man, full of power, and greed. A true and powerful Sith Lord, a dark Lord of the Sith. Your master the Emperor. He sensed and sent his personal kath hound to sniff me out. I awoke on Yavin IV, and brought about the resurrection of a lost and ancient race." he pointed his thumb over his shoulder to the Massassi.

"Yet I see nothing but a growing sense of power-madness about him. He grows complacent and lacking in vision or ambition with a galaxy all to himself. Indeed, his lap dog had and still has far more ambition to offer. Darth Vader, if ever there was a man who had the greatest potential as a Sith or Jedi it is he." Kun admitted with a distant glare. Raydonn for a moment thought he sensed jealousy, but he remembered he could hardly feel the Force. So he might have imagined it.

"Vader's body was broken, but I made it whole. His ambitions curtailed by is own boundaries. Those of the mind from trauma and dependance. I have released him from such a hold. And, in kind we unleashed upon your galaxy, your master, and his power a war." Kun spat, but held a devious and self satisfied smirk across his darkened and rugged features.

"Did you think this war came from out of nowhere? That some foolish Moffs were being picked off one by one, by one another to begin a coup?! Did you believe any of that, and did your master? I sense he has his doubts, for he keeps sending your kind, and others of your ilk to thrust themselves into business ventures that do not in the least concern them." Kun patted his bare shoulder and Raydonn made to jerk it away but all he managed to do was weakly yank himself and slowly swing whilst still hung from the ceiling. The Sith Lord crossed his arms, and looked down upon him. He could see his tired, and belittling glare.

"The Sith have lost their way. Even the Emperor knows this. Sees the potential and once more creating an order that brings a Sith to every corner of the galaxy. The Rule of Two? It has great ambition, and great intelligence behind it, but it stifles growth leaves too much room for error. Should the master do away with an apprentice at so old an age he cannot find a new one, or a new one kills him before much knowledge is gained the whole thing comes crashing down. You and your kind, the inquisitors, the Hands, and Dark Side Adepts are all quasi-Sith already. He just refuses to give you such a title." The Sith kept going. Raydonn for the briefest moment, as long as his mind would let him hold the thought, began to think the man had few to speak with.

"He doesn't have a clue. And, if he does he lacks the will or sentiment to act on it."

"What doesn't he have a clue...on?" He gasped out as pain radiated down from the upper back as the strained binds along his wrists kept him swaying.

"This war? An illusion. From what Lord Vader divulged to me, the last great war, the Clone wars, was a war created and functioned solely by the Emperor on both sides. An astounding tactic to be sure. He deserves all accolades and respect of any Dark Lord. But, now the tables are turned, and he cannot even sense it. The Moffs?" He laughed in an open scoffing burst of mirth.

"The self indulgent idiots couldn't fight a trembling mynock without some persuasion and promise. Lord Vader and myself have created this Moff Alliance, much praise is due for Lord Vader rather than myself. And the rebels, whilst not under our command, as yes, the Moffs are, they were manipulated into creation. Dubrava, Organa, the eruption of their hatred into a full blown assault on Coruscant and unleashing of this enemy from the past?! All due in part to my schemes! Where Vader took the Moffs and made them an enemy to reckon with, I instilled in the hearts of the rebellious citizens of the galaxy a drive, and burning need to act! This war is our creation, and ours to fight, but it shall be ours to win, and the people of the Empire shall see that." Exar leaned down and grasped Raydonn's face roughly.

"They will see two great Sith Lords, and their individual sects of followers and acolytes, and watch them make war. Defend the galaxy, and them from these ravenous hordes! We will make these two sides act with such hatred that the Empire has become a tame thing to be desired. Not lead by some old withered husk long since passed his due date, but by one of us. By the strong, and the willing. The capable."

"The treasonous...filth." Raydonn spat back. Kun sneered. "You would have billions killed to have the numberless left desire your leadership?"

"Come now. Don't get self-righteous on me fool." Exar threw his head back and stood up. Raydonn seethed out as the chains holding him pulled ever harder on his back and arms.

"Your Emperor did the same. We merely took his method of warfare and achieving power, and have unleashed it upon its progenitor! Once done, the galaxy will come out the better for it. A fit new emperor, the empire reformed into a truly Sith empire, all skirting from the notion of such will be left by the wayside. A New Golden Age shall reign! And, your Emperor will die, be it by my, or another, I could care less, but he will die." Kun clasped his hands together before himself and looked off distantly as he went off into his own thoughts and visions of the future. Before he fell back upon Raydonn.

"As you shall. In time. Once I'm done with you." Raydonn laughed a rough and almost painful scratchy laugh.

"You sure like to monologue don't ya? The sound of your voice put rancor to sleep or just me?" The Dark Lord's expression fell, and Raydonn watched with a feint ill feeling as his expression curled into a sneer of deepest proportions. His lip twitched and his jaw snapped back and forth as the Force brimmed around him in rage. Even Raydonn could sense it this time.

