[HSP] Summer Invasion RO

Welcome to the Week One Run On for the Summer Invasion!

In this week, you and your primary troops have landed on Sepros, in an area burned free of the jungle by the turbolasers of your star destroyers. It's large enough for you, your troops, and your machines.

The environment is exceptionally humid, extremely hostile, moist jungle. It will not be easy to get through, and you will be expected to survive not only the environment, but the guerilla warfare you can expect from the Dlarit Security Forces that will be assaulting your group as you cut, burn, and force through to the Firebase you are tasked with assaulting.

Before you can move forward to actually engage the Temple of Sorrow, you MUST complete the objective of destroying your firebase. Failure to comply will keep you stuck at the Firebase, unable to move forward and support your allies, and unable to withdraw due to the continued AA of the base.

The Dlarit Alert Base is not some flimsy structure. It has teeth, and you will lose men assaulting it. Be prepared for the crafty Dlarit troopers. They are not your average run of the mill soldiers. They will be smarter, faster, stronger, and better than what you would expect from regulars. While it may not have a lot of troopers, and may primarily be fire support and control, you will not get it without a fight.

Those of you who opt in for space-side action, know that you will not be able to destroy any of the enemy capital ships. You may harass, distract, and annoy them though. You may destroy fighters, and perform measures of daring do. If you attempt to board an enemy ship, be prepared to face excessive resistance.
Welcome to the Week One Run On for the Summer Invasion!

In this week, you and your primary troops have landed on Sepros, in an area burned free of the jungle by the turbolasers of your star destroyers. It's large enough for you, your troops, and your machines.

The environment is exceptionally humid, extremely hostile, moist jungle. It will not be easy to get through, and you will be expected to survive not only the environment, but the guerilla warfare you can expect from the Dlarit Security Forces that will be assaulting your group as you cut, burn, and force through to the Firebase you are tasked with assaulting.

Before you can move forward to actually engage the Temple of Sorrow, you MUST complete the objective of destroying your firebase. Failure to comply will keep you stuck at the Firebase, unable to move forward and support your allies, and unable to withdraw due to the continued AA of the base.

The Dlarit Alert Base is not some flimsy structure. It has teeth, and you will lose men assaulting it. Be prepared for the crafty Dlarit troopers. They are not your average run of the mill soldiers. They will be smarter, faster, stronger, and better than what you would expect from regulars. While it may not have a lot of troopers, and may primarily be fire support and control, you will not get it without a fight.

Those of you who opt in for space-side action, know that you will not be able to destroy any of the enemy capital ships. You may harass, distract, and annoy them though. You may destroy fighters, and perform measures of daring do. If you attempt to board an enemy ship, be prepared to face excessive resistance.

House Scholae Palatinae has the Southern Firebase.

House Plagueis has the South Eastern Firebase.

36 ABY, Sepros, HSP Landing Zone

Numerous transports and shuttles were coming down from the skies. Assisted by fighters, which provided air cover, the first ships landed at the area of the jungle burned out by the turbolasers of the invasion fleet. Hundreds of troopers started to disembark from the transports. Among them, a group of beings from various species could be easily distinguished. Definitely, these beings were the leaders of the invading army. They were the Dark Jedi from House Scholae Palatinae. They made an alliance with another House of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood, House Plagueis, in order to launch a combined assault on Clan Naga Sadow, another unit of the Brotherhood. It was the time of war.

Xantros, one of the prominent members of House Scholae Palatinae, was one of the first to appear on the battlefield. As the chief of the intelligence Battleteam of the House, he was responsible for gathering necessary intel data and making sure that the army is not surprised by an unexpected attack of the Dlarit defence force. He and his subordinates observed the surroundings, in order to notice any sign of a possible ambush. Everything had been carefully planned and there was no room for a mistake. The least significant failure might set the whole battleplan back. The invasion was going to bring certain casualties anyway, but they had to be as small as possible.

“Landing zone clear and secured,” reported Xantros through his comlink. “The second phase of landing procedure may be conducted.”

Soon after, even more ships arrived at the landing zone, carrying the rest of the Dark Jedi and the elite units of House Scholae Palatinae. The Dark Jedi Knight observed the members of the House Summit leaving their shuttle. As soon as all troops were ready and the shuttles left the ground, Sith Battlelord Xen’Mordin Vismorsus, the Quaestor of the House, started giving the last orders before the army would set off towards their targets.

36 ABY, Sepros, HSP Landing Zone

The remainder of the fleet was landing in the burned out field of Sepros. Prior to landing, Akatsuki took advantage of being a passenger and observed the landscape through the ship’s window. She viewed the lush foliage that blanketed the land. She was glad she’d programmed the statistics and coordinates of Sepros into her datapad ahead of time. Akatsuki was hoping to be a source of information. With her general knowledge and experiences of the jungle as well as jungle warfare experiences, she hoped to be of benefit to her house. The ship set down in the clearing and the crew disembarked. The Horansi took a moment to breath in the thick jungle air; it was moist and rich with the sweetness of fertile soil. The Dark Jedi Knight also noticed that Xen’Mordin was barking orders at those already planetside. The Emperor then turned his attention to those exiting the ship.

Akatsuki thought the opportunity was ripe to share the knowledge with everyone present before the siege commenced. She figured she'd first try to share her knowledge with Xen’Mordin. The Rollmaster rattled off data and facts regarding the climate as well as commonly known beasts of the jungle. The Dark Jedi Knight tried to show the Quaestor the statistics and facts as well as regional readings and the current weather conditions. Akatsuki held out the datapad to share the facts with Xen’Mordin. Her perky nature, as usual, was off putting to the Emperor. He dismissed her attempts, stating that they were fully aware of the climate and general conditions on Sepros.

Having originally come from the jungle, Akatsuki was abundantly knowledgeable regarding the potential threats that the jungle could hold. “The jungles I grew up in were on Mutanda, not Sepros. But, for the most part a jungle is a jungle. It would behoove us to remain observant, using all of our combined senses as well as reaching out with the Force. The jungle usually houses many things, not all of them good.” Xen’Mordin politely directed his gaze towards the Rollmaster, but as soon as she finished speaking, went back to barking commands.

Akatsuki pressed a serious of keys on the datapad activating readings and its gauges to get a better understanding of the environment. “The humidity is like trying to breathe through a wet blanket. A couple of percent higher and it’d be like walking through warm water! This jungle appears to be quite dense with foliage. My main concern is picking up on the Rebels if and when they approach. Between creatures, the movement of the wind and rivers the Rebels could hide easily and camouflage their movements by the natural sounds of the planet and its flora and fauna.”

The datapad beeped out a loud alarm. Akatsuki pressed a button to see what information had been so important as to hail a warning. The readings indicated via a type of radar that there were a large number of sentient beings nearby.

“We’re not alone. There would seem to be a large number of sentient beings, nearby. Since they appear to be closing in, it would be safe to assume that they know we’re here.” That announcement got Xen’Mordins attention; he walked over to the Horansi to review the datapads findings.

36 ABY, Sepros, HSP Landing Zone

Xan Phraz-Etar sat comfortably in his seat as the shuttle landed with a loud thump. Xan’s attention snapped back to reality after daydreaming about the upcoming battle. He’d never really fought in a jungle environment such as this, and will need all the advice he can get. The doors to the ship popped open with a hiss, and the thick tropical air flooded the interior of the ship. Xan stood up and noticed how hard it was to breathe…this could be problematic.

“Hopefully I’ll acclimate soon, this is pretty ridiculous.” Xan muttered under his breath.

Xan gathered his gear and strode from the ship, looking at the open landing zone our ships had created. He saw Xen and Akatsuki speaking in the distance, and decided to investigate.

“We’ve got multiple sentient beings incoming to our position, we need to act fast.” Akatsuki explained to the Emperor.

“Alright, we need to do a perimeter sweep so no enemy forces sneak up on us.” The Emperor then saw Xan approaching from the distance.

“Xan! Glad you made it. You and Akatsuki are going to do a perimeter sweep. We’ve got some sentient beings nearby, and I need to know we’re secure here.

Xan nodded to his Emperor. “I’d be happy to help. Akatsuki, it’s very good to see you. Care to join me? I’d love your company.”

Akatsuki smiled at the Prelate. “Yes, I’ll come with you. My extensive knowledge of the jungle will keep us alive I’m sure.”

Xen’Mordin nodded in agreement. “Then it’s settled, you two will sweep the perimeter. Report what you find, any and all information is essential to our success out here.”

Xan and Akatsuki saluted and strode off towards the edge of the perimeter. The jungle was very thick, teeming with life and very much dangerous. Xan took one more look over his shoulder at the massing forces, and knew the fight would be a tough one. The enemy had the advantage, as would any guerilla forces. Ambushes would happen often, and Xan just hoped we were ready. He then looked at Akatsuki and smiled. Having her would prove very advantageous, and would only help our cause in the upcoming conflict. Xan exhaled deeply as they walked the edge the foliage, sharpening his senses to detect anything nearby. He tread carefully, quietly, listening for any voices in the distance.

36 ABY, Sepros, HSP Landing Zone

„Roger that,” replied Xantros, when he received an order to investigate the presence of numerous sentient beings nearby the location of the army of House Scholae Palatinae. The Dark Jedi Knight immediately gathered a group of recon troops around him and sent them out to scout the surroundings.

“Be careful and let me know if you see or hear anything suspicious. We need as much data as possible,” he spoke before moved out in the direction, where there was the highest concentration of unknown living beings. He decided to take a closer look at them alone, as it was easier to hide the presence of one person than of whole group.

Xantros moved slowly, far slower than usual. He not only had to move carefully, using every possible cover, but the climate was very hot and humid. Despite the fact tha he had taken part in missions in similar climate, the Dark Jedi Knight found it harder to breathe than usually.

