[20 BBY]

[Republic Aegis Guard Lucrehulk-class Battleship Shieldmaiden of Chandrilla, Battle-group Army of Light, Exiting Hyperspace, Dathomir System, Quelii Sector, Outer Rim Territories]

'Daron has either convinced me to be gods-damn genius, or to have lost my mind in the same way he might just have done' Shesagora thought to herself as the fleet crashed out of hyperspace at the edge of a massive brawl between the Mandalorians and the Separatists. In a backwards, strategically pointless system, and Daron had somehow managed to blunder across the leaders of the Separatists, with a massive fleet, while meeting out with his secret contacts. It was almost impressive how her fellow Board member could find trouble really...

"All squadrons emergency scramble!" she ordered gesturing at the display "Provide support to the Stormcrow and engage the Seppies! For now...do not engage the Mandalorians and their allies!"

Whatever Daron had done to rile up the Seppies it certainly managed to drag out an entire Fleet element, with the Separatist force, made up of Providences, Lucrehulks as battleship, and Munificent-class escorts outnumbered her forces. By a third at least, and that was including Daron's already engaged squadron...but the Mandalorians and the pirate pals seemed to have rough parity, and now her forces arrival was the hammer to their anvil for the Separatist fleet trapped in orbit.

Star-fighters and droid-fighters surged from the decks of her Lucrehulk, and from every other capable ship of her battle-group, and the enemy had only a fraction to try blocking them. For now her immediate priorty was driving forward to link up with Daron's, increasingly battered, task-force in orbit as the Venator and Acclamator were pounded on by Seppie Munifients to protect the Stormcrow. Not a surprise as even now the ship was feeding her Shieldmaiden superior fire-control data and interfering with Seppie communications by their estimation.

Bombers were redirected, droid-fighters screening them, and charged towards a number of those Munificent-class frigates – lack of decent anti-starfighter systems proving a problem for their enemies model as usual she noted gesturing at various crewmembers "Keep us outside those heavies firing arcs, concentrate on pinning them against the Mandos and Black Sun ships. We can pound on them when their formation starts to crack...I want fighters to swarm here, here, and here. Guns to focus on these ships here"

"Are we sending support planet-side Boss?" Nurg asked her and she nodded, fingers tabbing through the holo-screen and highlighting several squadrons "...get troops down there and help General Stormcrow out killin' the Seppies leader and best General?"

"Yes, alert these units, and get gunships down there with escorts..." she ordered now that the immediate area around the battle-group was 'secure' in some minor way "...jump infantry too. We've got priority targets down there by all accounts...we damn well need to make sure they don't slip through our fingers now"

She glanced out at the communications officers "And someone get whoever is in charge on the Mando side it would bloody well appreciated"

"Yes General, we're currently pinging channels, should be another minute to confirm I-dents!" came back and she nodded refocusing on the battle as one of the enemy frigates exploded under the sudden barrage by her arriving forces. This whole situation was kriffing batha poodoo in the making; no plan, just charge in and aim to take out the enemy leadership, while watching their 'allies' in the fight...because those 'allies' could turn on you at any given moment. It was the reason that, even now, she was holding back several squadrons in reserve in case they had to perform an emergence turn and burn back into hyperspace.

"Tell the Starhound and Kantavo to engage that that Providence..." she shouted out as one of the enemy battleship-carriers made to try disrupt her forward line and bring its heavy weapons to bear "...and bring up those kriffing Hammerhead corvettes, I need ships on that flank that can take a beating. Those Consulars won't hack it..."

One positive she found as she issued her stream of orders were the Separatists seemed to have brought a whole lot of Omni-supports in as dual ground invasion, piss-poor escort vessels, and she and the Mandos ruthlessly targeted them as she made contact with male Braika. Who'd Braika probably wanted to kill Shesagora suspected, but this Vizla fellow at least seemed competent and he was agreeing they weren't going to fight each other. At least while the Separatist fleet was alive anyway;- apparently everyone wanted to kill Count Dooku and General Grievous on this miserable mud-ball of a world...

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[20 BBY]

[Battlefield, Grounside Dathomir, Dathomir System, Quelii Sector, Outer Rim Territories]

...the forest was on fire, largely my fault, as the two Zabraks slammed into my assassination attempt like the veritable tornado of destruction. Oh, and with Mandalorians, Death Watch some part of my mind told me, in support as they flew in like several of my jump-troopers were doing and fired into the mass of droids. I only had seconds to not that as Grievous went on the offensive along with two of his MagnaGuards...before I blocked swiftly, and then Force slammed them backwards into advancing B-2s with a swift gesture of my left hand before using it to block blaster bolts.

Deactivating my left hand lightsaber I re-sheathed the weapon, freeing the hand so I could complete the gesture I desired; lifting the droids into the air and then flinging them into the turret of an approaching tank. My jets ignited and I went airborne again as I saw...felt...what could only be Darth Maul, and his brother I guess, charge in and attack Dooku...and Ventress too dammit...

'Fix later, Mando troops not attacking, kill cyborg first' I forced myself to remember as I cut the jet, slamming down, blade descending to where Grievous lay trying to rise. Swift as my strike was the cybernetic warrior rolled...or perhaps scuttled...out of the way as I descended, the two MagnaGuards moving to strike at me as I landed. Ducking under the first I gestured back into that machine with my left hand, sending it flying towards Grievous, while I used my lightsaber to block the other machine's electro-staff...once...twice...thrice...as I drove it back before ducking under the last attack and cutting it in half...