"Insolent brat. You know nothing."

"I'd say," Raydonn added, though he knew he was goading beyond the point of return. "I know too much now. My lord." He forced a smirk onto his face, and glazed eyes twinkled with mirth. Kun's sneer deepened, and with sudden immense speed, he raised his left hand up and out from his fingertips exploded a burst of lightning.

Raydonn's screams filled the room, as his body contorted where he hung. His flesh being singed, scarred and burnt atop old wounds and previously untouched patches of skin. The contortions his body sought to commit with volts coursing through it made near impossible and all the more painful as he writhed in the air elevated just above the ground. His body would snap and force the chains to swing him and thrash and jerk on his bones and muscles. Until at last the Dark Lord ceased. His Massassi behind him watching the sight with great enjoyment and awe before their lord and master.

"I've grown beyond weary with your master's ceaseless tactic of sending your worthless kind to shadow or attempt some pitiful assassination attempt! You are not worth my time. Three, mind you three women, two of them mere girls, are worth more to me as students. You are but a petty and idealistic fool!" Exar seethed and once more reached out with a powerful grip, but this time wrapped his hand around the Inquisitor's neck and yanked him to look him in the eyes.

"I will cut, burn, inject, and tear every last ounce of worth and information from your puny mind, boy! And then when you have nothing left, and your previous scars are but a distant and more favorable memory, will I dispose of you. You worm!" He threw Raydonn back and the man released a half growl and half groan. The Sith lord made to leave, and said nothing more as Raydonn withered into a momentary lapse into unconsciousness.

"Return to your interrogations. See to it that he spills as much as he can give." Exar commanded as he exited the room and came upon the three interrogators conversing.

"See to it you do not kill him until I return and order it myself." The Dark Lord pointed into the room. "This one is mine."

"Of course my lord." Carsol bowed, the devious glint in his eyes returning to them. Exar nodded, and released a sigh, as his rage ebbed. With a final nod he left the men, and they returned into the room. The Dark Lord made his way t the shuttle bay. Mattizz waiting for him silently followed into the shuttle after him, after Kun bid the waiting captain Quor a final but curt farewell, and waited aboard the shuttle for the time being until they arrived above Pelagon.

It took him some time but he finally let his sudden burst of rage cool down and ebb away. When they did reach Pelagon, the shuttle took off and Kun went planet-side. Where he met with Arden, Mara, and Kira. Thoughts of his annoying, and enraging captive settling and falling to the back of his mind.

(Epica)

The scout trooper's body flew through the air and slammed against a tree. His speeder bike whined and screamed before it slammed into a nearby tree and exploded into a spinning wreckage pile. The trooper shook his head before he groaned out as all breath was sucked from his body. A bloodied and well crafted blade was stuck in his gut. The trooper looked up as the teen lorded over him, with a lightsaber humming in his other hand.

Viathan sneered and yanked Grash's blade from the trooper, and swung himself right. His saber sliced through the trooper's neck and his head fell off to the side, as the bleeding body went limp. Viathan spun his two weapons and walked away from the fallen trooper, and take a few calming breaths.

The hand holding the sword of his fallen comrade, his brother in battle, shook as the rage refused to cease. No matter how many he had fallen upon, no matter who he fell upon he didn't feel sated! Dead trooper after dead enemy trooper fell to him. Scouts and forward troopers looking for other survivors.

Images of Trachta's 'art' flooded through his mind, and it made him feel nothing but unadulterated hatred and anger. His rage would not cease and he felt his body shake. Power blasts of pure dark side energy, his master's Force blasts, kept seeking release. It was the only thing he could do that would satiate his hunger for release from this unending power fueled by anger that flooded through his body.

A blaster bolt fired out, and Viathan lazily swept his saber in an arch and the bolt flew away. He pressed his glare onto the scout trooper. He was nestled against a tree stump that he used to level his blaster rifle. The trooper raised his head and Viathan could sense his immense fear. He jumped up and made to run, but Viathan raised his lightsaber wielding hand, and raised both his thumb and index finger and aimed it toward the man. His red saber lighting his face and near blinding his vision, but he knew, he could sense, where the fool was.

The trooper broke into a run away and he heard his shaky and near crazed gasps as he ran, and Viathan felt the power surge up his arm, and outward came a surge of telekinetic power that splintered broke and crushed tree after tree it slammed against, before it hit the trooper. He screamed outward and his body was flung wildly and far into the air. Where he would fall, Viathan didn't care. Only knowing that his death was assured satiated the teen.

