[RO] Renewal of Hope

Part I Briefing

Knights of Odan-Urr!

Your first objective lies in the hampering of the resistance. Turbolaser emplacements have suspended additional reinforcements and rendered takeoff from Talus’ surface impossible. These must be destroyed or disabled at all costs. Any additional measures to otherwise cripple the resistance is at your own discretion. Once the hidden Shipyards are found, you team will be sent to pursue their second objective.

Corellian System
Talus
Tythonian Militia Encampment

Vorsa observed the many-colored holo image of the turbolaser emplacements with contemplative interest. She was first of the military leaders to arrive in the operation tent, apart from Councillors Torun and Kituri. The two high ranking commanders of this operation on Talus consulted each other silently about the upcoming mission, Vorsa could hear, but she didn't pay the conversation too much attention. She was focused on their objective.

"Holo, demagnify sector S4." as she commanded, the computer program zoomed out the image, which was of poor quality even at that magnification. In fact, they were lucky they had images at all since the scout vessel that took them took a glancing hit from one of the emplacements. Luckily, the pilot was an ace so no permanent damage was caused and the ship was already operational again. The holo itself was a twenty second loop made in one pass which was later sharpened and edited to become more usable.

She observed the emplacements and the surrounding buildings which were an architectural disaster for any attacking force, what with high structures, causeways linking building to building and relatively narrow streets which could "eat" infantry like a hungry rancor. Heavy gun emplacements were on every other building; makeshift cover, made from either scrap plasteel or some other materials, dotted the rooftops and infantry and personnel seemed to move around quite a lot. Footsteps from behind her snapped her back to reality as Revak Kur, Ooroo's C.O., and several of his comrades walked into the tent.

"How does it look?" Revak asked as he approached the holo image.

"Not good, I should say." she replied pointing at the image "Magnify sector G8." As her finger moved about the image, pointing at spots of interest she added. "These gun emplacements here and these infantry "bunkers" are a big problem. We won't be able to break through them without heavy causalities, I believe."

"That is correct." High Councillor Torun interrupted her and gave a slight nod of apology as he continued "We should wait for the rest so we can start."

Several minutes later, each commanding officer of the K.U.D.F., including Lyze Kiel, arrived to plan the operation. Most were very much aware of the situation and had an idea of the enemy forces strength beforehand. Even so, worry lined their grim features.

"Ladies and gentlemen,.." Liam started "...we received this holo-image thanks to a very brave and slightly foolhardy pilot that happened to fly over them at a high altitude as we entered the atmosphere. His fighter was nearly shot down but, thank the Force, he is unharmed." A sigh of relief, though silent, could be felt throughout the tent.

"On to the matter at hand." he continued "I was told we should not and quite possibly cannot attack these facilities head on. They are heavily defended. But the fact of the matter is we have no choice. So I have chosen the Knights of Allusis..." he pointed at Vorsa "...as our vanguard. Alongside them, four quads of Destroyer droids will combine to become our spear tip, as it were. The rest of the infantry and rangers will follow closely behind." he stopped for a second to let it sink in. This was not a mission all of them would come back from. Murmurs and disapprovals began circulating but Torun silenced them by speaking again.

"However, this attack will be a diversion of sorts. While the enemy forces inside the base are focused on the main assault, our actual strike teams will come in from behind the facility..." his finger traced a slope of mountainous terrain behind the emplacements designated by red dots "...and attack from the sky."

"Isn't that a bit risky, what with the guns there?" one of the K.U.D.F. commanders asked.

A'lora answered "It is, true, but this is a high risk operation and we need to take this facility down so our reinforcements can land. Until then, we're already as good as dead." she replied politely but bluntly "Even so, our LAAT-s will fly very low to avoid unnecessary risks. We have already received volunteers who are willing, and able, to accomplish the job." her expression grew darker "Even at the cost of their lives. However, we see no other alternative and this plan is the most solid by far. Questions?"

***
MAP

Corellian System
Talus
Marshland - Objective Site Approach

The splattering of many mud-covered boots sloshing through the soaked terrain had slowed their march considerably. The small contingent of Jedi troops and K.U.D.F forces trudged through the unforgiving terrain, skirting past the initial defenses of scattered outposts, remaining well out of sight and separated by several meters of marshland. Luckily, their cover had persisted for several kilometers, the treeline of rotten trunks obscuring the outposts from view and allowing safe passage. The K.U.D.F commanders had argued among themselves for hours along the way in hushed tones, comparing their own strategies against the current scenario while others dismissed the ideas, pointing out the flaws that existed in each of them. So far, nobody had created a plan that would reduce the mission's risk by any non-negligible amount. Hours had passed, measured only by the fading light passing over the horizon. An opaque fog was rolling in, blurring the trunks of many distant trees into the background. The day was growing late, and weariness had set in.

Groaning, the dishevelled scoundrel leaned against a decaying stump, the force of his weight causing the rotting wood to sink ever so slightly into the spongy ground below. Muck from the journey had often fallen into his already unmaintained hair, leaving brownish globs of some sort of sticky sap clinging to his head. Despite the Togruta's shared advice that the stuff was edible, he didn't feel the need to put the theory to use. Pulling a small knife from his pack, he began scraping at the muck clinging to his boot. Flicking the grime-caked knife in an effort to fling away the sludge, he turned an eye to the slowly marching band of troops.

A'lora Kituri had worn nothing to protect her lavender-colored feet against the damp mire. To the former smuggler, this particular habit was chalked up alongside his observations of the hokey religion practiced by the younger woman. Believing any kind of footwear to cut her off from her natural surroundings, she rejected any notions of wearing a pair of boots while they trekked about at a sluggish pace. The belief, he concluded, was quite primitive, almost barbaric. However, the talking tree-woman she was conversing with for the entire length of the journey was just as unsettling. V'yr Vorsa was a Neti, who, unlike the Togruta, seemed largely unaffected by her own lack of footwear. Instead, the tree-like figure seemed to be completely rejuvenated, absorbing the moisture from the damp terrain through bark-like legs.

He expelled a short cough to clear his throat, "With all due respect... Uhh, General," He began, in a somewhat mocking tone, "You wouldn't expect our troops to set up camp here for the night. They've been trudging through this muck since we've left the encampment. If I may..." He said, pulling up a topograhical map of their surroundings on his datapad, "...We should be able to turn from the path here." He said, pointing to a narrow clearing that resembled a sort of path out of the bog.