“It is definitely going to make this mission much harder,” thought Xantros. “Local climate, as well as flora and fauna are the advantage for the members of Clan Naga Sadow.”

Indeed, the disciples of Naga Sadow and their armies got used to such climate. They definitely knew the topography of Sepros better and did not suffer so much from the humidity and high temperatures, like the invaders did. Also, the necessity to cut through the jungle was going to slow the armies of the allied Houses. Moreover, there might be some casualties due to the attacks of predators or due to poisoning in the result of touching some plants. Even more importantly, dense jungle was a perfect place for guerilla fighting and preparing ambushes. Definitely, it was going to be a tough fight.

Suddenly, the Dark Jedi Knight heard a sound of a branch getting broken nearby. He quickly hid behind a tree and carefully looked around. He could see nothing unusual for a moment, but finally noticed a moving figure. “A trooper in a camouflage suit!” thought Xantros. “Not good, definitely not good.”

The Duro remained silent for a moment, observing the surroundings. He could notice few more figures moving towards the landing zone. They were definitely going to set an ambush on the army or to bite its flanks, eliminating soldiers one by one. Xantros frowned. He had to do something, but he had to wait patiently. The jungle was too dense to move quickly and kill all troops in his sight. Any sudden movement was going to attract the attention of the hostile forces. The only thing he could do was to wait and to hope that no one would notice him.

36 ABY, Sepros
HSP Landing Zone

Eetherbiail unbuckled himself from the seat in the transport and stood up, going through a checklist in his head that he always did before starting a mission. It would be even more important to have everything he needed in this war in the unfamiliar environment. As the door hissed and retracted, Eether stepped off the ship and felt as if he was hit in the face with a bucket of water.

The dense environment nearly knocked him on his feet, the unexpected humidity and seemingly low oxygen content threw him off. After pausing and concentrating with the force, Eether was able to breath easier. Using the force constantly to acclimate with this new environment would take it's toll, hopefully his body would be able to get used to it sooner rather than later so he could preserve his much needed strength.

As Eether took in his surroundings, he noticed his former master Xen'Mordin walking away from Aka and Xan. As they walked towards the forests' edge, Xen went to look at a data pad, probably with some boring information that he would debrief Eether on when they met. Sighing slightly, Eether looked at his two friends and his Emperor, torn at what to do, "hm...go talk about boring stuff that won't help me much at the moment, or find out what those two are doing and be of some use." Of course, being of use would have been going to talk to his Emperor, but this was a new place, he wanted to explore.

Eether concentrated again, shrinking himself in the force, making himself a mere dot among the sea of people, virtually undetectable by most. He stepped lightly, only using the sides of his feet, to minimize most sound, becoming a silent stalker. "Funny...I'm stalking one of our Houses best stalkers...if this is successful, I'll never let her live it down" he thought.

As they worked their way to the center, Eether darted behind one of the wings to the transports. A random soldier from House Scholae looked at him and tilted his head, only to run away when Eether glared and shoo'd him away. Something out of the corner of his eye cought his attention, there was movement along the forest perimeter, and neither Aka nor Xan seemed to have noticed. They walked past whatever was there, as Eether had not been able to figure it out yet, he needed to sneak closer.

Eether got to about 15 feet from the duo, their silence eerie with his own. Careful to only step when they did, Eether noticed what looked like a helmet turned as well, staring at the duo. "Blast it! Camouflaged soldiers! How could they have been so stupid?! They were walking into a trap!" Eether snuck into the foliage himself and continued to stare at the soldiers, only counting 3. They were going to get trapped between two groups. As the soldiers readied their weapons, Eether unhooked his lightsaber from his clip at his belt and poured energy of the force into his legs, getting ready to jump.

They slowly started to stand and aim at the two from behind, Eether released the pent up energy and thumbed the button on his lightsaber, activating it. As he landed, Eether unleashed a simple horizontal slash, cutting off two of the soldiers heads. The third started turning around and made to utter a scream, only to be cut short with a stab into his throat, cutting off any hope to warn the unit in front of Aka and Xan. The two turned around, stunned looks on their faces as they took in the sight in front of them, "Well, hello you two, how is it going? There was almost a sandwich, by the way, you might want to look behind you" he said with a grin on his face pointing.

In Orbit Above Sepros

“Roger, Warspite Actual. Commencing attack.” A voice clicked over the intercom.

“Acknowledged, Ace One. Happy Hunting.” Returned the stoic voice of the Warspite’s Commanding Officer.

Twelve TIE Defenders rolled their wings over, pitching away from the lush green world below them. A world that was once covered in dense jungle and forest was now pocked with blemishes of smoldering ash. Not a single pilot envied the men and women who were planet side. Both Plagueis and Scholae Palatinae had been eager to get to the ground, too eager according to the navy and TIE Corps. Most maintained that the real fight would be in orbit above the planet. Once the Dlarit navy had been mowed down, the navy would Base Delta Zero the planet. Of course, the Armies managed to convince the rest of the brass that a ground assault was necessary for victory.

The Pilots didn’t let the politics of what was considered an effective assault bother them. They were just bloodthirsty. The Black Aces were the cream of the crop. They were the best pilots that Scholae Palatinae had to offer. They had spent more hours in actual battle than some of the other squadrons had spent in simulation. They were predators; black dire wolves hunting down anything that dare stray from the herd.

“Alright Aces. I want a clean engagement. Watch those sixes. Redirect power, charge those lasers.” Thran chirped.

Each of the eleven other pilots acknowledged his command in sequence. The Aces would meet enemy fighters in the middle of the fray, while the capital ships closed into firing distance. Once the smaller corvettes were within range, they would break off and attempt to disable the vessels. Occasus was vehemently opposed to disabling the vessels; he wanted them to be destroyed. Archangel and Xen had personally given him orders to capture the Dlarit vessels. He was still unsure he would listen to their commands. He saw them as weak. They were timid and afraid of war; they had fought him on the matter before this operation was even brought to mind. He saw even more weakness in them, by accepting an alliance with Clan Plagueis. His felt beloved Empire was filled with cowards. He would seek to fix this through his own action. If any Plagueian got in his way, he would open them up to the vacuum of space.

The faint glint of sunlight reflected off the windscreen of an enemy fighter. Thran’s fingers ran over the buttons and toggles in the cockpit with such grace and ease, he was like a galaxy renowned maestro and the flight controls were his keyboard. He marked the targets in his computer.

“Aces. 6 squadrons of bogeys, right 23.2, elevation negative 14.3. Toggle shields forward, Break formation. Prepare to attack.” Ace One commanded.

The vessels danced elegantly through the void, dancing over and under each other as the squadron broke their arrowhead formation. The ships paired up. The Aces called this division “scattering the dogs”. Each pilot was paired with a wingman and the two of them would hunt together, picking off the weak and unprepared pilots.

“Warspite, Ace One. Launch fighters, fleet-wide. Engaging enemy fighters.” Thran Commanded.

As the forward guard, the Black Aces were always the first to see action. They were also always the last off the battlefield. They spread wide, bearing down on the HLAF-500 fighters. Thran kicked his Defender high, rolling it over and diving into the mass of fighters, still in formation. Four bright green streaks of energy raced towards the fighters, tearing through the hull of the first enemy fighter. As it erupted in flame, releasing the stores of oxygen held within their cockpits, the fighter squadrons broke formation. The scrum began like a riot, confusing at first. The Aces picked off the slower fighters one by one. Their numbers dwindled slowly as new alerts popped up on the heads up display within the TIEs: New Enemy Contact, New Enemy Contact, New Enemy Contact. The alerts did not stop until the Dlarit forces had released all of their fighters. Soon, Alerts came in notifying the Aces that their compatriots and “allies” joined the battle.

“Lowest kill count buys the drinks!” roared Nichos Dressidan, CO of the Black Aces.

“You’re on, Two!” chirped Ace Six.

“Damn straight! I’m at three already, Admiral!” said Three.

“Cut the chatter. You need to focus if you’re gonna beat me.” Thran said, grin wiping over his face.

Cold air flowed around him endlessly, circulating through the ducts overhead and throughout the bulkheads. It had a metallic tang to it, as if it had been recycling a few too many times. It tasted… too clean. It reminded him, in a way, of a hospital ward, where cleanliness could mean the difference between a happy, living patient, and one dying of infection. He did not like the air, its taste, its chill or its constant flow. But he did not dwell on such frivolities for too long.

The consoles around him were alive with a cacophony of beeps and hums, with the constant chatter of keystrokes causing a troubled duet throughout the bridge of the Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer Warspite. Dozens of beings, mostly human, manned stations around him, heads bowed and eyes staring intently at their monitors, coordinating the destruction of their enemies. Such a wonderful ballet of technology was one had seen many times before.

He was no stranger to war, which he greeted now as an old friend, a cheerful companion which he has met throughout his life, and endured as best as he could. He had been to war a dozen times in his life, some major conflicts spanning the entire galaxy, others minor, simple squabbles between warlords. But every time, he led his men from the front, charging down his enemies with ferocity and power. He did not like the idea of sitting on the bridge of this warship while the younger members of the House made planetfall, taking his glory and his kills from him. But he was the Aedile of House Scholae Palatinae. He had… responsibilities.

One of his responsibilities sat at a console not too far away, watching a display which featured a live camera from the firebase. His brow was furrowed as he focused on the action, what seemed like guerrillas starting to harry the build-up. He looked far too concerned for his compatriots, however.

“Reiden” he called, across the sunken beds of consoles of the Star Destroyer’s ridge, “Come here”

The man’s head rose, and he stood, straightening his robes before making his way along the gangways to the Aedile. The Aedile sat in the captain’s chair, his fingers scratching at the new-growth beard on his cheek. His eyes were cold, not revealing anything. Reiden stood before his Aedile, at what he thought was attention.