His arm fell and Viathan felt a measure of freedom befall him once more. At least until the rage returned. He spun both weapons in his hands as he stood alone, and allowed his thoughts to numbly go over his fallen allies and most of all Grash. Of the two comrades, Grash and Zar, he hadn't spoken all too much with Grash. He knew him, felt him to be unquestionably loyal, and caring for his people, and for him. Like all the Massassi he found the troopers who sensed of great fear and weakness disgusting.

But he had nonetheless carried Viathan for what he know had seen by retracing to be miles through the forest. Through the dim light of evening, to the darkness and cold of night.

"What had I done to deserve such sacrifice?" Viathan spoke aloud. As if he expected a reply. None came and he scoffed at himself. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Viathan growled out. The morning star shone down upon him, and he felt warmth flood across his dirtied, and blood smeared body. He took in a deep breath, but quickly sent it rushing out of his own body as coughs erupted from him and nearly sent him falling to the ground. Blood escaped from his cough and he tasted the metallic taste in his mouth.

He gasped a few breaths as pain consumed his chest and stomach. He relented to the pain and fell against a nearby tree. His back slumped against it and he felt his rage ebb as the pain replaced the sensation within his mind. He deactivated his one active saber and planted Grash's fine Massassi brand next to him as he slid down the rough bark of the tree. The feeling scratched at his flesh but it didn't matter. It was insignificant compared to the twisting and stabbing within himself.

Viathan ordered, and endlessly jolted his body to not fall back into uselessness. He simply sat there in the middle of the woods. The trees here still standing, the star's light and heat beating down on him, and a breeze flowing over him. An otherwise beautiful setting Viathan allowed himself to think. With an otherwise dreadful participant in the scene of false serenity. Himself.

"Sitting along a tree, willing to accept death again? Or is this self pity and dread that falls across your figure?"

"Go away already." Viathan shot back against the voice of the ethereal presence as it manifested before him once again. The icy cold sensation of the dead creature beside him doing nothing to him as the warmth and life of the star cast itself onto him.

"I am tired of speaking with the dead, the non-living, and all out unnatural entities. The dead should stay dead, and the living should remain with the living. If I chose death or life it is my choice! No others!" Viathan spat as the glowing unemotional orbs that were eyes stared back his way.

"Oh what's the use? There's no sense to be found in another dead Sith seeking to pester me." A whirl of wind sounded like a whine through a crack in a wall against a fierce storm, but Viathan paid it no mind. The anger of the dead being present and near tangible.

"Sith? Is that what you call yourselves in this decrepit era of lifelessness?" Viathan furrowed his brow and looked up toward the being.

"You and others like you. The power of the dark side, the bogan, those of you who harness and command it call yourselves Sith? I and others of like mind and spirit called ourselves something different. We were legionnaires. I don't adhere to any title or name you apply to yourselves in this age. It lacks any sort of meaning or cause to it, as far as I care." The spirit in raw baritone informed Viathan. He felt genuine confusion, and almost wanted to press the phantom for more information, but decided to keep his mouth shut.

"Whether you like it or not, boy, I am you future, and your past. I am one of many I sense will guide and empower you through your life. Your journey is one I have waited all these long thousands of years to harness and lead. So, watch your tongue, and your snappiness, child. For one such as yourself, who has seen and experienced such brutality and beatings into submission, you do not show the quality of respecting those elder to you." Viathan lowered his gaze and shut his eyes as weariness forced itself upon him, and he forced it just as quickly away from himself.

"So you're not Sith. Forgive me if I am tired, weak, and lacking in confidence. Both of myself and of anyone...or anything else. And, I don't need another ancient dead man seeking to express their will upon me. I have for too long been at the whim of every old man seeking past glory for long enough. Have I not?!" Viathan burst back and his rage exploded outward slightly, before it died down and he slumped back against the tree.

"Your situation is not lost on me child. I give you much leeway for now. It took me a long time to search you out once I felt your power manifest. I could only reach out and contact you now, an in this dire of a situation it pleases me that I have. You are far to important to me, to let pass on now." The spirit revealed with an earnest, if still deeply foreboding voice.

"Once more you lay against a tree. Your will fades and lacks a sense of purpose and you teeter on forsaking and betraying the sacrifice of your...comrade. You must feed on your impulses, and instincts. Your darker inclinations and desires. Forsake the drive and voice in your head that wills you into surrender. Focus instead on your enemy. The one you call Trachta. Feed on the rage he imbued, and think on the things he has done. Directly or indirectly he has brought about unspeakable pain to you, has he not?" The phantom asked, and Viathan felt his jaw clench. There was no denying it. His hatred and rage ran deeper now more so than ever, and it wasn't even just about Grash and Trachta. Though they were the final straw on the dewback's back.

The war, this battle, his constant failures and near misses at failure. His weakness, and lack of control. He was a mess, a blind fool who forsake one master for another at the simplest signs of acceptance and praise. He was weak, and filled with hatred and envy. He envied all, and hated most everything, but like others of his kind, he knew that his hate stemmed from a deep dark place inside his heart. It was for himself.