"I agree." The Togruta stated, "And the end isn't far. Judging from our current position, we should be able to return to a more forgiving terrain without fear of being spotted. Look." She said, pointing at a small gap between two trees up ahead. It was difficult to see past the fog, which was closing in around them, but ahead, the Corellian could see the faint glow of a sunset visible between the gap. "We'll be there within the hour. Once we set up camp, we can have the troops clean themselves up and get ready to pursue our objective." She leaned in, snarling through pointed teeth, just within earshot of the three Jedi, "You smell of Bantha Poodoo."

"Well thanks. I guess I'll take that as a compliment, I think." He responded, wiping the blade of his knife on his oversized coat before heading off in that direction.

"So, it seems that we're off the grid for now. What's our next move?" V'yr inquired.

"We'll catch some rest. By nightfall, we'll head in with a smaller group to see about getting the bulk of our forces through the next security checkpoint. The Melewati will split off from this smaller group and monitor everything from the shadows." She paused, "If everything goes according to plan, we'll regroup with them after the checkpoint. We won't need the diversion until we're past this point." She pointed at a datapad, illuminating a tiny dot on its surface, "At which point, The Knights of Allusis will break from the main group into formation. We'll try to stay away from any major outposts or civilian settlements along the way, but I can't be certain of what kind of resistance we'll encounter."

V'yr nodded, having absobed every detail of their plan into her aged understanding. Several hundreds of years her elder, Vorsa was a constant advisor to the young Togruta.

"Gentlemen." Liam shouted ahead of the group, "Unpack your things and set up camp here. Keep your fires low, we don't want to attract any unwanted attention." Sighs of relief were audible along the line of weary militia. A couple of muddied hoversleds drifted from the mire to come to a rest atop solid ground. Mechanics raced towards the sleds with various tools and an arsenal of hydrospanners towards the droid-bearing sleds. "they'll be ready to move by tommorrow." The chief mechanic assured General Liam, "We'll have them patched up and cleaned out in no time."

"Good. Be sure that they're ready to move. And catch some rest, we have a long day ahead of us."

Talus
Military Compound

A large door was shoved open as a pair of guards dragged a short teenager into a stark, spartan office. A few desks, some chairs and a large computer terminal interrupted the bleak emptiness of this particular office, whose only occupant was dressed in a fine uniform. He was seated at the main desk, with a glass of something dull red in one hand. A low smirk cracked across his old and weathered face as the boy was dragged in front of him. One of the guards belted the boy in the guts, dropping him to his knees in front of the military commander. "Colonel!" the guards greeted him. Sharp salutes followed.

"So, you're the little traitor I've heard so much about." The colonel rose from his seat and stared down with contempt. "You have been caught attempting to break in to our secure computer systems to access some sensitive documents." The colonel gently brushed his free hand along the boy's cheek, then gripped him fiercely and titled the boy's head. "Do you know the penalty for treason?"

The boy glared at the colonel, but remained tight-lipped. "I can think of a few ways to punish naughty little boys." The colonel lifted the teenager up by the front of his shirt, hoisting him off the ground with ease. "Tell me your name." The boy ignored him, and the colonel punched him in the guts again. "Your name, brat, or I'll carve it out of you."
"Nathan Deciarus." The colonel smirked with self-satisfaction.
"You're certainly a pretty one, aren't you?" the colonel's alcohol-stained breath whispered in his face. Slightly repulsed, Nathan grimaced and squirmed, only to be held tighter by the two guards. The colonel grabbed a knife and slowly traced it across Nathan's face, before carefully slashing through his shirt. "There's only one thing to do with traitors before their execution," the colonel continued.

They were interrupted by a polite knock on the door. Suddenly, Nathan grinned at the colonel. "Something amusing?" he asked as he looked the boy up and down.
"I'm expecting a delivery," Nathan replied as the door opened. A dark-skinned servant pushed a cart inside the room. Ladden with stainless steel platters and an overwhelming wonderful smell, the servant wheeled the cart inside.
"I guess this isn't your lucky delivery," the colonel taunted before turning to the servant. "I ordered my dinner an hour ago!" the colonel snapped as he released Nathan, who hung suspended by the guards. "I'll have you whipped for this!" The colonel stomped over and grabbed the lid of a container, removing it quickly. A lightsaber lay on the steel plate.

The dark-skinned servant lunged forward, striking the colonel in the throat and throwing knives at the guards. He used the Force to strangle them both and dropped to the ground, catching the half-finished glass of liquor. A sharp strike to the base of the colonel's skull rendered him unconscious. Taking a sip of the liquor, he looked Nathan up and down. "Thanks for being on time, D'hak," Nathan acknowledged. "That one has the keys. Hopefully his terminal has access." D'hak released his companion and he immediately went to work, touching the terminal and selecting a few quick options. "There's a couple of monitoring programs on this terminal, but it appears to have clearance. It's gonna take a while to break in undetected." D'hak finished the remaining liquor - a cheap brandy - and set the glass down, keeping his eyes on the door while Nathan worked on breaking through the security on the terminal.

"I have good news and bad news," Nathan reported. "The good news is, I should definitely be able to access the shipping records and manifests connected to the payments between the Governor and New Tython. It will, however, take a few hours."
"Just get me something I can sneak on to," D'hak instructed as he started retrieving his gear from the cart. "The planet is blockaded and the Twins have gone silent. I must determine what has happened."
"I'm sure they're fine," Nathan reassured his companion before knuckling down to the task at hand. "I'm going to run security feeds on to the main screen there for most of the night. Keep an eye on them and the doors. And pass me a skewer."
"Once I find the rest of that brandy!"

Talus
Military Compound

As the large doors began to open to the Military Compound Benedict gave a large sigh he was new to the House Odan Urr, and the Battle team and wanted to make a good impression, Benedict was armed to the teeth with his bag of goodies, and was keen to give these babies an airing.

The Doors moved slowly open and was greeted by a four guards-man and was asked for his papers, as Benedict produced his papers the nervous guards-man pulled out their laser guns Benedict looked at them and said.

