[20 BBY]

[Groundside Dathomir, Dathomir System, Quelii System, Outer Rim Territories]

'Well, that isn't good, but nothing to be done about it' I thought turning off the tactical display showing me the massive fleet that the Confederacy had just jumped into orbit. Into orbit and descending through the atmosphere above with flaring arcs of fire amidst the dark night sky; far more than my task-force could handle on its own as I glanced towards Ventress standing to my right "I do home your leader is correct in reinforcements coming, as they have brought quite the Fleet with them I must say. Whatever did you lot do to get Dooku so worked up I wonder?"

"You may wonder all you wish..." Ventress replied pleasantly, for her anyway, as my forces took position on the mountain slope overlooking the plains where the Confederates appeared to be landing "...as long as you fight and deliver your side of the deal"

"Oh, that I shall do my dear Asajj, never fear, killing the Count or his General would be almost a reward in of itself" I replied in a friendly tone, though it was adjusted by the helmet's systems as always. Truth be told the statement by Mother Talzin that Darth Sidious was Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine was worth the loss of much of my fleet. Not that I wanted to take losses like that, the task-force remaining hidden for the moment, but getting away with that information meant I go talk to the Board and link up what we'd already learned about the Clones.

Other things, her 'Book' on her views of the Dark Side, Wild Power, for instance, while as much a manifesto as thesis, was a useful trade on its own for certain findings of my own. But, in the end, the Name of Sidious for me to present, along with the opportunity to kill the Apprentice...well, one had to take a risk in war, and this was a risk worth taking. If worst came to worst, and we were cut off, then I'd have to use a Teleport spell bound to my ship and figure out a way to explain it later. So I watched, and waited, along with my droid bodyguards and troops, as droid-fighters began their attack runs.

I breathed in, breathed out, my mask masking soft hissing noises as I knelt down, hand upon the ground and reached out with my other senses "Now, if you would do not disturb me a moment, I have a surprise for our friends over there"

Creeping Doom was its name in a past lifetime, and countered fairly easily by decent anti-vermin and anti-insect wards I'd found, but here and now...well, they didn't have that, and this place was SO VERY ALIVE. So I chanted that old not-forgotten tongue, as shimmering sigils pulsed into existence, pulsing and glowing a second as the Force shuddered, obeying my will. Power surged as I touched, connected, dominated, numbers beyond easy counting...controlled them, ordered them forward into battle.

Not for long, but long enough hopefully, I knew as I chanted eyes closes, my senses elsewhere as the wave began to form and swell, a dark chittering tidal wave building. Now I guided it around the confused and startled Nightsisters nearest it, ignoring them as the trees rustled and clicked, chittered and chattered to sudden life as some animals fled. Onward it rolled, the words flowing, the power darkening and growing, the stomping advance of droids unknowing of the threat as blasters fired indiscriminately.

No use, or at least limited use, as the wave came forward, a wall of tiny black and red carapaces that snapped and bit, buzzed and clicked, as they fell upon the B-1 droids. Oh, poison was rendered useless against them of course unlike with organics, but the wiring...well, the Confederates did have nasty habit of getting their combat units from the lowest bidder now didn't they?'

"What did you..."

I ignored Ventress as I opened my eyes as the spell ended, the last command in place, and stood, sending a signal to Yulen and Gardan aboard the Stormcrow to do their past as I spoke in my 'command' voice "Primary Targets Located, we are on dark protocals on this boys...now Gentle-beings let us go help these lovely ladies, and kill some leaders of the Confederacy! Attack! SHOW NO MERCY!"

Then we were moving towards the sounds of thunder, to where the battle raged fiercest as the droid army of Grievous marched forward despite the bugs, and Nightsisters formed up behind barricades of Force raised stone-works. Mother Talzin...was as powerful as I'd thought I found as my drove me forward with unnatural speed and I saw the robed and painted woman hovering in the air, surrounded by a green sphere and shooting green coloured lightning into the advancing ranks of droids. Unfortunately that was only the vanguard, but for now it was a beacon drawing the enemy towards it...

Kaaabooooom

...while we hit the right flank as I ignited my jetpack, then fired a micro-missile into the somewhat disorganised droid ranks. While the insects had done limited direct damaged, only dozens of droids being immediately destroyed before the wave's cohesion broke, they had caused plenty of minor faults and other damage; along with throwing the neat lines into chaos as the droids shot at everything, in all directions. Chaos, I could work with that...

When I dropped, forming the Force around me, the resulting shockwave was more devastating than expected as droids went flying. A few actually shorted out completely as my heavy troopers in their AV-A1 Assault Armours came in beside me alongside my four bodyguard droids; the other droids following in behind as my own droidekas deployed in a support roll. Ahead I could feel the Force signature that was most likely Dooku, as did Ventress and those Nightsisters with her as they charged towards it. Then I frowned, feeling something somewhat familiar in the air.

'Ahhh...Necromancy, well, of course there's zombies, of fuckin course there are...' I grumbled them focused on power and remaining focused '...be annoyed later; Army of the Dead on your side this time around'

I couldn't see, not exactly, but I could feel it; the distant blast of power, the familiar scent in the air, along with the increasing sound of fighting as a great mass of fighters suddenly engaged the droids further upon in the forests. For now that wasn't my concern as I ignited my gungan-style energy shield on my left gauntlet and screened the incoming blaster shoots as my troopers fired back with blaster and grenade alongside the weird energy-bows the Nightsisters used.