So why shouldn't, why couldn't he just sit down here? Give in here, and close his eyes and let it all go? Let the galaxy fend and die for itself, and not force him to fight anymore. Be it for air in doctor Lucentos' labs, or at the instruction of the Moffs, or even general Morlin. Be it for his master the Emperor or his master Exar Kun. Be it for one Sith or another, one lord to the next. Why couldn't he give in now? Why shouldn't he? For he certainly would have liked to.

"Your destiny is greater than you can possibly imagine." The phantom spoke. Viathan almost thought it had heard his thoughts based on how it talked to him. "This galaxy has a great many people within it who can use the Force, both light and dark. There are fewer though, who can wield it as a weapon such as you, and fight on a battlefield like you. An already small number grows smaller. For those who can do as you do fight in this war already, and those who are not shall be drafted into it, in time." Viathan sighed, and sought to blot out the words of the spirit.

"Beyond this, you have a greater lineage, and past than you could have ever realized. A grand and power filled future lay ahead for you. Let those who seek to guide you, such as myself, and your master from afar, guide you, and you will attain power great enough to thrash and destroy all your enemies. Or," It waved around itself dramatically.

"You can dishonor the memory of those who seek, and have sought to help you in your time of need. Lay there on a tree on some backwater unimportant world and die. Do you think you would be the first or last unknown and forgotten tragedy on a field of battle? The galaxy is littered with old scars and old battles, one mass grave lay top another with no prior knowledge of the first or second as the third lay atop them." It grew lower in tone, and almost rumbled near to him.

"If you wish to take all that which you have done and fought to achieve, all the effort put into surviving both ally and enemy, then by all means do so boy. I cannot, nor will I seek to stop you, but show some more self respect and fall upon your own blade. Die in a battle to the very end, and kill droves of your enemies before you fall! Lay here and die a nothing and nobody not because you are, but because you have chosen to be." Viathan directed another glare up to the figure of the thing before him. More than anger or rage, he felt irritation. A tremble of his rising temper traveled along his body, and with a throaty growl, Viathan grasped the Massassi brand and pushed himself back up into a stand.

"Good. Very good. There is much to be done, and much to avenge for yourself...boy. That fool, Trachta as he is named. He must fall by your blade. Only then will you feel the invigoration or vengeance. You will feel how little it sates you, and through that yearning you will be empowered. You shall see."

"Yes we shall." Viathan briskly retorted and snatched up one of his sabers from his belt. "You will tell me in time who you are, and stop skirting the question. I would know your name if you're going to be shadowing me like a stalker in the night, from here on out."

"In time, boy, in time. Now," It's ethereal cowl tipped upwards, and it waved its hands to the skies. "Are these by any chance friends of yours?" Viathan cocked one of his brows and looked to the skies.

As he scanned them he found nothing, until the distant screeches of TIE units reached his ears. He turned himself around, and just as he did a wing of TIE fighters flew close and low. Sending the tree's into a series of rustling and shaking. Viathan covered his eyes as the wind whipped around him. Just as another wing, this time of TIE interceptors flew where the fighters had, and opened up a spray of fire on the fighters. Distantly he heard them explode and fall to the planet below.

"Imperial against imperial make." Viathan intoned. The phantom looked his way.

"Does that mean anything to you then?" The teen nodded.

"It means one of two things. Either a team of brave idiots found some fighters and decided to get themselves mauled to obliteration. Or, help has arrived." Viathan turned back toward where he felt the Moff camp to be. A very distant boom echoed out, and he reached out through the Force very weakly. But, enough to sense death, and fear. A battle was taking place.

With all other thoughts once more thrust away from his mind, he bound into the forest once more toward the enemy position. Lust for death and carnage replacing weariness, and despair. At least for the time being.

---

The battle had begun some time ago. The navy engaged the Moff forces, and as predicted by the vice-admiral, the sandwiching tactic severed coordination on the part of the navy and forced them to retreat from their current positions going through imperial lines to reform away from the world and counterattack. This had left a wide opening for landing craft and shuttles to head toward the planet surface. Escorts and fighters in tow, as Titan-class drop vehicles began landing IM-455 modular garrisons. These massive mobile fortresses were being landed in their specified positions with their landing armies inside, walkers ready, to begin immediate attack against the Moff Alliance.

The first initial attack was underway. Half of the first force was assaulting the Moff northern flank at the main camp. TIE bombers and artillery provided support as advance walkers, and tank units bolstered the advance to draw the Moffs away from their camp. Only...they weren't taking the bait.