"Gentlemen Please allow me to produce my papers there are here".

With that Benedict give his papers to the guards-man and was allowed to pass.

Benedict asked in an excited voice "Where's the action at Boys".

The Guards looked at Benedict as they gave him his papers back.

"Go to the centre of the compound and you need to find Vyr, our commander she let you know what to do and where to go".

With that Benedict walked off and went to met his leader.

Benedict had a good look around the small Compound and saw various, members doing their duties polishing their laser riffles and their sabers practicing their skills.

The Consular Servant looked round for the middle of the compound and found a tent, Benedict give a sigh once more and walked slowly through to the inside of the tent and saw, a few members of the battle team surrounding a small table looking at a map with a young woman at the centre looking at the map with great interest.

Vyr looked up and saw Benedict " Consular Servant Benedict we've been awaiting you Welcome".

Corellian System
Talus
Militia Camp SIte

Morning was upon them. Once the sun had reappeared over the horizon, bathing everything in glorious hues of gold, the Knights of Odan-Urr prepared for the task that awaited them. Those few fires that had been fed overnight were stamped out, already reduced to little more than mildly hot coals. Despite being away from the dampness of the swamp, the humidity carried from the fog made it difficult to find wood dry enough to be suitable to fuel the fires. What could be carried easily was packed up and slung over the shoulders of the K.U.D.F forces. Everything else was left behind, including the portable tents. The durasteel frames of which were thrown into the muck through which they had marched the previous night.

Over the next few hours, Benedict was brought up to speed on their current plan of action. V'yr gave him the brief version, eager to return to the task ahead of them; Time was growing short.

Liam Torun stood in the forward-most section of the group, leading the Knights of Odan-Urr and a select few K.U.D.F soldiers to their next destination. Weaving through forest paths and paved walkways, the journey was far more bearable than the previous night. Clenching a hand a raising it above his head, he ordered the line to a halt.

"Stop." He said quietly. The Melewati had broken from the group, arranging themselves discreetly at the forests' edge, all of them pointed inwards towards the complex. They hadn't bothered to clean the much off their uniforms, it provided them with the gift of near invisibity as they crouched, some of them prone on the borders of the sprawling complex.

"Looks clear." One of them said through his comlink, "Would you like us to investigate?" The ranger asked, surveying the landscape through the weapon's scope.

"Negative." Liam ordered, "We'll handle this." He explained, gesturing towards the three Knights behind him. "You're up."


Corellian System
Talus
Military Compound - Control Center

The distinctive snap-hiss of a lightsaber announced the weapon's activation. A blade cerulean in color extended nearly one and a half meters in length, its motion tracing wide arcs through the air as it approached its mark. A trail of blue light followed behind it as it was brought down on two unsuspecting targets. The lightsaber's superheated blade made contact with the shoulder of the first individual, his skin blackening as the weapon cauterized the fresh wound. The man collapsed to the ground, his mouth as if about to scream, but the the pain was too much to let out more than a short, muffled shriek. Blackness swept into his vision, clouding his mind while he slipped into unconsciousness. Alarmed by the audible thud of his comrade's fall, the second soldier unslung his weapon, bringing it around with surprising speed. Surprise or shock filled his expression as he turned around to face an approaching fist tracing its way to the underside of his jaw. The impact lifted him from his feet, slamming him hard into the expanded metal floor beneath him. His breath left him in a single instant. He tried to scream for help, but all that came out were ragged gasps.

"Good work, Williams. I'll take it from here." The Corellian said, turning back to the breathless figure at his feet. A wide grin cracked across his lips, his hands reaching down to grasp the front of the other man's shirt before he could grab the fallen rifle. Lunging with his momentum, he brough the man to his feet, simultaneously slamming the man hard into the room's sole chair with one, powerful motion.

"Talk." He commanded.

Footsteps approached from behind, "That's no way to treat a guest." An adolescent voice commented, giving a small chuckle of amusement.

Puzzled beyond belief, the gruff Corellian turned, reaching for his blaster, only to find an empty holster hanging at his waist. The antique weapon floated in mid air to rest on the youngling's outstretched palm. "A most uncivilized weapon, indeed. Won't you at least hear me out? You can decide to shoot me afterwards." He jested, the amused expression remaining on his face. A few seconds passed before his face contorted in disgust, "What is that smell?"

"Oh, that?" He older man chuckled, "That's nothing. Now, tell me what you want, kid. Give me one reason I shouldn't blast you into atoms."

The man in the chair groaned, opening his mouth to speak, but instead finding the air kicked from his lungs once again as the Corellian planted his foot in the other's chest. The younger Jedi took a few moments to look at the other man, "I can think of a few. First," He began, "This compound has intel regarding shipments and manifests that tie the Governor to his Brotherhood benefactors. Intel..." He paused for effect, "...Which I have just acquired. Second, he's with me, so stop beating the poor man."

"Thanks." D'hak managed, taking in a few ragged breaths.

"Don't mention it." Nathan replied, returning his gaze to Lyze with a lopsided grin across his face.

Corellian System
Talus
Military Compound - Communications Hub

Stalking the officer like a predator hunting its prey, A'lora Kituri followed the uniformed man from the shadows, wrapping the Force around her to create the illusion of invisibility. Having a natural affinity for remaining unseen to the practiced eye, the Togruta danced around posted guards and patrols with little resistance. When the man had disappeared into a rounded structure, she let her eyes gaze upwards. The exterior of the building housed a balcony or durasteel girders, easily accessible once she scaled the conveniently-placed tree beside the structure. Its monsterous limbs extended over the foot-thick walls of the rounded exterior to end mere inches from the balcony's landing. Summoning strength into her already agile limbs, she climbed up the tree's branches, following them to the extended branches.

"Ready." She acknowledged, just before the branches launched her upwards. Soaring with the momentum, she tucked herself into a tight roll, landing within the balcony effortlessly. The branches seemed to shake before retracting. Its trunk crackled, reducing in size until the Neti stood six feet tall. Atop the balcony, the lone guard on watch duty spun around, alarmed by the soft thud behind him. The lavender-skinned figure had barely enough time to close her hand over the soldier's mouth, muffling his screams of protest.