Just in time Force Lightning reached out for me as I suddenly noted the grey bearded Dooku had jumped away from his three attackers towards Grievous and the coming droid reinforcements. Power welled up inside, a shield of energy forming in my free hand as I dodged to the right, deflecting the lighting as much I stopped it with my spell. Reaching out with my right hand, still gripping the lightsaber as my bodyguard droid attacked some nearby enemy B-1s, I grabbed the nearby fire and hurled it towards Dooku as Flame Arrows. That...were sadly blocked as the crimson energy blade spun and twirled before the Count landed near his General and MagnaGuards.

Maul was seconds behind the human Sith, a single crimson lightsaber flashing towards Dooku's head before being blocked by a MagnaGuard's swirling electro-staff. Then the human and Grievous were on the offensive again as one of the Mandalorians who attempted to strafe in close was cut in half as the cyborg General jump unto, and off, the damaged tank to slice the Death Watch solider in half. Again my jump-jets fired sending me airborne once more, the slugthrower rifle on my back coming into hand as I fired multiple shoots at Grievous in rapid succession.

Again his body twisted unnaturally, dodging most of the shoots as the lightsabers in his hands swirled in the air, catching those he didn't dodge. A mistake in that regards, at least for one bullet, as the explosive shells detonated and one of the laser swords was damaged and ceased functioning as the Confederate General landed, then bounce-rolled behind some droids as I fired again. Killing a number of B-1's firing at me as it seemed his enhanced abilities allowed the cyborg avoid my...

I twisted mid air, igniting my jets to strafe backwards as I avoided the barrage of blaster-fire coming from an approaching droid-tank and squads of B-1s. Something grabbed my jets from behind...and area on my armour foolishly without rune-wardings due to it being a modular system I swore as I struggled in mid air for seconds desperately blocking with my lightsaber as blaster bolts started to overwhelm me. Uttering a command into the frantic HUD, dropping my rifle so I could use my left hand to reach behind my head and grab the jet-pack I forceful separated it from my armour and allowed myself to drop...

Then grabbed the jet-pack with the Force myself as it was released and I dropped, flinging it into the advancing droid-tank with a little guidance and damage. My feet hit the ground, in the middle of a bunch of startled B-1s apparently, as the tank was engulf in a gout of flame as the jet-pack impacted the open cupola and detonated the ordnance within. Sadly there was no time for me to celebrate as my lightsaber spun and danced to slick nearby droids in half, while I grabbed two of them with my Force abilities using my left and used them as shields against the others...

"Hello Gener...!" before using them as momentary shields against a charging Count Dooku as he slashed the two droids, calling out for help apparently and a helpful warning to me, in half with a swift strike as he glided between them to attack me. Attack me and drive me back as I was swiftly outmatched in the duel I discovered, falling back barely countering the blows coming at me hard and fast. Thankfully Bob and Betty arrived seconds later, blade and staff coming in from the sides as it became three-on-one for a few seconds and I was able to find my equilibrium once again. Just in time for a very angry Zabrak with mechanical legs to arrive almost at the same time Dooku's droid reinforcements...

Flame was everywhere, and Ventress charged in again, this time against Grievous as the other Zabrak, this one with the double-bladed lightsaber made himself useful cutting through enemy droids rather than fighting my, in-theory, ally. It was a confusing clusterfuck beyond that though Death Watch and my Heavy Troopers fought the droid army as more...everyone seemed to arrive from the skies above into flames and darkness of the battlefield around me. Heavens and Hells I even watched as a zombie Nightsister ran past me only to be sliced in half by Dooku as he fought off the former Apprentice of Sidious.

'Fuck this, fight like a wizard not a damned meat-shield' I growled at myself, digging deep, drawing further on my power and deciding to go for the kill here and now.

"Darkness" I commanded pausing in my movements, as the already darkening forests, illuminated largely by flames and moonlight suddenly began to blacken and fall into shadows as a hidden blast-wave outwards from me "Horror"

That was the trick with prepared spells, have them ready, then ignite them, as I brought the power out, tapering down hard on the surge in whispers in the darkness. I was in control, my power, not some gods-damned emotional druggie as I drew into that well of calm, the cold brightness surrounded in shadows as Dooku flinched as I strode towards him, gesturing "Black Tentacles"

The Force shrieked faintly as the power manifested, the shadows and dimensions surging as the plants blackened and filled in the void as nightmares made flesh reached out for the Count of Serreno. That crimson lightsaber was joined by another, slashing and cutting the dark limbs as the grabbed for him...before a blastwave of the Force echoed out from the former Jedi Master turned Sith Lord. The left hand gesturing at me as a first, lightsaber point away from him as we marched towards each other; lightning surged from him as he spoke.

"Does he think he can betray me, that you can defeat me..."

Again I gestured, summoning my shield, meeting the lightning head on as the darkness surged back, Dooku's attention full fixed on me...

"Yes I could, but I'm merely distracting you" I stated as I felt the tug faintly in the shadows, the movement, as a blood red blade emerged from the Count's chest as the other Sith Apprentice appeared behind the grey-hair human as the lightning died along with its owner...

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