---

"Direct our tanks to follow up those troops attacking the north! Drive them back and find their landing pos-"

"Belay that order." Terrosh turned as Trachta formed up behind him. They were in the command room of the base. Officers were managing command consoles as the building shook. Outside, Moff walkers, tanks, and men were flooding back in from the forest operation toward the northern flank to attack the advancing enemy line.

"If you would forgive me general, but the enemy has landed across the planet. Several outposts along the equator and several cities have reported coming under heavy aerial attack, with ground forces sweeping in to mop them up. The Empire above has decimated several dozen ships still under repair, and are hitting us hard on the north. Now they pull out and back?" Trachta reasoned out and clasped his hands behind his back.

"It's a ploy. A scheme. A well thought one, and one otherwise easily mistaken for foolishness on the part of our enemy. But, a ploy all the same." Terrosh thought it over, and looked at the holomap nearest to them. The enemy front brigade was heavily mechanized with sporadic, but heavy trooper support around them.

"I could see that your excellency." Terrosh admitted. Though he didn't come out and agree with the Moffs assessment on face value. "What would you have us do to counter this assault?"

"Reform the initial perimeter, and recall all deeply trenched units within the forests. Force the enemy to commit themselves to either a point, where we can suitably respond with added defensive units. Or, force them to commence a general attack against the entire perimeter. Either way general pull them in, and make them come to us. Am I clear?" Terrosh bowed his head and ordered the commands relayed.

"If you should feel the need to keep me up to speed, general, contact me via holocommunicator. And, remember Terrosh. Remember that crate in my office. Should the battle take a rapid turn in our enemy's favor. Retrieve and open that package. Am I understood?" Terrosh nodded.

"Yes, Moff Trachta. Where shall you be headed?"

"To monitor the situation outside. I wish to be among the men as this battle wages if you don't mind permitting me." Terrosh again bowed his head in relent as the Moff made his way out.

"You heard him men. Recall and form up around the base. Do not, in any way, allow for our forces to follow after enemy forces pulling back. Hold and reciprocate any attacks. And, somebody tell me where our AA guns are!" Terrosh barked as the building shook once more, and the battle raged on.

---

"Looks like the Moffs are pulling back!" Shira reported and lowered her binoculars. The red head had to call out over the immense firing going back and forth from the front where she, and Leia occupied themselves. Leia for her own part raised her own set of binoculars and just caught sight of the walkers and tanks turning tail back toward the Moff base.

"Bastards!" Leia exclaimed and angrily snatched up her holocommunicator, and dialed in for the fleet.

"This is vice admiral Piett. Milady, how may I be of assistance?" He asked, as his holoimage shook some from disruptions likely occurring with the battle in orbit.

"Piett, the Inquisitor's plan has met with a hitch. Moff forces are not taking the bait! I need softening up of their lines if I'm gonna be forced to take them head on otherwise." Piett bowed his head.

"As you say milady. What would you have us do?"

"I want bombers to hit their front along their camp borders!" An artillery strike landed and exploded right next to Leia and Shira sending dirt and two troopers flying away in the burst round of power. A line of SPMA's fired retaliation strikes that exploded against the Moff line and sent plumes of dirt and smoke rising high into the sky.

"Milady? Milady are you okay? Are you injured?" Leia coughed and waved the smoke as Shira copied her movements as the dirt and smoke cloud began slowly dissipating.

"Fine...we're fine admiral." She coughed some more. "Just get us some air power, and pound the enemy front!"

"AT once milady. Bomber squadrons free of engagements here in orbit are on their way." Leia nodded and coughed a further bit more into her arm sleeve.

"Very good admiral. You have my-" she coughed again. "you have my thanks." Piett bowed and Leia pocketed her comm unit.

They waited a few moments as the two sides exchanged round after round of artillery fire with one another, until Leia and Shira caught sight of the first bomber wings coming in.

"There's the fly-boys. Took em' long enough." Shira commented idly. Leia nodding along as they watched them dive toward the enemy front line. Moff turrets and AT-AT's lined it along with men behind cover and in small group along a general front. Burst fire shot upwards from repeaters and a few AA guns, but Leia didn't see anything that had her too worried. The bombers in fact seemed more than capable of dodging the fire heading their way upwards.

Their screams echoed through the valley as they dove down, and then unleashed a flurry of payload. Te explosions rocked successively one after the other against the already battle scarred soil and sent dirt, men, fire and smoke into the air. A succession of four bombs slammed into the nearest AT-AT, and it exploded with a great crack across its back, and its legs gave way as it fell forward with a great ground battering shock-wave.

"Commander!" Leia called to a nearby officer who was leaning in on a mobile command platform and monitoring a video feed.

"Yes my lady?!

"Have artillery focus in and batter their walkers! We can handle everything else if need be, but bring those metal beasts down!" the commander saluted even as the ground rocked and shook beneath him and jostled him.