"Be still." She hissed behind a venomous snarl, baring a full set of pointed teeth. The man paled, as if expecting the woman to plunge those deadly weapons into him. His writhing body suddenly stopped, his eyes widening. It only took a fraction of a second for the purple-skinned woman to realize his gaze wasn't directed at her; Her montrals had already found a disturbance barely a meter behind her, ultrasonically alerting her of threats within the tight radius. She cursed in her native tongue, spinning around with her lightsaber in hand and igniting it with a snap-hiss as she done so. The intruder's chest seared, the smell of burnt flesh filled his nostrils. His eyes gazed forward in shock before he realized the terrible smell was his own flesh. The lightsaber plunged into his chest, burning its way through his core before his lifeless body collapsed forward. She cursed herself for allowing the intrusion - It had nearly cost her life.

She turned to the frightened soldier, who had once again begun squirming in her grip. Extinguishing the deadly blade of plasma, she brough the silver hilt crashing onto the man's skull. He stopped wriggling, instead sliding down to rest beside his fallen comrade.

Nathan removed his lightsaber and tossed it to D'hak, who caught and ignited the blade as he rose from the seat, quickly closing on Lyze. "Nathan," D'hak chided him, "the safety is still on." The boy examined the blaster curiously as D'hak hovered the blade in front of Lyze's chest, keeping a close eye on Benedict and Lyze. "Grab the intel." Nathan nodded and retrieved a portable data drive from the terminal next to the seat, bringing it to his super-human protector. D'hak looked his opponents up and down before finally winking at Lyze. Discarding the lightsaber, he grappled Lyze and swung him around, placing him into a sleeper hold quickly and efficiently. Benedict opened fire, but Nathan used the Force to deflect the fire. D'hak dumped Lyze's body on the floor and lunged in to Benedict, who caught him with an elbow to the ribs. Without D'hak's subterfuge, it was like striking a brick wall. Regardless, Benedict pulled back to throw a mighty Force-augmented punch of his own, but D'hak quickly struck his bicep then collarbone, and finally struck him behind the neck, rendering him unconscious with his mastery of K'tara techniques.
"Did you kill them?!" Nathan asked, a little shocked.
"No, they're asleep. They'll recover in a few minutes." The super-human clone checked the colonel's body next, with a distinct disdain. D'hak had lived on Talus for years, and the colonel had built a reputation for being a pervert. Nathan turned to a beep at the terminal and hopped over, his expression becoming quite worried. While his back was turned, D'hak coldly, deliberately gripped the colonel's nose and mouth, holding him down as he struggled.

"This isn't good," Nathan announced as he began frantically pressing the screen. "Security has picked something up." Nathan posted it to the larger screen on the wall. "I think I can isolate the feed." While he worked, D'hak examined the image carefully and with some amazement.
"That's a Harakoan!" the clone exclaimed. "Looks like Melewati..." D'hak looked down at Lyze and Benedict, noting their lightsabers, their clothes.
"Mele-what?" Nathan asked.
"Never mind. Have you got security under control?"
"Sort of. I isolated and am looping the feed that picked them up, but I cannot access the main hub for this area. It's in this building, but it's protected by a serious firewall with a randomly generated quadratic seed that-"
"Nathan, Nathan please. I asked you to stop doing that."
"Right, dummy version." D'hak narrowed his eyes, but let that go. "We can only access real security control from inside the hub. The security feed is routed to come here to the colonel's office first, then to the main area hub. I can interfere with the signals going back to the hub, but the more feeds I place on a feedback loop, the more noise I generate in the signal and the more likely it is that they'll figure out what I'm doing." D'hak nodded slowly as he returned his attention to the large wall screen.

"Bring up a map of the area," D'hak commanded. Nathan pushed the screen a few times. "Communications?" A building flashed. "Armory? Where was that droid storage you noted? And the turbolasters?" Various parts of the large screen flashed as they were highlighted. D'hak examined the map carefully. "Can you sense Denath or Elleron anywhere nearby?" Nathan concentrated for a few moments.
"I can feel quite a few Force users."
"They'll feel like two people, but they'll be in one body."
"Is that why you call them the Twins?" D'hak nodded. Nathan concentrated harder, before finally shaking his head.
"It's not like them to miss out on all the action... or to go silent for so long..." D'hak glanced at the security image of the Harakoan in one corner of the screen, then down at Lyze. "Can you disable the turbolasers from here?"
"No, they're controlled from inside the city. The security hub in this building should get us control of alarms, cameras, that sort of thing, but not radio or external communications." D'hak muttered a brief, foul curse to himself.

"We're splitting up," the super-human clone announced as he retrieved a pair of interlocking lightsabers from under the sheet of a nearby food cart. "If the alarms are tripped, that droid storage facility will come online and the Jedi will be trapped between turbolaser emplacements, ground soldiers and squads of B1 and B2 battle droids. I'm going to sit on that facility and if it opens, I'll tear it apart. I'll infiltrate New Tython on my own and we'll rendezvous there."
"What do you mean?" Nathan asked in a stunned voice.
"The people the security feed picked up are part of New Tython's defense forces. They wouldn't leave New Tython unless they were travelling with the Jedi of Odan-Urr. I need you to help these two-" he gave Lyze a soft tap of his boot, who twitched in his sleep, "-disable the security hub in the main part of this building. They'll take you to New Tython and keep you safe." D'hak made for the door, marching swiftly, with purpose.
"Are you really leaving me?" Nathan's voice cracked as he asked the one question that would make D'hak pause. He came over and placed a reassuring hand on the upset fourteen-year-old's shoulder. "How do you even know they're actually Jedi? That one seems kinda scruffy, and the other one is more like a one man army."
"Trust me."
"I do, it's just... I've never been alone before. You woke me up from the cloning facility a couple of months ago and we've never been apart."
"You'll be fine, Nathe. You're a Delta-class NXG-2 clone. If you can't figure out what to do, we're both hopeless." Nathan frowned back at him as a tear ran down his cheek.
"You still haven't explained what that means," he mumbled accusingly.
"I honestly don't know what you're capable of. You won't either, until you try it. Once you're done here, find Avarik. He knows more about us than I do. Just remember: you were genetically designed to be strongly connected to the Force, to people's minds, and to be creative and intelligent. Your body can't take the kind of damage I can, you can't fight like I can, and you don't have anywhere near my strength."
"So... no fistfights with AT-STs?" They both exchanged a grin and a quick chuckle.