“Tell me, Reiden. Do you wish you were down there? Fighting off guerillas, putting yourself in harm’s way? Or do you prefer sitting up here in this cold steel warhorse, hiding behind energy shields and dozens of turbolaser batteries?”

Reiden’s eyes narrowed slightly, as he considered the answer. Good, Archangel thought, watching the Knight closely. He didn’t immediately attack Archangel’s dismissal of an obviously superior position, nor did he want to charge headlong into unknown lands. Perhaps he has matured some?

“We might be able to assist our troops from up here more effectively than we might as combatants on land”

Archangel nodded his acceptance of the answer, and stood slowly. He walked up behind the fire control officer, and placed a hand gently on the man’s shoulder. He turned and looked up at the intruder, and cowered visibly as he realized who it was.

“Lieutenant, I believe our compatriots could use a little assistance. Wouldn’t you agree, Knight?” he said, turning to address Reiden. The knight nodded, his eyes lighting up with interest.

“Fire Control Order” Archangel shouted, as he walked back to his chair, “Fire Plan Aleph. Full broadside, Lieutenant. I want to watch them burn”

The deck plates shuddered slightly as the turbolasers opened up, lancing out at the Naga Sadow capital ships, trying their best to burn through the shielding. Salvo after salvo impacted on the enemy, causing the ships to start to shy away. The Warspite plowed ahead, driving a wedge through the Sadow formation. Archangel smiled, and nodded.

“Well done, Lieutenant. Fighter Control, I believe we have some targets of interest. I no longer wish to be interested by them, understood?”

The flight control officer’s chest puffed out as she realized he was talking to her, and saluted.

“Aye, master”

Patience had always been one of the most distinguishing features of the personality of Xantros. He had always valued it, as it had allowed him to choose the best moment to strike his enemies and to come up with long term plans, which could be very beneficial in a distant future. All those plans had required being a patient person. This time, in the jungles of Sepros, Xantros was once again in a situation, which made him value patience even more.

He had to wait over twenty minutes before all soldiers passed him by, unaware of his presence. Once again, his camouflage suit turned out to be an extremely useful thing. When he made sure that there was no one around, Xantros activated his comlink and whispered, "We have troubles. There are numerous soldiers moving towards our positions. Make sure that they are welcomed warmly."

"Roger that, Xantros," spoke Xen'Mordin. "Our perimeter is secured and we are ready to defend ourselves."

"Make use of infrared detectors. These guys are wearing camouflage suits."

"Sure thing. Our snipers shall shoot them like ducks."

"All right, my scouts and I will surprise them and attack them from behind."

"Excellent idea. Xen'Mordin out."

"Xantros out."

The Dark Jedi Knight assumed that other scouts were in a similar situation, so he contacted them through the comlink and gave out suitable orders. He started to slowly move back to the landing zone, when he heard a loud voice, "Hands up!" Xantros turned around and noticed a man in a camouflage suit, aiming a blaster rifle at him. It was definitely a soldier, who served in Dlarit Security Forces. Xantros wondered how many of such soldiers remained back there. He could only hope that there were not many of them.

Xantros slowly raised his hands and spoke, "So, what now?"

"You will go with me in order to be questioned in the Temple of Sorrow," replied the soldier.

"It seems that I have no choice," admitted Xantros, as he used the Force to pull the weapon from hands of the soldier. "I have no choice, but to kill you."

The sounds of the shot and the body falling down on the ground were deadened by the numerous trees and everyday sounds of the jungle. Xantros turned back and resumed the march towards the landing zone without any word. There was no time to lose, if the ambush was to be successful.

Akatsuki turned around to look at Eether, “Do you really believe you were stalking the stalker? I mean really! This place is quite similar to home. Besides, we knew they were there.” The Horansi gestured to the slain soldiers on the jungle floor.

“But you guys kept…” Eether tried to explain his actions before getting cut off by Xan Phraz-Etar.

“We were going to fight back to back, each taking a set of soldiers. Surely you’ve battled that way!” Xan stood back to back with Akatsuki as an exaggerated demonstration of the technique.

“I know, I know. But, it sure looked like they were about to take a shot at you!” Eether said, seeming genuine in his concern.

“Well, the way I see it,” Akatsuki chimed in, “Three SP’ers makes for a perfect trifecta! Let’s go slay some Dlarits! Arrrrooooo!”

Akatsuki cocked her head. Though the jungle was quite noisy and alive with beasts and critters, she swore she heard blaster fire. It wasn’t that far off. “I swear I just heard a blaster! That sounded like where Xantros headed off to. Do you think he needs help?” Akatsuki looked worried.

“Nah, he’s well armed and you know he’s always hatching evil plans. He’ll be fine. Besides, he doesn’t seem to fear death.” Eether responded.

The three formed an arrow shape with Akatsuki in the front facing forward and the Obelisks on her flank. The trio proceeded deeper into the edge of the lush jungle. The wind seemed to make the air more dense. “Someone needs to turn on some air-conditioning! With all of this armor on I’m sweating like a rogue stormtrooper in front of Lord Vader!” Xan complained.

“Shh! I hear something!” The three stopped moving. Akatsuki dropped to all fours and put her ear next to the ground and crept forward. “Stay here!” she whispered in a terse way.

She walked past a large umbrella leaf plant. A Gundark dropped down on Akatsuki from a large tree nearby. The primate landed on her back and howled. Xan and Eether both pulled their blasters and took aim. “No! Hold your fire!” Akatsuki pleaded. The Horansi knew the ways of the Gundark and understood his attack was out of protecting its territory. We don’t wish to harm your area or family. We are passing through. She spoke to the Gundark through the force and it scampered back up the tree.

“A friend of yours?” Xan jested.

“I like all beasties.” Akatsuki nooded.

Blaster fire rang out and Akatsuki’s left front paw hand was struck by a blaster bolt. “Arooooo!” the Horansi wailed. Eether and Xan returned fire and began mowing down the jungle in a hail of blaster spray. The trees, shrubs, bushes and foliage were cleared from the fire. In the wake, the three spotted two soldiers down. They were well equipped and heavily armed.

Akatsuki walked over to the one still holding the blaster that had hit her paw. “An eye for an eye, a paw for a paw!” She ignited her sun colored lightsaber and with one low sweep severed the left hand of the soldier. He tried to fire again at the Horansi with his remaining right hand, but before he could get the shot off, Akatsuki skewered his throat with her lightsaber. Xan and Eether came over to pillage the weaponry from the soldiers.

Disengaging her lightsaber, Akatsuki leaned over to pick up the hand. “I’m keeping this. That Lurdo shouldn’t have shot me!”

“Lurdo?” Eether asked. “How is your paw, do we need to heal it?”

“It’s Ewok for dummy. My paw hurts, and where the bolt hit the fur, as well as some flesh is missing. Outside of a bad scar, it will be ok...eventually.” Akatsuki said. The Horansi sat for a moment and gathered the force to close the wound, as well as control the pain.

Xan heard plants rustle nearby. Unclipping his lightsaber and igniting it, he said, “Enough talking, let’s move!”

The three headed towards the foliage that was rustling.

Less than an hour later, a tense, but fairly shortlived battle took place in the landing zone of House Scholae Palatinae. The soldiers of the Dlarit Security Forces attacked the defence stations of the invading army, but they became the victims of their own plan. They got attacked from behind by the scouts of House Scholae Palatinae, which doomed them for losing the battle. Soon, all soldiers of the Dlarit Security Forces, who taken part in the assault, were killed. The casualties among the forces of the Imperial House were minimal, but they affected the morale of the invading army.

"We must immediately set off in the direction of the firebase, which is our target," spoke Xantros to the Quaestor of House Scholae Palatinae. "If we are stuck here, the soldiers loyal to Clan Naga Sadow will vex us and weaken our forces until we will be unable to accomplish our mission."

"You are correct, Xantros," replied Xen'Mordin. "The main body of our forces will be ready to move out in an hour."

"We do not have that much of time," said Akatsuki.

"Do you have any other suggestions?" asked Xen.

"Yes," answered Xantros. "If we take fifteen members of our House, Dark Jedi Knights and more powerful Dark Jedi, as well as a team of commandoes, we should be able move out in twenty minutes and to reach the firebase before the night. We will kill its crew and set charges to blow it up to the smithereens."

The Quaestor of the House looked around and raised his eyebrows in silent questions. No one made any objections.

"All right, assembly your team, Xantros," spoke Xen'Mordin. "Get there as soon as possible, but be careful. I want you to report back as soon as you capture the firebase."

"Yes, my lord," replied the Dark Jedi Knight.

Soon after, team of fifty, carefully chosen beings, including fifteen Dark Jedi, separated from the main forces of House Scholae Palatinae and moved in the direction of the firebase of Clan Naga Sadow.

Battle Above Sepros

The swarms of fighters had been thinned enough for the Aces to move on. They were fortunate too, because the call came in directly from the top.

“Ace One, Warspite Command. New Orders. Those Capital ships are getting awfully close to the Fleet. Set Target, Enemy Star Destroyer Final Way. Target data is being fed to you now. Your orders are to draw their fire and attempt to disable their communications array.” Chirped a faceless voice.

“Ace One to Warspite, request communication with Warspite Actual.” Thran chirped back.

Away from the wild and crazed dance of the battle, the Officer that had relayed Archangel’s command stood up from his position. He marched to the Aedile’s chair, clicking his heels to attention as he relayed the Fighter Pilot’s message.

“Sir, Ace One requests to speak to you.” He said, lifting his chin slightly.