"Right away." He replied and began relaying as Leia raised her binoculars once more. A flurry of blaster fire came flying from the smoke and debris coating the Moff front heading her way and slammed into dirt and soil along the ridge they found themselves planted. Their own AT-AT's towered above them and stepped forward with great whirs and mechanical snaps as their joints moved.

Their main cannons pounded away through the air and their bolts flew toward the enemy. Sending more debris and smoke rising. They focused on destroying enemy infrastructure inside their camp, and many of the cannon blasts hit buildings set up within their perimeter. Some buildings were already burnt husks, from what Leia suspected were previous battles. The walker fire tore them more apart and tore neighboring shelters into shards and sent bit flying through the Moff encampment. The Force screaming of their mass hatreds and fear from the relentless assault.

Several AT-ST's move into position and marched passed her and the forward loyalist lines into the valley and started picking off Moff troops near to them. As the TIE bombers came in for several more rounds and dropped payloads along the other corners and the general perimeter of the Moff camp.

Leia watched the whole scene unfold with her binoculars, as she sensed Shira beside her itch to join the fight up close and personally. Her presence in the Force exploding with intensity and agitation in need of release. But, before she could tell her to calm, Leia's comm rang, and she was quick to snatch it up and answer it.

"My lady? It's general Immodet." Leia nodded.

"Carry on general. We're having a bit of a change, or hitch in the plans so to speak, down here." Immodet nodded.

"We're aware of the situation. However, I have some rather disturbing news to report-"

"I will do the honors general." Leia groaned as the image of the Inquisitor came before her on the holo, and cut off general Immodet.

"My lady. Good to see you're still all in one piece and operational." He greeted with serene features and cool tone. She rolled her eyes and Shira beside her watched the interaction carefully.

"While you and the armies landed in the designated zones I plotted out I managed to work my way quickly and silently into the forest where commander Viathan's forces were reported to have last been. I have made contact and linked up with the survivors under command by an officer named Hoy. I am saddened to say I have not found him, nor has anyone here seen him since a brutal attack committed several hours ago. More like yesterday as it were." Leia didn't let the news outwardly affect her, but inside she felt a sense of shock befall her. She couldn't, and didn't even imagine the possibility of Valek falling in battle...well at least not this one. She hadn't sensed his death, but then again...would she have? She questioned but for a moment before she forced her thoughts and attention back to the annoyance...'inquisitor' at hand.

"Reportedly the Moff forces, directly ordered by Moff Trachta himself, implemented toxic gas attacks. I mean chemical warfare on a scale unseen since the earlier half of the Clone Wars. Commander Viathan, along with most of his Massassi were to the front where the bulk of the gas landed. Last head count, unverified by the local forces was a death toll of three thousand from the attack. Atop the forty thousand plus casualties incurred elsewhere on Epica at the hands of the Moffs."

"Gas?" Shira questioned and Leia felt her lips curl disgustedly. The thought of gas being used on anyone, or anything still made her skin crawl! She'd already compromised several of her previous thoughts and beliefs when it came to war and the Empire, but chemical warfare?! It made her bristle with anger, and the force flourished about her in an unseen swirl. The added bonus of self created mental imagery of men, and Valek choking, gasping and vomiting or shaking in spasms to death just fueled that raw intense power within her.

"It is with this new information that we must assess what the Moffs seek to do. They have either seen through my plans to draw them out and cut them off, or they are the ones attempting to draw us in. If that's the case, I can only come to the conclusion that they seek to unleash more of this dioxin on our troopers."

"What makes you think so?" Leia asked coolly and seemed far more authoritative in her reply than ever before. Indeed for a moment Shira could have sworn her master had asked the question just by Leia's demeanor.

'Well she is his daughter.' Shira shrugged.

"They are dwindling in men and machinery alike. Trachta is keen on winning this system, or hurting us as best he can if he must acquiesce control to us. The only viable way he could do so, in my mind, is draw us in and unleash more of this gas on us. Thus, I have a new idea." The Inquisitor offered. His calm and seemingly easy manner only drove Leia more insane with repressed rage.

"Then be out with it already! The longer we wait the more time this coward of a Moff has to plan and plot. I would sooner see him dead than scheming or gassing anyone any further! Inquisitor." Once more Shira raised a brow as she looked Leia over, and swore she could juxtapose her words on Lord Vader, and it would fit. All too well in fact with his manner and speak. His snappiness as well.

"It is simple enough really," He seemed to ignore the girl's outburst. "Maintain current distance. The two other forces shall move in close enough to join in bombardment tactics. Have your units commit to the same actions. Bombard the camp into submission. With enough pressure, they will either surrender, or they will push outward to desperately force our hand. Is that acceptable, my lady Vader?" Leia looked out over the Moff camp, and then back to the Inquisitor.

"It is." He bowed and Leia cut the transmission, and pocketed the holocommunicator.