"You know, certain details of that story may have been exaggerated," D'hak admitted uncomfortably. "Leave most of the fighting to them - keep them safe, and they'll keep you safe. This-" D'hak tapped Nathan's forehead a few times, "-and the Force are the best weapons you have. Don't be afraid to try something when you think of it - and please, try to keep yourself out of trouble. I won't be following you the next time some pervert captures you."
"You know what's really strange?" Nathan asked. "I still don't know how they found my original hacking signal, but it's a good thing they did. The colonel's security terminal has a higher level of access than anything else outside the hub."
"You asked me to find you a high clearance terminal, remember?" D'hak reminded him gently.
"Yeah, and you said you had a plan, but who could have known the colonel would bring me here?" D'hak narrowed his eyes carefully and just smiled innocently.
"Sometimes things just work out for the best."

The two locked eyes for a moment before D'hak headed back for the door, speaking over his shoulder. "Help the Jedi take out the security hub in this building. I'll see you on New Tython. And get them a copy of that intel!" Nathan nodded and retrieved his lightsaber from the floor before returning to the terminal. The download would only take a few minutes this time, since he already knew where everything was. He glanced at the door as it closed with a hiss, a lonely sound in the eerie silence of... someone groaning? Nathan glanced briefly at Lyze and Benedict as they started stirring before initiating the download.

Corelian System
Above Talus

Shuttle Craft

"Sir, planet side turbolaser batteries have identified our position it is only a matter of time before we get....." The green superheated energy splashed against the shields evaporating the only protection the craft had. The next one seared so close that it vaporized the port engine.

Planetary gravity had always been the ultimate defeater of space born objects. Especially the ones man made, and without power to handle the pull. The cruel sithspawn of galactic nature had her hands clenched around the shuttle. The crew on board scrambled to prepare for the coming demise of the craft, the foreseeable outcome: crash landing.Where would the craft land? The flight commander concerned himself with finding the appropriate location. The Apostate Sith sitting in the cabin knew the craft had been hit, yet he did not concern himself with its crash. There was no point. It was falling and he could do nothing to prevent it. Just like he could not prevent his coming into the Force, into the Dark Side, into becoming this Weapon of Death. It seemed daily he was pushed into these rolls into these outcomes. This Destiny, seemed to be lead beyond his grasp. Each time he took this Force to manipulate it to do his will, it would never be claimed as his. And now despite all the power he had, he could not prevent this crash. He would die upon this planet. Knocked out of the sky before he could reach the place when he was a Hermit. His life would end without his permission.

Suddenly without provocation or intention a deep peace came over him. This feeling tingled and vibrated deeply within his Being. It was not coming from him, he knew when the Force acted because he told it when to act by being angry, or passionate, or any variety of emotion. Before he could think about it any longer emergency landing thrusters fired six meters above the surface of the ground. The burst led to the descent only being slowed and not stopped.

The shuttle crashed nose first the cockpit crumpling into a fold of plasteel and the flesh of the pilot and copilot. As it flipped and spun more parts of the ship folded and crumpled and bent in ways the builders never thought would be possible. No one inside could ever count the number of buildings, vehicles, and bystanders that were destroyed, maimed or killed in the ball of superheated death that was bringing destruction with every bounce. Eventually the craft drug itself to a stop carving a crater into the surface ten kilometers long. Within the carcass a sole survivor found himself disoriented but somehow willful enough to draw his lightsaber and cut his way from the wreckage.

The chunk of heated metal crashes to the ground. The Sith stood clutching his wounded left side, it felt as if he had been punched hard in that kidney. His right shoulder leaned against the fresh cut, makeshift door, lightsaber inactive in that hand. As he had abandoned the Dark SIde, so he was abandoned on a planet.

“Damn.”

Ryan's eyes had become strained and his body tensed with the overwhelming feeling of an impending battle. It didn't help that the men with whom he had been riding not only had pre-combat jitters aware of either anti-aircraft fire or a landing zone ambush killing them at any minute, but also cast a wary eye towards their erstwhile commander. The entire air was one of paranoia, and the Defender knew that unit cohesion was jeopardized by his presence. No unit could survive contact with the enemy if they feared destruction from without and betrayal from within. Ryan was an unarmed combat instructor. Why he had been placed in such an assignment as this one, valuable as it was to covering and supporting the other elements of the assault, was beyond him. He had in fact protested, but the words of Jedi wiser than him remained the same. He cursed again as he realized that they were slightly behind schedule due to unexpected enemy ground reconnaissance the squadron had swerved to avoid.

Perhaps this was a sort of penance after a long period of debriefing and training to take the former Arconan and make him “one of them”, a Jedi. Rather than have him engage in self flagellation in a monastic cell, the Jedi were letting the roar of the LAAT engines and the glares of many of the troops in the transport provide the requisite excoriation.

Ryan had forgone his usual white robes in favor of a simple, utilitarian brown which was now spotted here and there by flecks of sand or oil, the detritus of pre-battle preparation. The LAAT made a slight turn causing everyone to shift slightly, particularly those new to riding in such rough aerial transportation. Ryan dug in with a powerful Broken gate stance to ensure he remained rooted as he turned and began to speak to his squad.

“Soldiers, we are all part of something much larger than ourselves. I understand your reluctance at my command, but there are those above me who declared it so. But you are not fighting for me. Each individual in this squad contributes to this squad. Each squad contributes to the overall elements of the plan, and each element of the plan will contribute to victory today. We are fighting to ensure that lives are saved among our friends and neighbors, and to ensure that the safety of those we have left at home is assured. We are all without exception, within the living, breathing, Force. It is with these thoughts that we must now go about our task which has been laid before us. To victory.”

Each man and woman nodded in grim acknowledgment and began checking their weapons. Ryan had no real lightsaber to speak of and therefore lacked the ability to inspire the sort of confidence such a powerful and symbolic weapon might bring. He did however, check the presence of his tonfa, his knives, and his chain whip, kept wrapped around his waist as always. He closed his eyes in quiet contemplation, and the roar of the LAAT engines became like a waterfall and drowned his emotions in the pure waters of the Force.

