Chapter 46

Death of a Hero

SLEHEYRON

Techno Palace

Ahkilleon walked into the command center, Sigma was looking out at the holotable, the city stood up on and around it red marks of Imperial troops that surrounded them, star destroyers above them and the Cyber Spider fleet moving away from the planet. "The Militia Codex states only the commanding officer can lead the war song." Sigma said as he looked at the table, "They'll assault the main gate, and come at us from the sides too, with overwhelming odds." Sigma said to him back turned. Kalani stood in the background observing.

"We can beat them, General we can hold till reinforcements arrive." Ahkilleon said.

Sigma glared at him, "We don't have a choice now, killing Vosaldi had to send the message to the Hutts, to the Empire, to show our resolve."
"Do you think they'd have agreed, if we exchanged him for our lives?" Ahkilleon asked Sigma.

Sigma scoffed with a laugh "Of course not, maybe this Admiral Fel is as honorable as you said, but Tarkkin, Thrawn, some moff would have sabotaged it, the Hutts have ruled this part of space since the first days of the Republic, fuel or not they won't give it up anyway the greedy slugs."

"But killing a prisoner, no trial, no due process, do we chalk that up to war, just so we say we're better than the Empire?" Ahkilleon asked Sigma.

Sigma glanced at him, "Are we here to talk politics, or strategy, Commander?" Sigma asked.

"Why we fight is just as important as how. I know you know that, Comma- General." Ahkilleon told him, still not used to the new rank that Sigma had.

Kalani approached his metal feet clanking, "I was programmed to fight for the Confederacy of Independent Systems, against the tyranny of the Republic. This is what I had always known, but in our exile I realized that survival was more important than idealism."

"Well said Kalani." Sigma said, Ahkilleon slammed his fist on the metal table "I won't destroy one Empire just to raise another."
"Is that so 'Jedi King'?" Sigma asked him, Ahkilleon fixed his jaw and got closer "Do you see a crown on this head?" Ahkilleon asked him, and met Sigma's gaze, "I know I should have been here, but my orders-" "Don't act like you didn't want to go back to that pretty mando girl, and your nursery mates?"

Ahkilleon fixed his jaw, "What more do you want from me Sigma, we've stretched ourselves too thin, where are the droids, the new recruits, how could get this so bad?" Ahkilleon asked, "Is it the spy?"

"Bah the spy, this is politics. You're stunt on Naboo, that ceasefire crap, and oh let's not forget sparing Kallus…. If the Vanguard wasn't the least popular of the Militia we are now." Sigma said, slamming his fist down on the holotable, he took a breath and leaned on the table head bowed "Which is why we can't afford another loss, one more and the Vanguard will be dissolved, Lord Asimov his still in a comatose state. The Union will use this as a push against Sovereign Destiny."
"Again, what does the Union even do?" Ahkilleon asked "Get in our way, that's what." Sigma said looking at the map.

There was a long pause, "Then we end this, now, come nightfall either Fel is mine or I am his."

Outside the Grand Hall, the rebels had finished unloading the extra supplies they'd brought, "I can't believe it, just executing him out there. I mean he was a Hutt, but still no one deserves to go out like that." Wedge said, helping Ezra lift a crate and carry it over to a repulsor cart for a B5 droid to haul away.

"I don't like the Hutts any further than I can throw them, and they are so fat. But you're right, Rex, what do you think?" Ezra asked the old soldier who was sitting across from them cleaning his blaster pistol, "I think we should be focusing on if we're going to stay or go, Hera?" Rex asked Hera who was looking over a manifest to make sure they had everything unloaded.

Hera, who had suggested the trade in the first place, was silent, "Hera?" Rex asked again, "We leave in an hour."
"Excuse me?" Sabine asked coming out of the ship, extra explosives on her hip and helmet under her arm, the darksaber at her belt "We did what we came here to do, give supplies and that's what we did. Our alliance with the Militia has nothing to do with us fighting their battles." Hera stated.

Sabine gawked "But look at them, what they're up against." Sabine said gesturing over to a medical tent not far from them, Militia regulars bandaged in red or green bleeding wrappings.