Archangel stepped over to the terminal, pressing on the vox button begrudgingly. Archangel was frustrated. Since he had been removed from the Throne, Thran was a pain in the side of the Aedile. They had to placate the Warlord, too. Very little could stand between Thran and what he wanted. More importantly, Thran had a penchant for finding ways of subverting the commands of the summit. Archangel wanted to take it personally, but he knew that this was just Thran’s way of doing things. He was a spoiled rich boy and if he didn’t get his way, he would make it known through whining and inevitably misbehavior.

“Ace One, Warspite Actual. Go ahead. What’s the problem?” he inquired.

“Do you know the statistical odds of surviving an assault on an Imperial Star Destroyer?” Thran said mockingly.

“What’s the matter Thran? Can’t accomplish the mission?” Archangel dared.

“No, I was just wondering if you knew of a number with more than 2 digits. I’ll have that Star Destroyer lurching planetside before you can sneak another pecan praline.” The warlord teased.

“Negative, Ace One. You are not to destroy the vessel. The Emperor wants it intact.” Arch snipped.
“WEAK! SO WEAK!!! SUPER WEAK!!!” Thran exclaimed.

“Maintain some decorum, Admiral. You’ve got your task…so if there is nothing left for you to say. Get to it. Keep me posted. Warspite Actual, out.” Arch said.


His fingers gravitated to his temples and began rubbing out a building headache. Thran had an amazing ability to cause headaches. They seemed to radiate from him, if you had the pleasure of being his superior. He moved back to his chair, looking over the battle. He summoned an officer and issued the next set of orders.

Meanwhile, Thran had already directed the flight of TIE Defenders towards the Republic Class Star Destroyer. It was large, bulbous in parts, and a complete change of style from the simply styled Imperial Class Destroyers. He had directed Aces Three, Six, Eight, and Twelve to direct Ion fire upon the corvettes and lingering support craft. As the commander of the TIE Corps, he had an exceptional knowledge of tactics, but perhaps more importantly he had an intuition that Line Officers of the Fleet did not share. Something about a fighter jock’s nature told him or her what was going to happen. They were sharp people, always thinking ahead of the breakneck turns they took. The Defenders descended upon the capital ships like falcons swooping in on a kill. Their twin engines screamed as they made strafing runs. The sound of a TIE fighter was iconic and reverberated through the bones of every pilot who’d ever gotten behind the sticks.

“Use your computers to target their communications array. Two, Four, and Ten, Draw fire away from us. Stay frosty.” He commanded. “The rest of you, on me. We’re going to make passes on their communications and shield generators. Conserve missles, but we gotta get that array down. Redirect power to forward shields.” He continued.

The Defenders skimmed low across the hull of the Star Destroyer, the moved so low and so quickly that point defense lazers became aimless prickles of energy. They jinked and rolled, dancing through defense field like a snake slithering through grass. Each fighter took their turn unloading a handful of neon lazer shots at their target, their computers recorded several impacts. The shields soaked up the damage instantly. It had been so long since Thran had piloted in an actual war, he’d forgotten that in combat you aren’t as lucky as you are on film. They needed a real plan.

“Aces, change of plans…Two, you’re on me. Pass and bash.” Thran said.

The way a flight-team worked together as a lightball team would. They had set attack patterns,
defensive plays, and worked as a unit. They’d play off each other’s strength and they would try each other’s crazy maneuvers, all while maintaining their own flair. This maneuver had flair from north to south. It was dangerous, exciting, and it might work.

While the lightning fast Defenders had broke away from the greater part of the dogfight, defensive fighters were launched from the Destroyer. Ace One and Ace Two rolled out their flight patterns and met midships, above the emptying fighter launch bay. The two danced about for a second, gaining their bearings and avoid more prickling bars of lazer fire.

“Two, We’ve got peashooters here…Those shields aren’t coming down without some fireworks. Stay sharp on me, you’re my guns on this one. Switch to ion cannons, keep those shields up. Relaying Target data now. Charging Tractorbeam.”

The two fighters swung around, taking aim at a tasty looking XJ X-wing. Moving with a deadly grace, they moved in behind the unsuspecting fighter. It jinked and tried to run, but the predatory Aces already closed the gap between them. Thran kept in tight behind the X-wing as it frantically juked and jived away from him. His finger flipped a toggle. The unmistakable pulsing drone of a tractorbeam filled his ears. Ace Two broke from formation, rolling high over the top of the snagged fighter. With distance between them, he let fly a hail of ion cannon fire. The vehicle sparked and shuttered, it had been disabled.

Now, at substantial speed the snared fighter moved where Thran directed his ship. The fighters changed course again, setting their targeting reticle directly over the Star Destroyers Main Shield generators. The pair rolled in, dragging the useless vessel with along with them. The next forty seconds required uncanny precision and luck. Fortunately for the bold pilots, Aces were always lucky.

Akatsuki looked at Xen’Mordin, he’d given the orders to press forward and destroy the Dlarit Firebase. While the Horansi appreciated Xantros stepping up to consider himself the team leader, she knew that this had to be a group effort.

Rallying the troops, even if a little perky, was something Akatsuki was good at. She rounded up those present for the assault. Those that didn’t carry a lightsaber were given blasters and mines. After a short pep talk, Akatsuki rounded up fourteen housemates that were going to join in on the attack.

Between the Dark Jedi Knights, and elders, Akatsuki figured the loss would be minimal. She also considered the fact that there was a good balance of Krath, Sith and Obelisk, each bringing a variety of weaponry and skill to the battle.

Akatsuki had brought her lightsaber, her Krath War Blade, a variety of whips and the mouse droid Ras had given her. Her apprentice Ulfsark was going to be joining them, though a Guardian, he was excited about serving the House as well as accompanying his Master.

Akatsuki spoke to Xan and Eether about joining forces with the rest of the house for the push. Eether nodded in agreement as he readied a bevy of weapons. “I will be the one to search for and disarm mines. I also will be laying mines behind us, so we won’t be attacked from the rear. I will also see that Nawrhynn gets in on the action and keep the furball alive.” Nawrhynn grunted out his approval and readied his crossbow.

Xan had a variety of weapons, but brought his favorite DC-15x to snipe with. “I will be picking them off before they know what hit them,” the Prelate said with a chilling grin. He also liked to plant mines and used droids to plant them as well. He volunteered to help the journeymen Obelisks see their first battles.

Rasilvenaira readied her droids and weapons and was ready to bring death and torment to any who opposed Scholae Palatinae. There was something chilling about how the Sith readied for such an event, she had a gleam in her eye. She polished off a bottle of rum and Force threw it against the tree with a loud shatter. Looking at Akatsuki, she gave a slight nod as she sheathed her Arashi-Kumori.

Kael nodded at Akatsuki when she asked him if he was ready to head out. He was looking scruffy and as if he’d not slept much. He was always off of Judecca, trying to better the reputation of Scholae Palatinae, sometimes as an ambassador, sometimes as an assassin. He clipped his lightsaber on his belt and said to the Horasni, “Don’t die today.”

Akatsuki was pleased to see her former Master Valkas join in. She’d not had the opportunity to see why he’d earned his reputation as a vicious Warlord, today that would change. He greeted his former apprentice with a nod and smile. Something about her former Master’s smile always chilled the Dark Jedi Knight.

Scholae Palatine was ready to push into the base, they knew there might be casualties, but each was ready to face death in order to better the House. Weapons were locked and loaded, all batteries were charged and everyone took a moment to raise their Force levels. Those that had apprentices were bringing them along to assist them with their first taste of battle.

“For the Empire!” Xen’Mordin said boldly, and the team of Scholae members began the push through the dense jungle to the firebase.

The march through the jungle was indeed difficult and exhausting. The necessity to find safe passages or cutting through dense vegetation was overtaxing the strike team. They moved slowly, but fortunately they were not disturbed by the Dlarit Security Forces. The plan seemed to work perfectly so far. The main ground forces distracted the defenders, allowing the strike team to move in relative safety. The only problem was predators, which considered the commandoes to be their late lunch.

Xantros was glad to have so many powerful comrades right behind him. Akatsuki was right. They came from different Orders and possessed different skills. Such variety was a very important factor in case of important and difficult tasks like destroying the firebase of their enemies. It guaranteed various points of views, as well as powers and abilities, which were extremely useful during the sabotage missions.

Sepros, deep jungle, five kilometers from the House Scholae Palatinae landing zone

There were sounds of blasters and screams of dying beings in the jungle. Monstrous AT-ATs were cutting through the dense forest with ease, burning the trees with their laser cannons. The soldiers of the Dlarit Security Forces were trying to stop the main body of the army of House Scholae Palatinae, but their efforts were enough only to slightly slow it down. Even the fact that the defenders recruited for experienced and skilled soldiers did not change much.

“Battle report!” shouted Xen’Mordin.

“Another seven soldiers are dead. Twelve are wounded. Four of them heavily and require bacta therapy,” replied his adjutant.

“Make sure that they are given what we can give them at the moment. Put them inside medical vehicles. We need to move on as fast as possible. No delays are accepted and these heavily wounded troopers would slow us down.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Few minutes later, the army was marching through the jungle again. “I just hope that the strike team will be successful in their mission,” thought Xen’Mordin. “Otherwise, we are screwed. Their failure will make us vulnerable to counterattacks that Clan Naga Sadow may launch against us.”

As the strike team proceeded towards the firebase, they saw fire coming from the crafts in the space-side battle. Still engaged with the Naga Sadow fleet, they cleared much of the foliage they lay between the strike team and the firebase.

“Rain from above, clearing the path!” Akatsuki said enthusiastically.

Xan had some had one of the Dlarit security members in his scope. A loud bang followed by the scream of a dying man was all that was heard as a response. “Huh?” the Obelisk Prelate questioned.