"Commander! All units focus fire on the camp. Cease all advance and blast it to dust!" Leia commanded. The commanding officer, and Shira shared similar looks of shock from her tone, and seconds loss of tact as she angrily called for the base to be bombarded. Nonetheless, the commander did as ordered, and relayed the commands. AT-AT's, SPMA's, and anything else with blast range exploded with fire onto the base. It became a cloud of dust and dirt. The soldiers lined themselves between the open space between the walkers and tanks and unleashed an incredible volley of bolt fire that rained down amongst the great cannon fire of their mechanized counterparts.

Shira whistled over the maddening and blaring sounds that ripped off around her and Leia as it seemed all fire from the Moff side ceased. Fire rained down on their heads from all sides as the other imperial units moved in and began pummeling the sight. Bombers overhead joined the fray and kept up pressure by bombarding the inner heart of the base. Leia found the sight slightly...enjoyable as she watched. The thrill of ending those who brought great pain to her allies, and friends feeding into the dark side, into her power within the Force.

"I sure as heck can't see them getting out of this one.! Don't see why we didn't just do this beforehand really!" Shira shouted. Leia shrugged as the nearest AT-AT unleashed a burst round that slammed into a sent a massive firewall from what she assumed to be an ammo dump off to the side of the main building in the center.

"I guess we might have wanted a prisoner or two beforehand! Now I could care less!" Leia shouted back, and Shira shrugged her understanding and watched the madness unfold some more before her.

"My lady!" The commander called. She turned and sensed his sudden agitation and...fear. In fact the Force felt strong with fear and warning. It made her tense and she looked Shira's way who shared a similar look and furrowed her brows.

"What commander?!"

"I'm reading odd energy spikes coming from inside the Moff camp! I can't pinpoint what type of energy it is but it's-" He went silent.

An explosion rocked out and sent a great wave of energy ripping outward from the center of the valley. The roar of a shock-wave silence all, and Leia felt her body get flung dozes of feet away from the valley. She heard the screams of dozens, and felt the wind whip across her body. She heard Shira scream, and metal crack and howl. A great heat came across her, and felt painful in some places.

The Force screamed out in pain, and Leia watched with barely opened eyes as an At-ST flew passed her as she slammed time and again against the soil. Each time feeling herself become more bruised and battered. A trooper flew over her head and slammed into a tank that was tossed wildly into the air like it weighed nothing, but what she saw that made her heart beat harder than a great hammer, was the sight of three or four mighty AT-AT's get thrown onto their sides with the force of the unknown blast and slide against the soil backwards as the shock-wave did not cease. Their mammoth bodies picked up dirt, man, tank and everything else the Empire had brought to bear and carried it with it, if they were not already being tossed like rag dolls.

Leia became momentarily aware her hearing had suddenly grew impossible. She was alone to her sights, as sound ceased, and fear grasped at her heart as she was picked back up by the endless wave of power. She slammed several ore times against flying debris, before she found enough sense and courage in her to use the Force to propel herself along with the shock-wave, and move debris aside. Until at last she fell to the dirt with an unheard grunt and cry all her own, and her head fell against something metal.

She felt her consciousness leave her as she lay on the ground. The sky turned an odd color, light seemed to fade and then return in a glorious orange. And, the last thing she saw before she faded into blackness were dozens of TIE bombers, and fighters falling to the planet. Crashing, burning, exploding, and killing. Then it all faded, and darkness took her.

---

"Moff Trachta!" Terrosh called as he entered the office. But he wasn't there. His men hadn't found him outside in the camp and he began fearing for the worst.

"Sir, there's no sign of him! I say we grab the crate, open it and get on with this 'weapon' of his already. We need it!" The building shook and threw one of Terrosh's officers against a table.

"Blast it all! The Empire is raining hell and death on us, and our commanding Moff is nowhere to be found!" Terrosh seethed as he steadied himself against the main table of the office building. The viewport leading to the outside of the camp before them showing the camp getting pounded to destruction. The only thing holding this building together were its reinforced shields and permacrete.

"Kark it! Help me open the crate men!" His officers, there were two, did as ordered and eagerly went over to the large crate. Terrosh took out a security code he had been given by the Moff, and entered it into the security console. It accepted his code and popped open. The building shook as all three men lifted the heavy crate top and pushed it fully open to bear its cargo within.

As they pushed it however, a whir greeted their ears, and whatever was inside sprung to life. An amalgamation of wires that ran into a great metal casing. A computer along the front of whatever it was sprung on, all on its own. A countdown began, and Terrosh felt his heart race and nostrils flare.