Hera was about to reply before she saw Ahkilleon with Turok and Breacher walk into the hanger, they approached the Ghost and Hera folded her arms, across from them Wedge was working on his A-wing, they're secret conversation about who Fel's fiance being really his sister, and a rebel spy locked in his memory. "Leaving?" Ahkilleon asked.

"We are." Hera said sternly, "Before you go I would speak to you in private Captain?" Ahkilleon asked walking up the ship, Turok and Breacher waited outside, he passed Hera who set her holopad down and walked into the ship, they headed to the back of the cargo hold where they could speak softly.

"What was that, you said you were going to convince Sigma into trading Vosaldii, not execute him on the spot." Hera said in a hushed but harsh tone.

Ahkilleon "Things are worse than I thought, not just here but in the Militia, the Warlords are losing confidence in the Militia, even if we did get out of here. The Militia would fracture, we had to send a message."
"A message of what bar-" Hera cut herself off "Barbarism." Ahkilleon said, looking out the hanger.

Silence filled the air, "Why did you join the Rebellion Hera?" he asked.

"What?" Hera asked.

"You heard me, I need to know."

Hera looked out at Kanan, at Sabine, Ezra, Zeb, Chopper and Rex and then back at him, "Same as the rest of us, the Empire took everything from us. And they'll just keep taking and taking till someone stops them, but the right way."
"I wish we could do this the right way, I wish things had been different Hera I do. I sense Fel is an honorable man, when I was standing across from him I could feel he was telling the truth, he's a good man." Ahkilleon said.

Hera glanced over at Wedge, "A good man fighting for the wrong side."

"I meant what I said Hera, in the message before Ruusan, I'm going to make them give us back our future." Ahkilleon said before he straightened up "May the force be with you." Ahkilleon headed out of the ship and the rebels watched him walk past them without a word, but he stopped when Ezra was about to speak "No." Ahkilleon said

Ezra held his hands up "You don't even know what I was about to say."
"You can't stay Ezra, none of you can. This is our fight, not yours." he said to him and then Sabine, he put his hands on each of their shoulders "This is where I belong, in the fight." Ahkilleon said before he walked away to Turok and Breacher. "Admiral Trench and Commander Sparta will send a squadron of B5 droids to escort you out, don't waste it." Turok said.

Hera watched him go, even if she disagreed with his tactics, they were all soldiers in some way or another, "It's time." Hera said as she looked to the rebels who slowly started to board the ship. As he left the hangar the Ghost took off with Sparta and his Dragoons flying them out, as the sun set on Sleheyron. Ahkilleon turned to Turok and Breacher, they walked out of the hangar area to see the Militia troops preparing for battle. Many had started to pain their armor with the ash from the ground scooping it up and mixing it with water covering it with ash, others were setting fires.

Sigma and Kalani came out, and watched as the men were throwing gasoline onto piles of debris, wood and whatever else they could find, "So this is your plan?" Sigma asked him.

"Roger, roger, they have numbers against us sir." Ahkilleon and Sigma walked to the walls, "They won't damage the refinery for the fuel, but they need to destroy the planetary shield generator, we need to draw them into the trap to take away the advantage of their ships and tanks." Ahkilleon said as the fires started to rise into pillars of smoke.

Sigma stood there, "Good, because this is it."

The volcanic rivers and mountains illuminated the sky, dark clouds of ash in the distance falling around them, as Imperial star destroyers cut threw the heavy clouds, drop ships descending from the surface, TIE fighters escorted them a crimson TIE leading the forces "All wings prepare for canon fire, protect those drop ships." Admiral Fel said behind his helmet.

"Copy that Admiral." Captain Sloane was in battle armor with an open faced helmet on, she was in one of the many ground transports moving over the blackened surface to the capital. All the men in Imperial army uniforms and Stormtroopers were arming, and checking their blasters Walkers marched alongside them with the city coming in sight.