Talus
Military Compound - Control Centre

Lyze and Benedict rose to their feet, a little groggy, and then immediately looked around the room for D'hak. He was nowhere to be seen, but the boy sat watching them from the high security terminal that once belonged to the colonel. He gave them a quick wave. Now a little confused, the two Jedi approached warily, retrieving fallen weapons and keeping their guard tight. "Where did your friend go?" Lyze asked, aiming his blaster at the boy.
"He's gone," Nathan admitted. "He left. He left me. But I'll see him again, on New Tython. Soon."
"What do you want with New Tython?" Benedict demanded. Nathan considered telling them the truth; that he was a clone, that he and D'hak needed to find Elleron and Denath, that it was especially urgent they find Denath; he decided, however, that it would invite too many complicated questions. The day wasn't young anymore.
"Let's just call it a personal matter for now. It's a family thing, and I'd rather keep it in the family. My friend said that you were Jedi of Odan-Urr - if that's true, then I think we got off on a bad start. My name is Nathan, and I can help."

"How can you help us?" Lyze asked, still a little wary. The boy stood, removed a small data stick from the terminal, and tossed it over.
"Here's a copy of the intel linking the Governor to the Brotherhood of Dark Jedi," Nathan answered, "and if you're trying to sneak into the city, there's a security hub in this building that handles alarms, cameras, that sort of thing. I can shut it down, if you can get me there." Lyze and Benedict exchanged looks. "In exchange, I want to speak to your High Councillor. Do we have a deal?"
"For now. Do you know where the main security hub is?" Nathan smiled briefly and loaded a map on the big screen.
"I can overload their camera systems as well, which'll let us run in. We just have to watch out for patrols. They should only have a couple of guards left. Once you get me inside, I can disable everything."
"Can't you just do that now?" Benedict asked.
"No, it's protected by some pretty serious software. I need access to one of their main computers to shut it all down."

"Shouldn't there be more guards?" Benedict asked.
"It's handover day. Most guard forces at city entrance points over the past few months have been droids with limited personnel; after today, it's going to be all droids. You certainly just happened to pick a great day for this." Lyze and Benedict exchanged a glance, with the former rolling his eyes.
"Don't tell the Togruta that, she'll jump up and down and have kittens." Nathan stared at Lyze, completely dumbfounded.
"Really?" Lyze gave a little sigh.
"Yes, really."
"What's a Togr- umm, Tograt?"
"Please, everyone knows what a Togruta is. It's like a Twi'lek. You know, big tentacles on their head." Nathan shook his head as Lyze made hand gestures to emphasize the montrals. "Just trust me. Keep the timing to yourself."
"Ok. Give me a moment to overload the cameras in this building, then we'll need to hurry to disable the hub before they can alert the regional Communications centre."
"Won't that raise the alarm?" Lyze questioned. Nathan nodded.
"All the security hub will see is static, and they'll immediately run a diagnostic and it'll only take them a couple of minutes to figure out what I've done. We'll have to hurry." Nathan touched a few commands on the terminal, then nodded his readiness to the others. Benedict took the lead as they made their way towards the security hub at a fast pace.

Talus
Location Unknown

He had been stumbling around buildings, long abandoned to riff raff and scum. No one came out to accost him. Perhaps it was his appearance. There would be no mistaking the horrendous black tattoos that interlaced across his dyed blood red skin. Nor the crude cybernetic mask that was his mechanical face. Even the raw twisted right arm would give children nightmares for a life time. This lone Sith could redefine on this world whatever passed for a boogeyman. He could feel the fear coming from the windows, and could sense eyes staring at him amid wreckage.

He was trying to move in the direction of the LAATs that flew overhead an hour past. He recognized the colors: Odan-Urr. He had crashed on a world gripped in a battle with Lightsiders. That could be an advantage to him, or depending on what they were fighting for a disadvantage. His feet plodded on for hours it felt, and all around him the fear of the looks cast upon him gave him some form of energy that propelled the Lonesome Sojourner onward.

Ahead in the distance he saw the shimmering lights and flashes associated with blaster fire and explosives. He must be getting close. City rubble turned into more clean affairs, and finally a military complex. There was no sign of the LAATs and as far as could be discerned no one had even engaged anything here. The guards will still at their posts. Perhaps his eye devices were malfunctioning and he had no idea where a medical droid could be found to do a diagnostic. What looked like simple guards from the distance were revealed to be Droids. The necessary evil.

Before Telum could get up to the gate the droids began to frantically chatter among themselves. The cameras they use to observe the area went black and then to static. Then his presence was noticed. Blaster riffles where leveled at him, and one approached.

“Identify yourself,”

“I think this is enough of identification,” Telum drew his lightsaber and activated the weapon. The red beam sputtered for a millisecond before flashing to life without a sound. It sputtered once more, and hummed deathily.

“Er, Uh, Dark Jedi?” the droid seemed confused. “We were not informed you would be making an appearance.”

“Well I am here, now allow me in,” the Dark Jedi said with a slight hand gesture.

“We are experiencing technical difficulties at the moment.”

“Then take me to your security hub, perhaps I can correct the incompetence there.”

“Yes sir, right this way sir.”

Corellian System
Talus
Military Compound - Control Center

The Togruta hissed behind her fang-like teeth, cursing herself for having been fooled so easily. In mere moments, everything nearly came unravelled; Her entire childhood was spent learning the skills of deception and stealth whilst stalking her prey on her homeworld, Shili. Only moments ago, her cover had nearly been blown and their presence would have been made known. It would have been disgraceful the the memory of her pack to have been defeated in such a way.

Collecting herself and focusing her mind, she leapt forth, spiraling through the air to land silently within the communications hub. The Force gathered around her, engulfing her lithe, dark figure in a cloak of energy. Light had seemed to bend around her, creating the illusion of near-invisiblilty to all but the practiced eye. She maintained the deception, gracefully stepping out from the shadows and moving throughout the domed building in rapid strides. Observing her surroundings ultrasonically through the use of her montrals, she detected a guardsman moving behind her - towards her, each step increasing his likelihood of bouncing off the invisible figure. Spinning around on her heel, she planted the side of her palm in the man's throat. He gurgled, then slid down quietly to rest at the base of a nearby console.