"General Terrosh." The general flung around and found a holographic image of Trachta being projected from a small conference table. "If you're seeing this message it would men either you, or possibly some Imperial fool has opened the crate. Please," the image raised his right hand. "Don't bother talking to me, I am but a recording. You are seeing this because you of anyone here deserves an explanation on just how my victory, OUR victory against the Empire shall be achieved even if they take this one meaningless world from the Moff Alliance. Through the act of making them come to see all battles shall be just as brutal, and hopeless as time comes and goes." The recording went on and his two officers looked to Terrosh for guidance but he intently watched Trachta's image alone, as a beeping insistently went off behind him.

"The stunt with the Massassi, and the dioxin was but the beginning of my campaign. Epica the testing grounds. I have a bet, shall we say with several other Moffs in the Alliance whom say they have the methods and ways to beat the Empire into submission. Some say this or that, some like it simple, some like complicated ideas and tactics. I like a more devious, and terrifying approach. For you see, we cannot hope to beat the enemy on this world by force of arms. They outnumber us and are fresh. Our men are weak, tired, and many of them though invigorated by the sight of mutilated red alien's have come to question the point of fighting so hard for this world. Well, I shall now end their lives in a blaze of glory." The recording offered with hands outstretched form himself.

"They, you, all of you on Epica will be commemorated as martyrs, saints, and warriors until the barbarous hordes of the Imperial loyalists came to gut you. For you see, I have planted around the valley hidden quantities of my dioxin gas. It has a standard name, but we shall call it Photesson gas for now. These gas chambers will explode and thrust the chemical into the air and kill the loyalists in droves along all sectors. But I order to do this, and deny the Empire all access to our intelligence, and materials I have gone with a method for activating the gas chambers that requires sufficient force to crack the chambers open. I found a poetic weapon just for the job." Despite being a recording, Trachta's image motioned to the weapon behind Terrosh, who gave it one more passing glance as the timer fell ever on.

"You called my employment of artillery shells in the gas attack a use of 'archaic,' weaponry, so I have another for you to feast your eyes on. The only blast that is tactical enough o throw the Empire into disarray and send my poetic message of terror to them is behind you. It is also sufficiently powerful enough to crack open and thrust out my chemical across the valley int the Imperial camps." Trachta paused, and then seemingly chuckled.

"A long time ago, the Mandalorians used these weapons in bulk. True to their primitive employment of weaponry long since outdated to terrorize worlds into submission. It is a nuclear bomb. A weapon that harnesses the power of the atom. My dear general. You will feel nothing, but the Empire will see this day as the day they felt the power, the dread, terror, and death that my archaic weapons can bring. Chemical and nuclear warfare, as well as the terror of mutilation and degradation of the dead have returned to the galaxy. And, I am its herald." Terrosh let out a shaky breath as he turned and looked at the indeed archaic vessel of death his Moff had placed in the crate. And, he fell to his knees. His men looked to one another and terror was etched into their expressions.

"You will be remembered and honored general. As will your men or their valuable contribution to this exercise in terror, and eventual Moff supremacy in the galaxy. If ever there was a man whom I met whose military prowess showed promise of a greater career it was yours. Farewell." Trachta's image ceased talking, and the timer fell to ten seconds.

"Damn you Trachta." Terrosh whimpered and let tears of dread fall form his eyes, and doom. As a split second of immense light consumed him, a cry rang out, and then all faded to black and ceased being.

---

Viathan had heard the blast, felt the wave slam against his person, and he had thrown his left arm up to block the winds and debris flying passed him. He had clawed his way shakily to an elevated region of the forest and made his way out of the tree line on to the border of the forest and the grasslands. He hadn't yet reached the valley, but as he looked toward it, and where he knew the camp to be, he fell to his knees.

For in the distance he saw black dots, ships in the sky falling and exploding as they hit the ground. The cries of anguish through the Force sung out in his mind, and the faint distant sight of Imperial hardware being throw like leaves in the wind caught his eyes.

Nothing though, nothing compared to the sight out of an ancient history holo. Of a great mushroom cloud rising with fire into the heaves of Epica beyond.

---

Authors Note: I know sorry for the long wait but I've been...distracted. :) Anyways, please as usual excuse or point out any and all grammatical errors. I endeavor to fix them, but seeing as I am west coast and this is being uploaded at near 7 am, you can be assured I missed some errors in there. :p Also, can you all, at least those of you that review help tell me and let me know if these long and I mean LONG chapters are good? Would you like them shorter or the same? Give or take a few thousand words. Also I think by the end of this journey my story will be the longest...ever...on the whole site. Because there's a LOT more to go let me tell you all. :D

Anyways thanks as ever to you my dear readers. Please review and make me feel in some small way good about myself, and hopefully I'll update soon. ;) Oh and one more thing, to all you SWTOR players, the new Revan dlc depicts what it calls 'Massassi,' those ARE NOT Massassi. Go to my profile and click the Massassi links and you'll know what a freaking Massassi looks like. Sorry, just had to say it, because they deserve more respect than...whatever the heck those things in the game are. :)