Atop the walls, Turok, Ahkilleon and Sigma were there "Here they come, everyone get ready!" Ahkilleon shouted down below, as they through more gas on the fires, that rised over the city.

"I've got smoke, the enemy is setting fire to the city, rather burn it down then give it to us. Damn fools." Fel said into his comlink.

Canon fire began to strafe the sky, one TIE went down and one ground transport next, "All fighters focus on the guns." Fel ordered and they let loose their laser canons at the walls, smashing the guns in explosions. The triple barrel anti aircraft guns were blown to bits as the ground transports reached the outer walls, "Go, go, go!" Sloane shouted as the ground transports opened and the Imperial army and Stormtroopers rushed out, the Walkers opened fire on the metal walls punching the main gate down with a loud crash. Captain Sloane ran out first ahead with stormtroopers behind her through smoke from fires inside the city, other holes were made in the walls and a sea of metal and men rushed in like a wave of military might to find nothing.

Admiral Fel flew over the city, columns of smoke everywhere making it impossible for him or his TIEs to see the city below, "Captain Sloane, report?" Fel asked.

Slaone looked around her blaster rifle raised, corpses of dead militia and B5 droids lay scattered in the streets, some buried in ash and dust "No sign of the enemy Admiral?"

Fel flew back around "Scan for lifesigns." he ordered.

"Spread out." Sloane ordered her men, "Trooper, scan for any signs of life." She ordered one stormtrooper with a metal backpack, he took out a scanner, it immediately started to beep around the street with dead militia, "Captain, getting signs of life all around us?"
Sloane rolled her eyes "Not us trooper- no." Sloane said as some rocks shifted and out of the rubble and ash popped an armored Ahkilleon, "NOW! FIGHT LIKE DEMONS!" All the 'dead' Militia rose up from the ground with their weapons in hand blasters, axes, swords and bare hands attacking the Imperials, "Ambush!" Sloane shouted as out of the buildings, out of the sewage greats from the ground itself emerged the Militia, the B5 droids activating to engage. Even Kalani was in the streets, with a blaster, Turok was inside one of the upper buildings with Breacher opening fire on the Empire.

Ahkilleon had both his lightsabers out, Ventus and Kraggen were hacking their way down one of the main streets, "Get our tanks up here, get them-" Sloane shouted before she saw a salvo of rockets from outside the city walls hitting their walkers in their necks with tracking shots.

"Rae talk to me, what's going on?" Fel asked as he tried to get a view from above, and slowly started to descend.

"It's Tano Admiral, they tricked us- it's a melee." Sloane snapped as she shot down a Militia running at her with a hammer, then drew her knife to engage in close quarter combat.

Sigma was alongside Ahkilleon, "This is insane Tano, Asimov would approve."
"Well let's make sure we can get that approval, good luck General." Ahkilleon said jumping into an entire squad of stormtroopers, he cut off one's head, sliced off another's leg, stabbed two more at the same time and used the force to cut a path to an imperial officer before running him through with his lightsaber. From outside the city, Fel's TIE had landed red boots hit the ground, out of the TIE.

A crimson armored stormtrooper, with a battle kama, he carried a shock staff in one hand and raised his high over his head to the second wave of Imperial troops, amassing outside "FOR THE EMPIRE!" He shouted as he held up his other weapon, a metal shield with the Imperial seal on it, his men cheered and followed him into the breach, like death itself. Sloane was pinned down by a Militia B5 before it was smashed off her by Fel, she saw his bright red armor and he held the electro staff out to her, she took the shaft that wasn't electrified and got to her feet.

"This is it Rae, they're last stand." Fel said as he said looking out across the city streets, filled with fighting, "Get to the rooftops, clear the buildings one by one if you have to."
"Sir, yes sir." Sloane said getting a squad of stormtroopers with her, Soontir smashed his shield into the first Militia regular who came at him, even a Tiger pounced at him before he hit him with his shock staff the voltage at lethal levels. "DEMON!" Fel shouted as he and his reinforcements started to overwhelm the Militia. "HERE I AM!" Fel shouted as he blocked blaster fir from three B5 droids and charged them, bashing them with his shield to scrap. The tide started to turn as the reinforcements attacked, pushing the Militia back into the alleyways off the main streets, fighting spreading from house to house. Then the two saw each other in their bright armor, Ahkilleon had cut an imperial officer in half when Fel held his shield up with the Imperial seal facing him, Ahkilleon spun both blades, the two finally facing off.