Taking a moment to make sure she hadn't been spotted, the Togruta grabbed the guard's body, hiding him beneath the console's desk.

It will have to work for now. Eventually, someone's going to find him, she thought.

Around the nearest corner, two men poured over data feeds and telemetry charts. One of them was seated at the console, typing a rapid series of commands into the machine while the other - the communications chief barked orders at his subordinate. However, her mind drifted elsewhere - a presence that seemed out of place, radiating hatred, uncertainty... and fear. The presence was approaching, she had to close off her thoughts, masking her presence with the Force. A Dark Jedi was nearby, she could feel the darkness within him. Then, she saw it. The masked features of a figure, cloaked in black walked briskly into the room, the communications officers too busy to take note. The communications chief turned, his face contorting into an angry sneer; he didn't take well to intrusions.

"What is the meaning of this!" He barked, "This complex is for the sole use of military personnel, explain yourself!" The chief commanded, before reaching for the holdout blaster he usually carried, only to find the holster devoid of any weapon. The Dark Jedi held the weapon with his outstretched index finger, releasing it to clatter harmlessly to the ground.

"I only wish to send an outgoing message. After that, I will be on my way. Your superior doesn't need to know I was here. In fact, I would keep that to myself, if I was in your position." The masked figure replied evenly, with a touch of sincerity in his voice, despite his dreadful appearance. The communications chief considered his words for a moment, his mind clouded by the effects of the other's use of the Force to influence the chief's judgement. Trained in the mental disciplines that came with being a high-ranking offical, he game his reply.

"No." He growled, "Leave this complex, or I'll see you excecuted immediately." The larger man ordered, nodding to the two guards that had only seconds ago, appeared behind them.

"Too bad. I was hoping to resolve this without making a mess. But since you asked so... nicely." He summoned his lightsaber through the Force to his hand. The mechanism sputtered for a moment, giving off a harsh hum. Its bloodred blade ignited, bathing the various consoles in hues of crimson. Both guards opened fire, the red bolts of their E-11 Blaster Rifles darting towards the Dark Jedi, who batted them both to their points of origin, striking one guard in the chest, and wounding the other. He used the Force to launch a loose console panel at the remaining guard, burying it in the other man's armor as he crumpled lifelessly to the duracrete floor. He grinned behind the nightmarish mask, turning slowly back towards the chief.

"Now, shall we reconsider our options?" He asked. The other man stood rigid, his eyeball nearly popping out of their sockets as he stared at the contorted forms of the two guardsmen.

"He's not yours to take." A female voice hissed, lurking within the shadows.

The grotesque Sith gave a maniacal cackle of laughter underneath his mask, giving his voice a fairly mechanical quality, "I gave him an option that did not employ violence, and you would seek to protect him? Come out from the shadows and face me yourself, If you wish me to spare his life." The almost droid-like voice responded, lowering his lightsaber to the cowering man. Instead, he turned his attention to the officer seated at the console, who stared back at the Dark Jedi. Telum Van Umbra could see defiance in the officers eyes, defiance that quickly disipated as he found the life choked out of him by unseen hands. Allowing the Force to expose her lavender figure, she ignited her own lightsaber in process, the elegant weapon igniting in brilliant shades of emerald, a stark contrast to his own crimson blade.

"You shouldn't have come, Sith." She seethed, staring into the mechanical mask that was his grotesque face. Before he could make any sound, she lunged forward, her lightsaber trailing an arc towards her opponent to make contact with the crimson blade. A flash of white erupted between their two blades, sending a thin shower of sparks raining towards the consoles. "You mistake me, Jedi." He cackled, breaking contact with the other blade. He pivoted in place, watching as the lithe woman circled him with the grace of a Twi'lek dancer. Unexpectedly, she surged forwards, vaulting over the Dark Jedi in a single, fluid motion. With impossibly quick reflexes, she spun around with her lightsaber, barely landing on her feet. However, the Sith had sensed the sudden shift in position through the Force, bringing his lightsaber around just in time to block the attack over his shoulder. he pivoted his torso around for his counter attack, flicking his wrist is short, sweeping motions. The quick attacks had caught the Togruta off guard while she was still regaining her footing, the tip of the deadly blade barely made contact with her scarred back, blackening and bubbling under the intense heat. She screamed in pain, managing to roll away from her opponent in time to avoid a powerful follow-up attack.

When she had recovered enough from the intense pain, she stood back on her feet. Her injury made it difficult to focus, but as she moved in seemingly random paces, so too did her attacks become erratic - unpredicable to the Dark Jedi. He brought his lightsaber up in time to parry a rather common strike, not expecting the feint as the green stream of plasma rotated mid-swing, scorching his mask left of the jaw. Disoriented, he stepped backwards, sending a quick shove at his opponent through the Force. He reached a gloved hand to his face, feeling the deep furrow where a portion of his mask had been. The plasma had also scored the flesh underneath, the smell of burnt flesh filled his nostrils before the pain set in.

He howled in rage, calling on the Dark Side of the Force to re-invigorate his limbs. Easily overpowered by the man's Force-altered strength, she was forced on the defensive. Spilling its crimson glow over the nearby consoles like a tide of blood, the lightsaber carved its way through the durasteel hardware, sending a shower of sparks at the Togruta. She winced in pain as molten metal made contact with her exposed back, clinging to her arms and legs. He laughed in an eerie, mechanical voice, brandishing his lightsaber once again and charging at the Jedi.

"Enough of this." She shouted, stretching out with the Force to pull at the butresses supporting the ceiling. The sharp screetch of durasteel against duracrete filled the communications hub, the support moved ever so slightly, but the sudden shift was enough to send a rain of duracrete onto the Sith. He stared up in horror as large pieces of the structure fell towards him. He braced himself for the impact, creating a cocoon of Force energy around himself to hold off the brunt of the attack.

As it happened, Ryan Neale charged into the room followed by a contingent of KUDF forces with their weapons at the ready. Each soldier advanced with militaristic discipline, kneeling in front of whichever pieces of cover were available to them, setting up fields of crossfire within seconds. Ryan's eyes widened as the Togruta stumbled towards him, clutching at her side. In her, he could sense weariness and pain... unimaginable pain that caused her to shuffle forwards in uneven steps, taking a few ragged breaths before weariness took over. Severely wounded and over-exerted, she collapsed to the floor. The human Jedi raced towards her, followed by a medic and immediately began tending to her wounds.