In the skies above the darkness was illuminated with bright flashes as my task-force and the Confederates engaged...and a great many others joined the fight if my guess was correct. Forward we moved, a Heavy Trooper taking my place as I ignited my jet-pack again, deactivating my shield as I moved, and used the mobility, and tree cover, to bob and weave over the almost napoleonic droid ranks. Flaring my jets I whirled in mid air, sending another micro-missile into those ranks before cutting them to land amongst confused B-1's to blast them apart with my blaster.

Before surging back airborne after dropping a grenade as Ventress did her usual lightsaber slash-jump-slash thing, and my powered armoured troopers smashing through the ranks by brute force. Seeing my primary targets ahead I brought up my arm, straightened it, and sent the last two micro-missiles flying before cutting my jet-pack again and dropping back to the ground amongst by bodyguards. Unfortunately it failed to kill the Jedi Master turned Sith as I saw his hand move, the Force surge, and both missiles detonated a distance short through the shrapnel did cause some minor injury I hoped judging by the distant wince by the crimson lightsaber holding figure.

"Heavy Support, rapid-fire grenade launch on target-locks, now" I ordered as I descended after marking out the location with my helmet's HUD along with a series of eye blinks and a verbal command. Seconds later about a half-dozen mortar-like grenades flew from the back launchers of two of the AV-A1 Troopers armours, impacting hopefully on, or near, where the General and the Sith Count were located. My shield reinitiated as another Trooper went airborne, sending their missiles into the droid ranks, and the battle-lines exchanged waves of blaster shoots amidst explosions and shriek of droid-fighters overhead. I'd made mistakes on Korriban, but not this time I reminded myself.

Of course Ventress realised how close her former mentor, and the bloodthirsty cyborg, were so she pressed forward ahead of me. So be it, if she wanted to take the brunt of the initial fight with the Sith lightning that was fine by me; I'd dropped down to avoid any easy targeting in the air after all. So I lashed out telekinetically to smash aside a number of B-2s, clearing the way as my forces formed up a fighting corridor of shields and blasters amongst the trees and rock. Shooting down a damaged B-1 with my blaster as I blocked those units that Ventress hadn't killed ahead of us as she and her two helpers sprinted forward acrobatically.

'Probably because they were shooting at us not here' some part of my mind told me as Bob and Betty made short work of those enemies seconds later. Beyond them the primary enemies waited and they were...

'Are they actually...monologuing at each other?" I mused as I came forward and overheard the threats and grumbled about various insults and their titles "Boss above they are...well, fuck that idea"

They could monologue all they liked, but I was in the market for killing the Apprentice of Darth Sidious rather than exchanging insults and whatever, so securing my blaster and deactivating the shield in a quick motion I extended my arms, power building, a faint chant, and lightning flew as I controlled my emotions. Making use of my anger, but staying in a centre of calm as I rejected the whispers at the edge, tuning them out as the Chain Lightning spell ignited and blue-white electrical arcs lashed out from my hands towards Dooku and Greivous. I could end it here and now...

"Nnrgghh" the grey haired Sith snarled out, blocking the lighting with his crimson blade as it tore through two of the droids standing between me and the targets. Electricity danced along the lightsaber as the as Dooku braced, driven back a step, as the other streams of the spell jumped to Grievous and one of his MagnaGuards as I strode forward, the battle raging around us. Sadly only the droid went down as Grievous roared out in pain, but struggled against the energy as mechanical arms separated to draw out four lightsabers.

"Less talking, more killing" I told Ventress drawing my own lightsaber, igniting the dark purple blade as I raised my left arm and made use of the small flamethrower inbuilt along with a bit of spellwork to send a stream of liquid fire towards the leader of the Confederacy. Who...damn well jumped out of the way...fucking Force powers; cool to have yourself, infuriating to have to deal with in your enemies. I cut the stream of flames, gripping it with my powers, and then gesturing with both hands to spread out the flames, sending it back towards the Cyborg and the Count.

A bit too slow as I saw the tree branches where Dooku 'flew' seemed to disintegrate, or perhaps 'explode' before the hundreds of sharpened sticks flung towards me and my squads. Betty and Bob moved, shields covering me and those nearest as I used my own Force powers to summon a shield, shattering the sticks midair as Grievous and his MagnaGuards charged through the flames. Ventress dashed, jumping off a tree and upwards to a tree branch where Dooku was as I and my droids moved to engage the cybernetic General and his droid bodyguards.

Drawing my blaster into my free hand I shoot at the joints of Grievous's body, though only managing to do some minor damage before the snarling cyborg reached me and I blocked. Block with my drawn lightsaber, dropping my blaster and grasping it telekinetically as I drew my second lightsaber and used it to repeat the blocks on the other side as I fired the blaster point blank. Then it was a flurry of blows, my Cats Grace and Haste spells allowing my match the warrior as the blaster died a death after a few impacts on Grievous and we moved into a death dance alongside our bodyguards. From nearby I felt other Force presences approaching, two strong darksiders descending rapidly towards us...

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