Fel rushed him and leapt up wielding his shock staff like a spear stabbing down on Ahkilleon, he ducked and spun around before he swung at Soontir, but still in the air, Soontir stabbed his spear in the ground vaulting away from the blades. Ahkilleon swung for the shield and the metal sparked with a high pitched wiring, "What?" Ahkilleon asked.

Soontir pushed off the street, breaking off the attack, "Beskar." Ahkilleon grunted, "A gift from the Viceroy of Mandalore to the Emperor, entrusted to me." Soontir said as he lifted up his helmet and tossed it away, not hiding his face, "Is this what you wanted?" Fel asked.

Ahkilleon didn't take his helmet off, "War, death!" Soontir swung his staff again using it's great length to his advantage, knowing Ahkilleon would try to strike close, and when Ahkilleon did Soontir blocked it with his shield. His training showed he was more than an average pilot, Ahkilleon attacked him again and he blocked both blades with his shield and staff "Ever since Nar Shaddaa I've studied your kind, your jedi arts, all for this moment, for Greelanx."
"A crooked Imperial like the rest." Tano snapped at him, "Greelanx is why I joined the Empire, he found me about to be arrested by security forces, recommended me for the Academy to better myself, and you killed him."
Ahkilleon felt Soontir's shock staff smash into Ahkilleon's armor, the corto-durasteel hybrid took the shock for the most part, but he hit like a hammer. "Is this your plan, talk me to death?" Ahkilleon asked.

The battle was raging, the Militia were losing any second now the battle would be over. The Militia would break, the Shield Generator would be destroyed unless Ahkilleon ended it quickly, Ahkilleon spun his lightsabers in his hand just as Soontir stabbed his shockstaff and he hacked off both ends making it nothing more than a metal stick. But Soontir tossed the weapon away and swung his beskar shield at him with everything he had, hammering Ahkilleons armor and lightsabers back. His helmet was gone and he was bleeding jaw, but Ahkilleon still had both his lightsabers "Yield Fel, you can't win." Ahkilleon said as he swung both lightsabers against the shield, its beskar steel never took a scratch, the Imperial seal shining in the firelight.

"Never!" Fel shouted ducking low to miss the next attack he swung back around in a spin slamming the edge of the shield into Ahkilleons chest knocking him off his feet. Others had stopped their fighting to watch Soontir march toward Ahkilleon "I told you, Demon, I've studied your jedi arts, your history. And history spoke of another time, when jedi were the galaxy's greatest protectors, how far can your kind have fallen." Soontir kicked Ahkilleon in the face, knocking off his helmet. Ahkilleon summersalted back up swiping with his lightsaber, but Soontir chopped Ahkilleons arm and knocked the red blade form his hand then punched Ahkilleon in the face with his free fist, Ahkilleon grabbed onto the red breastplate with his now free mechano hand ripping it off.

Soontir spat out some blood, "And when I deliver your head to the Emperor, everything will change, the best of the Empire will take their place at the front of the line, with your death the peace is all but won."
Ahkilleon gasped air into his lungs as Fel Raised his shield up with both hands, leaving his chest wide open Ahkilleon had found the Admirals weak point, pride. Fel brought the shield down toward Ahkilleon used the force to grab his one of his lightsabers, and swung up activating it, slashing Fel up across the torso, and severing the man's right arm, Ahkilleon dropped his lightsaber and drove the mechano fist straight into the still melted flesh of Soontir's chest, everyone in earshot heard the sound of the man's ribs breaking he grabbed Fel by the collar of his body glove. There were no last words, no defiant cries, only Fel's eyes of pure shock, Ahkilleon had taken the beating not because Fel was the better fighter. But for this one move to end it, in barbaric fashion and the last thing Fel saw was Ahkilleon ripping out his own heart from his very chest.