“They cleared the path, that’s all.” Akatsuki responded. With the firebase in sight, they realized they were less than one kilometer away. “The base is going to be tough to crack. I see quite a few Dlarit roaming the perimeter,” the Horansi said in a low whisper.

The Obelisks all set their scopes and began picking off the rebels one at a time. The strike team knew time was of the essence and wanted to be in the firebase before nightfall. This required being aggressive and that also meant pushing forward. Akatsuki remained still, observing and reporting to the others that would need binoculars to see the same details.

A Dlarit guard snuck up on the Horansi’s left side with a serrated dagger and took a slash at the Dark Jedi Knight. He severed part of Akatsuki’s tail off. Xantros heard the struggle and ignited his lightsaber, cutting off the rebel’s right arm with dagger in hand. “Pick up your tail bits, maybe we can heal it in a while.”

Akatsuki frowned, she hoped that the members that were in the strike team had the ability to heal her injured tail. As she stalked forward, remaining on all fours, a group of security members ran straight at the strike team. “Incoming, three. They are armed!” Akatsuki alerted the group.

A flurry of laser fire and a crossbow or two went flying towards the Dlarit assailants. The rebels were hit so many times, there was no way to keep count of the points of entry. As the group entered the firebase, they scavenged the weapons and gathered data from the security members. One had a general blueprint of the firebase. Akatsuki picked up the blueprints and called the fireteam around her to share the details of the firebase that was soon to be the staging area for the battle. It was time to destroy the base.

Xan grinned as he looked over the blueprints. The general structure of the building resembled a variation of a bunker, and Xan knew exactly where precise explosions would cause it to crumble. Xan then turned his attention to the thumping AA guns on the roof, and knew those had to be destroyed as soon as possible. He peered over the blueprints once more, and cleared his throat.

"Everyone, listen to me. I'm familiar with this type of layout, and know where we need to hit to win. I need charges placed in these locations. Eether, I'm trusting you to do this. I'll place my charges in these locations on the way to the roof."

Eether flashed a grin and nodded, clearly excited about his given task. Xan then looked at the Horansi who was listening intently to the exchange.

"Akatsuki, come with me to take out those AA guns. I could use some company, and I'm sure you wouldn't mind the fun."

Akatsuki nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me. I always enjoy some fireworks!"

Xan grinned, clearly pleased with the affirmation. He then peered at the rest of the team, about to speak.

"Everyone else, do what you do best. I don't want any Rebel left alive after this assault, and I'm sure the Emperor would agree. Kill anyone you encounter, and destroy any type of resistance you come across. Be smart, be safe, and be effective. We are Scholae Palatinae! For the Empire!"

The team roared with vigor, clearly ready to wreak havoc on the enemy. Xan grinned with satisfaction as the team dispersed. Eether and Nawrhynn sped off to accomplish their task, as the other members did the same. Xan looked at Akatsuki and nodded, indicating he was ready to move.

"Let's do this...I'm ready for some explosions. Those AA guns will pound our ships to pieces if we don't take them out."

Akatsuki nodded in agreement. "Hopefully we can do this without my tail getting chopped up even more so than it already is. I'll keep an eye out as you plant the charges, but be quick about it."

"Of course, watch my back and I'll watch yours. Hell, we do that anyways."

Xan smiled and stood up as he unclipped his hilt. He then ignited his lightsaber, casting a yellow hue across his armor. Akatsuki did the same, and the two sped off towards the roof access. The internal layout of the base was simple, yet good for setting up hallway barricades. Xan figured they would come across a few, but hoped the fast incursion of the base gave the Rebels little time to set them up effectively. The Obelisk Prelate rounded a corner and immediately was shot by a high powered round. Xan winced as he felt the impact against his armor, feeling the round penetrate several layers. He quickly backed up behind the corner, and checked the wound. Luckily, the round didn't penetrate all the way through, but enough to make the Obelisk sore. Thank the stars for Centurion armor. Xan's rage intensified, and he readied himself for the assault. He reached out with the force and saw a barricade with two snipers hunkered down. Xan grinned to himself. Child's play. The Obelisk looked at Akatsuki one more, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Aka, I need you to be my distraction. There are two snipers in that barricade, and I need you to catch their attention. I'll snipe them from here, but I need you to wave your lightsaber from behind the corner to distract. As you do that, I'll pick them off, understood?"

Akatsuki grinned at the Prelate. "I can do that, just don't get yourself killed. Ready?"

"Ready, do it now!"

Xan quickly brought his DC-15x sniper rifle to position, and waited for his Horansi to initiate the distraction. He could feel the Rebels were very trigger-happy, and would shoot at any motion. Akatsuki waved her yellow blade in the open, but being very careful not to expose her hand or hilt to the incoming salvo of fire. Xan grinned as he saw the shots being fired, and quickly peeked from around the corner and shot both the Rebels in the face, effectively ending their lives. Xan smiled at his Aka, a job well done. He then bolted down the corridor with the Horansi in tow, quickly making their way to the roof access. Xan stopped as he recognized one of the places to set charges, and quickly unloaded and primed the explosives. Satisfied, the duo quickly made way to the roof where the AA guns were spitting fire into the skies. Xan had stopped three more times to lay explosives before making it to the roof, but stopped at what he saw.

"Aka, there's some heavy opposition on the roof. I count ten to fifteen Rebels, including the ones operating the AA guns. I can snipe them from here, but if they rush us, it'll be one hell of a melee battle. Let's settle in here, and I'll start to work my magic."

Akatsuki nodded as she hunkered down, very much ready for some killing to occur. Xan grinned as he readied his rifle, and started making headshots left and right. He took down as many as possible, before being spotted by the very confused Rebels. Eight rebels lay dead on the roof, but Akatsuki was not satisfied with the slow pace of annihilation. The Horansi ignited her lightsaber, roared with vigor, and leapt into the air. She pounced one Rebel, effectively pinning him down as she eviscerated him with her claws. She then deflected a few shots from the nearby Rebels, and watched as another died from Xan's sniper rifle. Akatsuki sped towards the remaining group, hacking them into pieces one by one with her emblazoned lightsaber.

"For the Empire! And my tail! Arooooo!" Akatsuki roared.

Xan chuckled as he stood up. "Well done my Aka! That's how it's supposed to be done! The AA guns are defenseless, let's go set those charges."

Xan then made his way over to the AA guns, carefully stepping over the assorted limbs and corpses of Akatsuki's rampage. He set the charges at the base of the guns, primed them, and stepped back in satisfaction.

"All done my Aka, all we need to do is regroup and blow this place. I wonder where Eether is..."

"Looking for me?" Eether yelled to the rooftop.

Xan peered over the edge and waved to his fellow housemate. "Almost done Eeth? We're done up here, just need to blow it up."

"Yeah, almost done. I'll try to get everyone to regroup back to where we were originally."

Xan grinned and tossed Eether the detonator for the explosives he had set. "Here, I'll let you do the honors."

Eether smiled widely as he peered at the detonator, clearly enthusiastic to be the one to set off the explosions. He will be the one to level the base, and send Scholae Palatinae into the next phase of the assault.

36 ABY, Sepros
Firebase

After the little pow wow meeting on the middle of the battlefield, Eether's excitement grew! He was still fairly new with the Brotherhood compared to most, but nearly 2 years under his belt helped solidify his confidence in his actions he was about to set in motion. Eether nodded curtly to the members of the strike team, silently willing them to succeed in their individual missions. Taking a deep breath, Eether and Nawr sped towards the base while dodging blaster fire until they reached the safety of a hangar door.

"Get to work unlocking that Door Nawr! I'll protect your back while you do that." Nawr roared in his Wookie tongue his assent and set to work. Eether unhooked his lightsaber from his clip and ignited it, blocking blaster fire from Nawr. As Eether continued to protect his apprentice, a thought struck him, this was Nawr's first war. Hopefully he would survive this experience, Eether would do everything in his power to see fit.

Looking out from the door, Eether noticed Ras running through clumps of soldiers, spinning wildly with her saber and kicking out with her legs. She was a force to be reckoned with herself, able to defend and attack simultaneously. She would be able to take care of herself all the while damaging the rebels. Her droids following her, shooting blaster bolts and rays every which way. She disappeared among the swarming masses, after losing sight of her, Eether focused on the defense again.

Across the battlefield however, Kael came into view. Eether turned his head slightly and shouted, "How's it going on that door Nawr?"

"Aaaahhhhhhrrrrrrrrgg," was the reply. It would be opened momentarily. Kael seemed to be retreating, hopefully everything was ok, or perhaps he was chasing down some rebels who had attempted to escape. Regardless, Kael knew what had to be done, no matter the cost. Eether hoped his old friend would be ok.

The door slid open with a hiss, only to be met by four guards. Eether spun around and used the Force to push them away from his apprentice, "Cover, NOW!" He yelled at Nawr, "Take point and protect me this time!"

Nawr rolled into the corner and slipped his crossbow off of his shoulders and fired into the hallway, careful to avoid Eether as he sprinted into the hallway, slicing away at the enemy. Eether blocked enemy bolts as Nawr slayed the first one, "Good job! Don't let it go to your head though my friend!"

They quickly dealt with the guards and stood in the hallway at the ready, smoke billowing around them. After making sure that no enemies would jump out of them, Eether stuck his head out of the door and yelled for back up, "Valkas!"

Out of no where, a large figure dropped from above, "Yes?"

Eether blinked, it had been a long time since he had seen the man be so effective with his appearance, "I need you to stay out here and guard the entrance with Nawr, he doesn't have a lightsaber yet, and I know you're extremely well versed in combat. You'll get to kill a lot of people." Eether grinned and raised his eyebrow at the last comment, "Ah..you know my weakness Eeth" replied Val.