"Stand back." He ordered the others, "Look around, see if you can't find a medkit somewhere."

The remaining soldiers nodded, and set out through the complex for medical materiel. A mechanical sound startled the soldiers, as they pointed their weapons towards a heap of rubble in the center of the room, illuminated from above by a newly-created skylight. Ragged, mechanical breaths could be heard underneath, a cybernetic arm burst from the rubble, seaching the ground for a familiar weapon. V'yr Vorsa followed the KUDF soldiers in, turning her attention to the pile of rubble, and the disfigured man buried within it. Rolling towards her, an unmistakable cylindrical object was stopped by her bare foot.

"I'll take that." Liam Torun said from the doorway. The weapon glided into his hand, igniting in mid-air. He studied it for a moment before concealing it within his loose-fitting robes. His expression changed to pain as he sensed the Togruta's condition. The feeling shook his core; he had to shut out the woman's emotions.

"Get her to the medics. Now." He ordered. Two of the soldiers ran out of the communications hub at full speed, leaving their weapons behind as they sought for aid. The ragged breathing below the rubble caught his attention.

"Telum Van Umbra. So you have returned."

Talus
Military Compound - Security Control Hub

Benedict and Lyze blasted their way through the last handful of droids guarding the entrance to the security hub. It had been a very clear run, with more broken droid parts left behind hours ago by D'hak than actual droids. They approached a double-sized durasteel door, but it did not open automatically as they approached. It stood there, resolutely inert. As Nathan rounded the corner behind them, Lyze set to work on a keypad next to the door, using his slicing skills to start bypassing the lock. Nathan readied his lightsaber. "If there's people in here, try not to get too crazy with the killing. We might need their passwords." Benedict nodded curtly as he stood, weapons at the ready, waiting for the doors to open. "Are you all right with that?" Nathan asked Lyze. "I can loosen it up if you like."

The doors finally opened, and the three Jedi charged inside. The hub was set up with a myriad of different sized and shaped desks sprawling all over a fairly large room, each with several consoles and screens, including a giant wall of security screens. Droids bustled about busily and officers scrambled frantically to try and make sense of the camera disruption Nathan had caused, and more importantly, to notify the Communications centre of the impending attack. Benedict had shot down two droids before the others even entered the room, and lightsaber in hand, Nathan rolled to the side and tried to dart his way around to the people in the room. Lyze and Benedict took turns shooting down droids. Having separated on entry, the droids struggled to keep both positions pinned down, a fatal flaw the two Jedi exploited mercilessly until the last droid fell. The officers surrendered quickly.

"You are too late, Jedi dogs!" the lead officer spat. "We have already alerted our Communications centre. They will have a flight of bombers out here to level the building in minutes. Droids across the city will activate and crush you all." Lyze smirked at his defiance, before knocking him off his feet with a well-aimed punch.
"I'd like to know what Communications has to say about that," Lyze taunted the man. "I don't suppose you've received a reply? An acknowledgement? No? Too bad, so sad." Nathan stepped around to one of the main consoles and touched the screen.
"What are we going to do with them?" Benedict asked as he took up a careful guard position, keeping a careful eye on the only door in the room.

"We need their passwords," Nathan declared. "They've locked us out of the system."
"Can't you just crack it open?" Lyze asked.
"In about seven hours. It's encrypted with the same random quadratic firewall that the rest of their security system is protected by."
"Do you want me to loosen the lid for you?" Nathan rolled his eyes at him. "Then it sounds like you're going to give us a password," Lyze informed the officer, who spat at his boots. Lyze expressed his disapproval with another well-aimed punch.
"You're going to give him a concussion if you do it that way. Or worse yet, amnesia."
"I know what I'm doing," Lyze replied off-handedly. "Tell us your password."
"Never!"
"Unlock the console, or I will shoot you." The officer became tight-lipped.
"We don't have time for this!" Nathan sighed. He stomped over and locked eyes with the officer. "Tell me your password." The officer began to sweat as Nathan gently touched his face.
"Tell me your password."
"R7hgY09ruJgz76." Lyze and Nathan exchanged glances.
"That is how you get someone's password," Nathan informed Lyze matter-of-factly.
"Really?" Lyze asked. "So, what's his password again?"
"Arr seven, haitch, zee... I mean gee..." Nathan frowned, then locked eyes with the officer again, holding one hand in front of his face. "You will unlock the console."


Talus
Military Compound - Communications Centre
"Communications, this is Security Control, please respond. An urgent data-burst has been sent to you. Please acknowledge it's receipt." Liam raised a worried eyebrow as he stared at the desk in front of them. "Over." Trusting in the Force, Liam reached forward and pressed a button.
"This is Communications," he responded. "We acknowledge the transmission. Rest assured, we shall take full action. Over."
"Acknowledged, Communications. Can we get an ETA by any chance? Over."
"Soon, very soon. Around 15 minutes. Over." Liam silently hoped that Lyze and Benedict would succeed in their mission to disable Security Control shortly.

Lyze and Nathan exchanged worried glances. The security officer had requested an airstrike of bombers down at their location, and 15 minutes was a tight window to escape the building. If what Communications was reporting was true, then they would have to hurry. There was, however, something familiar about the voice on the other end. "Is that you Liam?" Lyze continued.
"Yes. Lyze?"
"Indeed I am! Security is being taken down as we speak, no alarms or video feeds to anyone sensitive. We should be ready to proceed with the plan in about... how long? 10 minutes."
"Excellent. Regroup immediately at the Communications centre. I'll send word to the LAAT squads that we're nearly ready to begin our final approach soon. Have there been any problems with guards?"
"A couple of surprises, but nothing we couldn't handle. Their security was a little lighter than we were expecting. How did everything go on your end?" Liam glanced over at the Togruta, who was being tended to by a Harakoan, a Neti and a human. An odd mix indeed, he let himself think before breaking the news.
"A'lora is hurt. We'll need you here as soon as possible." A few seconds passed.
"We're on our way," came the grim reply. "I even bought you a couple of souvenirs."
"I am not a souve-" the transmission cut sharply.