"SOONTIR!" Rae shouted from where she'd been fighting in an upstairs building the wall broken opening, Ahkilleon raised the heart high into the sky for all the stormtroopers to see the blood dripping down onto Ahkilleons face before he crushed the heart like fruit, blood splattering over him, Fel's body face down in the ash. The battle meditation in Ahkilleon unleashed all around him; he felt the shock, the anger, the fear in the Imperials who bore witness to their champion's brutal death, and it spread across the ranks of every stormtrooper, tank driver and mudtrooper around them.

Rae Sloane who had been his second in command, who was a stoic officer till the end looked in shock at Ahkilleon, at the Demon who let out a furious blood soaked roar dropping the remaining bits of Soontir's heart to summon his lightsabers, and it wasn't the cold green eyes that flickered yellow, it wasn't the blood splattered over his arm or face, it was the smile that Ahkilleon was wearing.

Ahkilleon ran at the petrified stormtroopers with his lightsabers akimbo, be became a whirlwind of death cutting off limbs and ending lives, behind him the Militia forces had rallied into a berserker rage leaving their defensive positions to engage the floundering imperials, the battle meditation surging the emotions of violence, anger and hate through them to kill their enemy, to kill them all.

Sloane looked around for any other officers, any other commanders before her training took over. "All forces, Admiral Fel is down, withdraw to safe distance, this is Captain Sloane to the fleet, send every TIE to the city, bomb that place to kingdom come."
Her response came through statically "This is fleet command, another Militia fleet has dropped out of hyperspace."
"What?" Sloane asked.

She looked up to the sky to see the Imperial fleet was engaging another fleet alongside Trench, all of them bearing the emblem of the Vanguard and Maverick fleets combined, Admiral Zygote the quarren cyborg stood at the helm "Focus fire on the life support, don't give them any air."
"Captain, we can't hold out much longer." The fleet told Rae.

She looked at the rallying Militia and at her own fleet above, "Damn…. Dammit all to hell, retreat, all forces evacuate." she said, turning to grab a wounded trooper and pull him to his feet. The order of retreat rang out over the comlinks and stormtroopers turned to run and flee, Ahkilleon watched them flee away from the city walls and the Militia started to give chase before Ahkilleon ran out ahead of them "Hold, hold, hold!"

The Militia forces stopped "What, why, we have them on the run boss?" Breacher asked.

"Not yet we don't." Ahkilleon said, pressing his comlink on his arm "Sparta."
"With pleasure commander, all ships release the payload." The Militia saw Sparta's dragoons flying overhead and bombs strapped to their hauls before they dropped them, on the retreating stormtroopers and armored walkers, an eruption of explosion tore apart the ground sending tidal waves of lava engulfing the tanks and rising up high to the still retreating forces, Sloane just barely leapt onto a dropship before it took off, she watched all discipline and order break down as ships, and ground transports were engulfed in fire.

The battle was lost. Sloane looked back at the city still burning, "Dammit." she hissed as she watched the Militia cheer at the shore of the lava, waving their blue flag atop the city walls as the sun began to break out over the morning.

Ahkilleon watched the ships fleeing, and exhaled in relief he looked back to Sigma who nodded at him, Lt. Breacher had broken out a cigar and patted his men on the back while the men celebrated the reports coming in of the Vanguard and Maverick fleet arriving "Where'd you find those reinforcements?" Sigma asked Ahkilleon.

"General Gererra owed me a favor, I hope it was worth it." Ahkilleon panted as he headed back to the city, he saw Turok speaking to Kalani and Turok turned his head grimly at Ahkilleon, and shook his head.

One battle was lost, but something else had happened.