"Good, I'm going in to start getting this place leveled, stay here, you know what to do if worse comes to worse." Gently patting the bag on his shoulder to make sure it was there, Eether slipped a hand into a side pocket and thumbed a remote device. It was the control to the mines he had placed on their way here...no one would be flanking them without their knowledge now. He just hoped his fellow Scholae strike team members remembered about them and didn't blow themselves up, as weight would set it off as well as the remote device.

Eether turned away from his apprentice and Val, then started heading his way deeper into the base, "Don't die!" he said to them before turning the corner. He had the blue prints with him just in case, but he had taken a point to memorize the layout. He had with him exactly 12 explosives, set to destroy the Firebase when they went off alone.

Surprisingly, he did not encounter too many enemies. Being silent, pretending to be the stalker stalking a hunter, Eether dispatched them silently. He had broken some necks, ignited his saber and plunged them into the armor and daring around corners. He couldn't afford to be caught by being loud and bringing everyone to his location. As long as he avoided blasters...blasters would bring everyone to the noise.

He had gone through the levels and planted the explosives at the locations, strapped to pillars holding up their foundation, cornerstone pivotal points in the structure, as well as one near the med bay. He only had one left, and it would be the hardest to get to. Eether still had one charge left from his pathway blocking minefield in the jungle, that he decided to place a 13th bomb within the Firebase. This one....would be in the armory. The blue prints had specified they had their own explosives in reserve hidden here, and if Eether was able to place one within the vicinity...they would ALL blow up. The trouble was, it was the most heavily guarded area in the base.

Eether peeked around the corner leading towards the armory and saw at least 7 men standing there in front of the entrance. He couldn't throw a grenade at them this close to the armory, and he wasn't confident he could take all 7. If he could catch them off guard and split them up....and then an idea came to him.

Eether jumped into the entrance of the hallway and held out his hand. Using the force, Eether pulled the front four guards off their feet and flew them towards him. As they raced towards him, the other three guards shocked that anyone had made it this far into their base, were too slow in retrieving their weapons. Eether ignited his lightsaber and slashed multiple times at the helpless guards flying towards him.

He stepped over their bodies and redirected the blaster bolts flying towards him, one on three he could take. He quickly dispatched the last of the guards, aware that all the blaster fire would call reinforcements to the armory, he had to move fast. Taking a key card off one of the fallen men, he opened the door and quickly sealed it shut, shooting the blast panel so no one could get in easily.

"Crap...now how am I going to get out of here...I just sealed myself in..." Eether looked around and saw a vent high on the wall. It looked to be the only way, since there was only one door. He quickly placed the explosive next to the biggest pile of the rebels explosives and Force pulled the vent away. Pooling the force in his feet, Eether jumped up and grabbed onto the grate, pulling himself up into it. Shimmying his way through the vent took some time, hopefully the others would be fairing well against the enemy.

He finally started to hear voices as he crawled upwards, it sounded like Xan.

"All done my Aka, all we need to do is regroup and blow this place. I wonder where Eether is..."

He popped open the grate at the top with a loud pop and climbed his way out, "Looking for me?" He called upwards to them, "I'll get everyone to re group and we'll blow this pop-stand."

As Eether started to turn around, Xan tossed him the detonator, "All yours my friend!"

A grin from ear to ear spread across Eether's face, "YES!!!!"

Eether sprinted around the battlefield, in between enemies and giving the message to his fellow Housemates to "Retreat." The enemy started cheering, thinking they'd won. Many of his fellow Scholae members were outraged at his abrupt recall. When some finally demanded an explanation, Eether simply smiled and held up the device.

Making sure it was the right one and not the trail of mines behind them, Eether told everyone to look at the base. As they did, the anticipation grew more until he finally pressed the button, blowing the Firebase sky high. The explosion was hot, and he had to cover his eyes as to not blind himself, but it was the best feeling in the world.

"Now my fellow house members...go clean up the stragglers!" Eether still grinned widely as his fellow members surged forward to dispatch all the enemies that were left outside the blast radius.

As the firebases lay in smoldering ruins, more or less gutted from the rampages that had happened within, the path to the temple lay forward and onward. Fighters and bombers screamed overhead, flying tight cover missions denied to them before with the AA still in operation.

At last, the march to the Temple could begin, though the jungle remained plenty dangerous. Already, members of your contingent have fallen to the many dangers. If not the Sadowans, then the dark side beasts lurking within the Forest, or perhaps friendly fire? It matters not, but to know that no one is safe, no one is immune.

The path before you is tangled and twisted. Even if you make it through, you know not what traps and defenses await you as you approach the Sadowan stronghold. Be prepared for the unexpected, as much as you can be. They've had plenty of time to prepare for this, and you will be challenged. Your orders are to get as close to the temple as you can, without breaching the perimeter until all your units have been brought forward and have linked up with the other House.

The assault will only go on as planned if both units are ready at the end of the week.

Good luck.

You'll need it.

The shields in front of Scholae Palatinae’s Top Ace flickered as they soaked up point defense lazer fire. The small bulbous protrusion of shield generator grew in his view port. Soon, the hexagonal windscreen was filled with the soft grey steel of the Republic Class’ hull, accented with bolts of lazer fire. His voice was firm, and unbending.

“Stay on me, Two. On my mark, release two bolts, then launch two missiles.” He commanded of his wingman.

Ace Two, Nichos Dressidin, breathed out slowly. Something about flying alongside the Former Emperor eased his anxiety. This whole engagement was suicide. They had been sent in to disable a Destroyer. Then, his flight leader, devised one of the single most difficult tactical maneuvers they had ever tried in simulation. Having personally run this scenario over 40 times in the sim, and having never passed a single one, Ace Two knew the risks. Yet, Thran had this calming air about him. Any one of the Aces would follow High Admiral Occasus to the end of the universe and not a single one thought twice about dying for him. Flying alongside them made them better, calmer, more deadly pilots.

The TIE Defenders screamed in. Their squealing roar was like a raptor’s and the men behind the control sticks felt as untouchable as those lords of the sky. The distance measure dwindled in Ace Two’s head’s up display, but he did not flinch. For all the promises that Thran had made to the Aces, he kept the most important one: Everyone comes home. Time seemed to slow in that instant and Nichos found his vision focused tight on the goal. He never questioned where he got the courage to follow the Warlord, but he knew that the Force was involved. Thran’s defender snapped and rolled, releasing their towed enemy.

“NOW!” Thran screamed.

Before Nichos even heard the Admiral’s mark his instinct had taken over. His finger pressed the trigger and 3 arcing pins of green power tore through the X-wing, just as it impacted against the hull of the Star Destroyer. The beams of light missed the tail of Thran’s craft In a fraction of a heartbeat, his finger flipped the toggle to his missile launchers. Two burning red contrails screamed in towards the erupting flame. Ace Two gripped his stick tight, jerking it back and away from the exploding target. The blast shook his vessel and briefly licked his craft in flame.

The Palatinaen airwaves went silent for a fraction of a second. Even Thran, stalwart in his disregard for the wellbeing of others, hoped for the best. In that moment, the shrieking joy of a successful strike radiated over the Airways.

“BEEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!” screamed Ace Two.

Ace Squadron erupted with cheers. Even Thran let out a sigh of relief. Had he been asked, he would have claimed to have been concerned about his precious TIE Defenders. Yet, in the solace of that cockpit, he felt relieved that his friend had executed the maneuver with such grace and skill.

“Nice flying, Two. All Available Aces, Target that communications array!” Occasus barked, trying to contain his own excitement.

Even as the crippled Final Way yawed and pitched away from the Plagueis and Scholae Palatinae forces, the Aces held true. They swarmed the communications array. Laser beams lit up the branching device, marking it with blasts of char. A swarm of twelve voracious and empowered pilots ripped open the node that contained the communications device. It blew open, casting jets of flame and arcing spreads of electricity into open space.

Archangel had expected the battle to go differently, but with the Dlarit flagship crippled by the madman Thran and his flight of cronies things had changed. The hired Navy of Clan Naga Sadow had no choice but to retreat. The war that Thran had been looking for he had found. The taste rushed over him and he was drunk with the self-edification that it brought him. The Aces broke off of their insanely reckless assault on the Star Destroyer, searching for easier prey. The Dlarit Immobilizer had not even played a role in the battle, but the Aces still wanted to see something larger explode.

Ace Seven called out over the radio. “GET SOME, ACES!!!”

“Big Affirmative on that, Seven. Aces. Scatter up, Dogs! GET SOME!!!!” Thran yelled.

Even he couldn’t hold back his excitement any more. They had just done something that had never been done before. As far as he was concerned, they would have done more if they could.

“Stop those running support ships! Mop up any fighters you can! Two’s winning the bet. GET SOME ACES!!!” Thran roared with an excitement they hadn’t seen in ages.

Flying stoned with the victory they had just earned, the Aces were untouchable. Two Corvettes flickered and listed as their systems were overloaded by Ion cannon fire. Another dozen enemy pilots added to their kill count. Watching the fray, in complete disbelief, Archangel fumbled to the Fighter control station. He clicked on the Vox button.

“Ace One, Warspite Actual…Come in…” he said.

“YEEEAHOOOW! DID YOU SEE THAT FRACKIN’ POODOO?!?! THOUSAND PERCENT BADASS!” Thran screamed.

“Affirmative, Ace One.” Arch said, pondering how the Warlord had done it. “Clean it up and come home.” He swallowed hard, knowing he’d have to affirm Thran’s ego. “Great Job.”

The dark side of the Force roiled. So much bloodshed. So much anger, fear, and sorrow. The heavy jungle world of Sepros, rife with flora as well as fauna, its multitudes of midichlorians sending strident sensations through the ether, as a full orchestra might send out auditory vibrations through a packed concert hall. For a dark Jedi, at least. Those whose proclivities led them to the light side might feel the Force of this planet as cloying as that of the sultry air.