NAL HUTTA

Gardulla the Hutt's Palace

The palace was located on Nal Hutta, the Hutt homeworld. The palace was owned by Gardulla Besadii the Elder, a member of the Grand Hutt Council. The palace was temporarily used to imprison Ziro, a Hutt crime lord who held damaging information about the Hutt Council. It was guarded by many Nikto guards and other people hired to guard it. Later, it was attacked by Pre Vizsla, Maul, Savage Opress, and some other Death Watch warriors. All the denizens of the palace were either killed, or escaped. Most of the Nikto guards were killed in the ensuing battle. It was built into the supporting stone and organic matter of what resembled a giant fungal pod built within sight of the planet's capital city and foremost spaceport, Bilbousa. Reachable by spacecraft or swamp speeder, the palace and its surrounding complex were heavily fortified and defended and served as the occasional home of the Grand Hutt Council, the ruling body of the Hutt Clan that controlled Nal Hutta. As such, it received higher than average traffic than most palaces on the planet, which generally had few visitors due to most offworld business being conducted on the moon Nar Shaddaa.

And descending on the planet's surface was the Revenant, Ahkilleon stood at the top of the ramp inside the hangar of the palace, he had washed his armor, and wore a dark charcoal cloak that covered most of his body. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Turok asked him.

"We can't keep fighting the Hutt's, and Sigma hates politics so it has to be me." Ahkilleon said "This war with the Hutt's has to end and I won't wait for the Union to parlay with them." Ahkilleon walked into the Hutt palace, he passed by Gamorean guards, Twi'lek slave girls, and droids before he came to a large circular room, the lights came on and a ring of Hutt's all sitting in a ring, all fat and slug like one had occulus, the other a long pipe with a vest, another covered in jewels but the one whos at highest was a fat one every person in the Outer Rim knew, "Jabba." Ahkilleon said, looking at him.

"The Great Jabba speaks, and you will listen." Jabba's greenland red painted protocol droid said to him, translating as Jabba spoke in Huttese, Ahkilleon looked around the ring of Hutt's. The large slugs all glowering down from their elevated pedestal, the reddish brown banner of the Hutt's and their insignia, it's sharp spiked and curves like Jabba's words given form. "You are no Jedi." The translator said, "The noble Hutt's have known Jedi, the Hutt's have faced the Jedi and many more foes greater than you, and in the endless centuries of this galaxy, one thing endures. The Hutt Clans, Barbarian."

Ahkilleon looked at Jabba as he spoke in huttese the second most used language in the galaxy next to aubresh, "We have watched from our sacred jewel, as Kingdoms, Republic and even Empires rose and fell like the suns, we have seen barbarian warlords like you hack and slash your way across the galaxy, and we endure." Jabba said and his translator said to him, Ahkilleon looked at the eyes of the other Hutt's who nodded their great fat heads, smiling confident in their history. "From the Great Hyperspace War, to the Galactic Wars, the Clone Wars and whatever this war will be named, we endure."

Ahkilleon stood there hands behind his back "True, you defeated the Empire today they're fleet driven back, but they are means to an end as are all governments. The Hutt Clans have never sought to build their own empire of systems, we are content with our pond, guarded by our secrets, our trail of operations and alliances for profit. We Endure." Jabba said as his body inched around Ahkilleon "This insolent and unprovoked attack on our system, must be paid in penance." Jabba said to Ahkilleon from behind.

"Penance?" Ahkilleon asked.

"We know of your rebel allies, their ship too the Ghost." Jabba said, Ahkilleon didn't show his suprise or his anger at hearing him. "You will leave, as will your rest of your barbarian horde." Jabba commanded.

"And if we refuse?" Ahkilleon asked him, "Then you will learn why we endure." Jabba told him "You have a spy in your high command, we know this, the Empire knows it, and if not them we will send our own. True you have captured many with your 'War Jedi', but like the greed of men we are eternal, sooner or later our offer of credits, flesh, and power will seduce one of your own, your hidden stronghold of Arcadia, the shutdown codes of your droid armies, it matters not. We will only need to wait, as the Empire hammers you down like the crooked nails you are, and we endure." Jabba said.

Jabba gestured up to the ceiling to show the Specter's in separate holograms,showing the Ghost crew, Ezra, Sabine, Kanan, Hera, Rex Zeb and even Chopper, "And as for your rebel friends, every bounty hunter in the galaxy will hunt them and find them, the jedi will be given to the Empire as our gift, the twi'lek pilot handed over to the ISB along with her droid and ship, the lasat and clone will be sold to the spice mines of kessel to work until their back breaks, and the Mandalorian…" Jabba paused smiling to look at Ahkilleon, who fought to keep his face emotionless. "She will be sold, not to the highest bidder but to the lowest brothel in all of Nar Shaddaa as a warning to all who challenge us."

"These are our terms, barbarian." The translator told him.

Ahkilleon lifted his gaze to Jabba "… Now I speak and you will listen." Ahkilleon said holding his hands out, never breaking his gaze "Sleheyron and all former Hutt territories are ours, and if you choose to deny us our right of conquest, and go after our rebel allies. Do-it."
"What?" Jabba's translator asked after Jabba asked it, "Do it, and I will give the order to my fleet to set fire to your atmosphere." Ahkilleon turned from Jabba and addressed the rest of the Hutt Council, "And our armies to raze your cities to the ground." He paced to one edge of the room as he spoke "Then we will drill to the shell of your world's mantle for our bombs, so that every rock is scattered to the solar winds-" He eyed Jabba, hands held out he balled his hand into a fist "Every-last-one." Ahkilleon said before he looked to the other room "And after your world is in ashes, we-will-hunt-you." He held his fist out extending a finger at all the Hutt's "And all will know that The Hutt Clans endure no more. The people of the Outer Rim, will cheer from being freed of the Hutts, and praise their saviors, the Barbarians."

There was silence in the room, the Hutt's looked to Jabba and Jabba looked at Ahkilleon his green eyes unyielding, his face stone, his resolve?

Total.

Later, the Revenant returned to the Shatterpoint, flagship of the Vanguard stood at the edge of Hutt Space, older dreadnoughts and Hutt mercenary companies stood watch over Nar Shaddaa and Nal Hutta, poised to resume the battle. When it landed Ahkilleon walked off with Turok the Militia forces gathered around on standby their ships, Vulture droids and battle droids.

Ahkilleon walked toward General Sigma, Kalani, Admiral Zygote and Maverick officers "Is it done?" Sigma asked.

Reaching under his robe, Ahkilleon held up a datapad "Jabba's signature, the Hut's are out of the war, Sleheyron and all northern Hutt territories are ours." Ahkilleon showed the datapad to Sigma who handed it to Kalani, who sent the signal to stand down to the bridge "All Forces, Stand Down, I repeat Stand Down and prepare to return to Militia space." The ship's intercom spread over the ship, a euphoric calm entered the minds of all the men who loosened up, no cheers of victory but a pause of silence, the battle of Sleheyeron was finally over.

"Well done Commander." Kalani said to him, Ahkilleon nodded "Where is he?" Ahkilleon asked.

"This way." Sigma said, Ahkilleon followed Sigma to a large cargo container, two B2 battle droids standing guard before they opened it, Ahkilleon walked in and shut the door before turning on a lone lamp, laying down on a metal bed wound sealed, helmet next to his head his beskar shield over his body lay the corpse of Soontir Fel, the look of shock and dried blood still on his face. Ahkilleon stood over it before he removed his dark cloak. Gently he brushed his fingers over Soontir's eyes closing them forever,he removed the beskar shield and laid his cloak over Soontir's body, before he leaned on the bed looking down at the shroud "Forgive me brother, maybe you were the best of the Empire, you will see your fiance one last time." Ahkilleon said as he took the beskar shield and walked out sealing the cargo container, "Have it loaded aboard the revenant." Ahkilleon ordered the droids.

He held the shield under his arm and then looked at it, "Time we get back to Specter's, Turok."
"The Vangaurd will return to Sleheyron, until a relief force can arrive." Sigma said as they walked through the hanger, "About that, General, I'd like to talk to you about the Vanguards' loss of manpower."

"What did you have in mind, Ahkilleon?" Ahkilleon held up the shield "I think our rebel friends are the answer."