The ruins of the firebase still smoldered, waves of heat and echoes of ordinance exploding reverberating through the vaporous air, while the rage of the combatants bled through the Force, the deaths of each of them popping through the ether like bursting bubbles of pain and astonishment.

Whilst the armies of House Scholae regrouped and reorganized for the next push, Krath Priest Draco Maligo sat cross-legged atop a demolished walker, immersed deep in the Force, awake to the eddies and currents invisible to most of the denizens and interlopers strewn through the brackish swamp. He could feel the bustle and energy of the beings under the command of his House, as well as the skulking, disappointed miens of the Sadow forces retreating closer to their main base. The Priest could also sense the spirits of the indigenous beings, their fear and panic as war came to their lands, whom the Krath took to be the Ekind.

But the armed and armored humanoids weren't the only dangers in the jungle. Sadow Jedi had imported all manner of beast to the planet, no doubt to test their strength against. A training ground to hone their skills, test their mettles, and earn trophies and bragging power. Though the skittish Ekind melted away from the conflict, many of the dark side monsters, some created by Sith Alchemy, were lured by the sweet scent of death.

As were the dark Jedi lured to war by all the emotions amplified by the concentration of troops and the pressure-cooker of combat. A Jedi might contemplate peace, serenity, but Krath, Sith, and Obelisk lived for all the dark feelings most beings were taught to repress and discourage. War was like a feast for a famished Krath, the raw emotions rending the Force like the mouth-watering aromas of succulent cuisine. It certainly couldn't compare to the relative crumbs of everyday existence.

Draco could feel the impetus of the beings and equipment rolling toward the Temple of Sorrow, even before he could feel the young whelp approach him.

"Sir?" the young man, boy really, said.

"Is it time to move already, Lieutenant?" Maligo asked quietly.

"Yes sir. Command has instructed us to pursue the enemy, to catch them and engage them before they reach the next line of defense."

The Priest sighed. "It is too late for that. They know the jungle better than we, and the monsters have been loosed. It will be a hard slog for us in this dismal quagmire." Draco rose, checked that his saber was still hooked onto his belt just above his left hip, and cast a glance into the jungle. Visibility was measured in meters, and even with the aid of the Force it was difficult to see clearly.

"M monsters?" stammered the lieutenant.

Draco smiled. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen standard years, sir." The young man puffed up his shoulders. "I was third in my class at officer command school while graduating two years early."

"Your education didn't end there. Deploy your squad." The Krath strode on ahead, his boots squelching through the mud.

After sweltering through half a klick of steamy terrain, the haze-smeared sun hanging low in the sky, a bone-chilling howl pierced the muggy air. A green-mottled blur shot from the flank, and a pair of tremendous jowls closed in on an infantryman. The beast easily lifted the man off the ground, his screams cut off as razor-sharp teeth the size of a human hand crunched through armor and bone in one bite. The creature, somewhat resembling a massive frog, with a thick hide and scaly armor, sat with blood and gore dripping down its hideous maw.

Someone yelled "fire!", before a blaze of blaster shots erupted around it. The red flashes merely bounced off its impenetrable skin, and the heavy ordinance had all the effects of a fly bite. The beast roared and leapt, and another soldier bit the dust. Maligo used the Force to lift up the creature and slam it into the trunk of a towering tree. With a sharp crack the tree broke and collapsed, but the monstrosity flipped off its back and lunged at the Krath.

Draco used the Force to leap high above his prey, the yellow-orange blade of his lightsaber springing to life. He landed lightly on the beast's skull, and with a two-handed stab tried to slam the blade into its brain. But the hide wouldn't burn through, and the animal shook its tank-like body to dislodge the dark Jedi. But Maligo used the Force to anchor himself, and after a moment's thought knelt forward and thrust his blade up to the hilt in the creature's eye. He heard the sizzle of the frying cornea, while blood and fluid from eye and brain gushed out like a hose. The monster roared in its death-throes, then fell still, its legs collapsing under it, the torso splashing down into the ground. Muddy waves spreading throughout the swamp. The eyes may be the windows to the soul, but you shouldn't trust them.

"Are you alright sir?

Draco smiled. "I wasn't lying about the monsters, lieutenant."

Eetherbiail sprinted into the extremely small clearing, lightsaber at the ready, he let his eyes dart around the scene taking everything in. Aka and Xan burst behind him with their own lightsabers at the ready as well. Once the danger was all clear and everybody's nerves were calm, Eether noticed the figure standing on the creatures skull..."No...it couldn't be?!"

He whistled and deactivated his lightsaber, and started to walk over to the corpse. He looked up,"Well, if it isn't the old Draco Maligo. How have you been my old friend? You disappeared after the Great Jedi War! So many spoils of war!"

Draco looked down at him and chuckled, "Life caught up to me, there were things to do, places to go and people to see!" He spread his arms wide, his deactivated lightsaber in one hand. Draco hopped down and held out his hand to Eether, to only be met with his own chuckle.

"Come here you old fool," Eether said and embraced his old friend; "Without you, I wouldn't be where I was today, what nonsense is a hand shake?!" They laughed and exchanged a few pleasantries before growing serious, "We heard the sounds of a fight and came running, but clearly it has been handled expertly."

"What more did you expect from me?" Draco replied.

"We've had a few run in's with beasties....quite nasty here on this planet, haven't run into any Sadow's since the base was destroyed though...it has to be a trap" Eether addressed the new company. The soldiers who had been following the trio of Dark Jedi finally caught up. The lieutenant of the group stepped forward, clearly out of breath, "M-my lord, we lost Jensen and Dreya. Something got them, we have no idea what it is."

"You brought whatever it is straight to us you fool" Eether said coldly.

He looked around at the now combined battalion, "Everyone! Prepare yourselves, there are more creatures incoming!" Just as he finished the sentence, a gigantic, overgrown creature stepped into the small clearing. It kicked a tree over, its trunk splintering and collapsing on top of a soldier. It picked up another surprised soldier and chewed on its head like a snack.

"MOVE PEOPLE!" Eether shouted, "FORM UP! WE NEED TO KILL THIS THING!" Despite the orders, some soldiers ran off into the jungle. After a few seconds, a snapping sound was heard...something got triggered.

"Great...some weird mutant Rancor in front of us, and something just got sprung behind us" Eether grumbled to Xan and Aka. Blasters bolts fired at the Rancor, the creature covered its face with its huge forearms as a metallic sound reached everyone's ears. A small trap door was rising out of the ground behind them in the forest, and it was big.

Another Rancor rose out of the ground to join the party....

The two rancors bellowed their disapproval at the Dark Jedi, saliva dripping repulsively from the jaws. Flesh and blood stained their off-white fangs, evidence of their recent feast. The four Force Users bent at the knees, preparing to react to the beasts’ attack. The rancor in front of them made a move first, taking a thunderous step towards the group.

Suddenly, a number of canisters emerged from the tree line; they landed at the rancor’s feet. A second later bright flashes and high pitched screeches were emitted. The beast howled out of confusion, blinded and deafened. It lashed out at anything around it, splintering a tree. A figure dashed out from the forest, crimson lightsaber in hand, followed closely by a company of troops. Taking advantage of the stunned creature, the figure leapt atop the rancor’s head and stabbed down through its skull. It howled before swaying slightly and crashing to the ground. The Dark Jedi landed with a roll and rose, revealing his identity. Holding out his hand, Koryn attempted to communicate with the remaining rancor.

“Go. You’re free now,” whispered the Rodian. The creature growled low in response before letting out a roar. It started to prowl forwards with caution, but its mind set on feeding. “Akat... Little help?” The Horansi nodded and tapped into the predator’s mind, urging it to leave the group be. Behind them, the troops bustled nervously, their rifles at the ready. The rancor stopped in its tracks before skulking off into the forest.

“You’re just letting it go?” Eether asked incredulously. “We could have used it as a mount!”

“No,” replied the Rodian. “It’s been caged up by the Sadowans for too long.” Koryn eyed the sea of destruction around him as his Apprentice and troops approached him. Blown out husks of what used to be walkers and speeders lay scattered around the battleground; smoke and ash billowed into the upper atmosphere from the skeletal firebase. It must have been a glorious battle; if only Xen hadn’t posted him on Aeotheran for that damned rebel problem, he would have been in the middle of the fray.

“What’s our next move, Master?” Asked Zabitha, breaking the Priest from his reverie. Koryn looked to the others for confirmation.

“We march on the Temple,” informed Xan.

“Dusk approaches,” noted Draco matter-of-factly. Indeed the light had begun to drop dramatically, and soon the sunlight would not be able to penetrate the canopy of the trees. As if to emphasise this point, nocturnal birdlife began to awaken in the forest, announcing their presence with caws and tweets. “We will be much easier to ambush.”

“Only if they are tracking us right now,” countered Akatsuki. “I highly doubt the Sadowans will be stalking us; they will use this time to fortify their position.”

“True,” agreed Draco, nodding. “But there are more dangerous things out there besides a Clan. Rancors are just the start of things, my friends; this forest has yet to reveal its menace to us.” Preparing themselves – both physically and mentally – the Dark Jedi flanked by their soldiers ventured deeper into Sepros’ perilous forest and onward to the Naga Sadow’s Temple.

As the sun dipped below the jungle canopy browns became black and green turned to gray. The soldiers of the battalion fed fresh power clips into their rifles and forged ahead, after stripping the dismembered bodies for useful supplies. The group of dark Jedi strode on in a loose circle, a ring of officers and non-coms outside that, and then a diamond-shaped formation of the grunts.

"Wouldn't it be better to secure our position, sir? After all in the dark we'll have a hard time making progress."

"We need to keep moving," the Rodian said. "Any progress at all is better than no progress."

"But the enemy will be resting in their trenches for us. We'll be up all night slogging through the jungle and be spent."

"That's why we carry stims with us, lieutenant. Even though the enemy plans to let us fight the monsters all night and tire us out, the situation would be worse if we hunkered down," said Draco. "The creatures would come for us anyway, and we'd be further from our objective. Koryn's right. We need to cover as much ground as we can, while we can."

The halogen headlamps of the soldiers gave off glaring patches of light in the otherwise murky twilight, and an occasional blaster bolt zinged into the gloom, fired by a jumpy infantryman. The clicking and croaking of the nocturnal swamp life kept nerves on edge, only partially palliated by the thumps of the walkers to the rear and the regular keening of the Tie air patrols.

"Why don't we have a couple of walkers with us?" asked Akatsuki.

"Command doesn't want to risk them in the dark," answered Xan.

"Yeah," added Draco. "Command thinks they're more valuable than us."

At that the dark Jedi chuckled.

"I'm kind of jealous. At least they have a full sensor suite to see through this crap," said Eetherbiail.

"And if a full-grown rancor hits them from the side, that full sensor-suite will do them a whole lot of good up their asses," said Koryn.

A series of high-pitched screams cut through the air, making those beings without helmets wince. The battalion halted, the soldiers dropping to their knees and raising their rifles. The dark Jedi gripped their sabers, nervous thumbs caressing the activation studs.

"That sounds different," said Eetherbiail.

"Reminds me somewhat of an Almanian screech bat," said Draco. "I don't suppose intelligence told anybody what kind of dark beasts Sadow keeps here?"

"Not a word," Xan said.

Just then a flurry of dark shapes with glowing red eyes swooped down upon the unit. Blaster bolts crisscrossed the now inky sky and lightsaber blades crackled and hummed. Men screamed as they were clawed and pecked. The avians soared in quickly to deliver an attack then wheeled off into the trees before returning from another direction. Draco found his Force attacks useless against a flight of beasts and resorted to cutting and hacking with his saber. After a furious few minutes the birds were destroyed.

"Casualties?" asked Koryn.

"Eight beings, sir," replied a sergeant. "A few more with scratches, but that should be . . ."

One of the wounded men, a shallow gouge on his arm lit up by the light of a fellow soldier, began to scream and writhe. His arm and hand began to swell and redden, constricted by his armor. The others with light wounds also succumbed to the infection. Maligo stepped up to the man, and with a quick chop of his blade severed the man's arm at the shoulder. His screaming stopped abruptly as he reached around with his left hand and groped for his missing limb. The arm in question, turned into a bloody pulp by the venom, oozed out of the armored sleeve, its putrid stench bludgeoning the usual smell of jungle rot. The other dark Jedi joined in performing the field expedient amputations, and soon all the screaming and moaning ceased.

Xan addressed the sergeant. "Call for medivac, then have the men move out. We should have some time before the next attack, and I want us closer to the Temple."

"Yes, sir."

Waiting…To be honest, Xantros did not like waiting for too long, when the plans required perfect timing. However, it was necessary to wait at that time. Despite the fact that the night was slowly getting to its end, it was still extremely dark. Even the Dark Jedi found it hard to see through the darkness of the night, not speaking about average troopers. Such conditions made it an excellent opportunity to create an ambush or to strike them down, if they were not careful. Recent attacks of various beasts created or treated with the use of the Dark Side put the invading army in even greater danger. Moving out through dense jungle in such conditions was definitely a suicide.

The atmosphere of uncertainty and fear made both troopers and Dark Jedi limit chats to minimum, as they were not sure what was lurking in the jungle. They kept looking for the hostile forces, either sentient beings like soldiers of Dlarit Security Forces or dreadful monsters like rancors, which they had encountered during the evening and the night. Fortunately, the remaining hours of the night passed surprisingly calmly, except suspicious sounds, which could be heard all over the camp. The sun slowly rose in the sky and its beams slowly got through dense treetops. After short deliberation, the army moved out again.

Suddenly, a series of high-pitched screams disturbed the relative silence. The invading forces were attacked by a large group of Force resistant birds. Short, but tense fight broke out and the combined efforts of Dark Jedi and troopers brought the beasts to their end. Unfortunately, the avians caused other casualties among the soldiers, killing or wounding some of them.

Soon after treating the wounded soldiers, the army continued their march towards the Temple of Sorrow. They had to take the designated positions up as soon as possible, so that they would be able to coordinate the assault with the allied forces of the Ascendant House. Whatever was going to happen on their way or at the destination point, Xantros was happy that they were finally getting closer to their target.

“How much farther?” Akatsuki said aloud, not really intending to do so. She had a reputation, even in her advanced years, to be a bit child-like.

“I’ve heard you were green, Akatsuki, but I never would imagine a Krath would show such fear!” Draco said coldly. "You really should push down all of those emotions I'm picking up from you and use them to your advantage!"

“Well it’s just with all of the death of the beasts, I mean they did nothing wrong! They were ordered to do what they did!” the Horansi’s empathy was apparent.

“It was them or us Aka, I choose us!” Eether said.

“We’re approximately two kilometers out. Don't feel about about the beasts, think of them as a weapon or tool.” Xan said.

“But, all of the carnage, all of the death…we had to amputate our own members limbs!” Akatsuki nearly was in tears.

“It was that, or they would perish. You wouldn’t want them to be rancor food would you Akatsuki?” Koryn tried to assure her.

Akatsuki was standing near Nawrhynn. They heard a strange low growl near the big umbrella plant. The Horansi looked at the Wookiee and they both cocked their heads in confusion, trying to listen more closely. A Hssiss lizard leapt out at the pair, claws slashing and teeth chomping. Akatsuki didn’t have time to react, but Nawrhynn pulled his crossbow and with a big, “Waahwo rooohu anahufrarcwa! ah'anan scraorwo rooohu ahwhaooo cacoowoc wwoorc Thran!” Akatsuki was shocked but giggled at the Wookiee’s commentary.

“What did the furball say?” Xan asked.

“I caught something about Thran?” Koryn questioned.

Eether smiled as Akatsuki translated the shriiwook exclamation. “Essentially,” Akatsuki mused, “Die you lizard scum! I shall turn you into shoes for Thran!” The group all snickered at the Wookiee’s idea.

“Are the other strike teams going to join us soon?” Akatsuki asked as the group continued their quiet push forward.

“I can sense them, they aren’t far out.” Draco confirmed.

The presence of the Dark Side hung heavy in the air as they closed in on the Temple. The creatures they had been encountering had thinned out dramatically; their instincts told them this was no sanctuary for their kind. Beasts of a different breed were far more common in such an area, beasts that hunted under the Sadowan banner.

“There’s a patrol up ahead,” noted Draco, feeling their presence in the Force. “We should go around them so as not to give away our position.” Xan shook his head.

“No, I have a better idea.” With that he marched on ahead signalling a squad to follow him. The remainder of the party took the brief opportunity to rest. They could hear blaster fire and the unmistakable sound of a lightsaber cutting through flesh. Xan and his men returned carrying some small pieces of equipment. He passed one to each of the Dark Jedi: commlinks.

“I don’t want to go in blind,” explained the Prelate. “And it will let us know how they’re moving their troops during the coming battle.”

“Come in Patrol Theta-Two-Bravo,” hissed one of the commlinks, the voice distorted with static. “Report: any sight of the invaders?”

“Uh... negative, Command,” responded Eether. “No sign of them.” There was an unnaturally long pause, and the group exchanged glances, convinced they had been found out. After more than a minute, the reply came through.

“Copy that Patrol. Stay watchful. Over.” The team breathed a collective sigh of relief and continued on.

---

They were less than half a kilometre away from their target, and patrols were becoming more frequent and more difficult to avoid. Minor skirmishes had broken out between the two forces and men were being lost on both sides. The Temple was briefly visible through the canopies from time to time. Stopping, Koryn turned to the others.

“We should wait for reinforcements,” he suggested. “Any idea on the other strike teams’ positions?”

“Give me a moment,” chirped Akat, producing her commlink. “Xantros, come in. Do you copy?” Draco motioned to two comms officers who came forward and saluted the Krath.

“I read you,” came Xantros’ voice. “What’s up?” Draco instructed the officers to locate the other strike teams.

“How far out are you?” asked the Horansi. Xantros thought for a moment before responding.

“About 15 minutes, depending if we hit any hard resistance.”

“Ok, I’ll send you over our coordinates to rendezvous. Eeth, can you...?”

“Already on it,” interrupted the Knight. Nearby Koryn stood with his Apprentice, offering her guidance for the coming battle, whilst Xan discussed tactics with one of the Commanding Officers. The comms officers returned to Draco, reporting the locations.

“Strike teams Gamma and Omega have already rendezvoused with each other and are approaching our position,” reiterated the Priest to the group. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to meditate before we fight for the Temple.”

“I agree,” said Koryn. “You should do the same, Zab.” The Rodian’s Apprentice nodded.

The battle lines were drawn. Once Xantros and the other teams had arrived, the assault on the Temple would begin in earnest. The Dark Jedi could sense this would not be an easy fight; the Sadowans had already lost key positions and they would not be willing to do so again.

The superiority fighters of Scholae Palatinae make quick work of a group of fleeing fighters. Accompanied by a few tattered flights of Interceptors, the Black Aces set their sights on the fleeing capital ships. They all thought it simultaneously, yet no one spoke it until the flight leader broke radio silence.

“Aces…Are you thinking what I am thinking?” he chirped.

Ace Three, a brazen beautiful young woman with skills to boot, spoke up.

“Boss…We can take at least two of those corvettes before they jump.” She said.

“Roger, Three. Odds, you’re with Three. Evens, You’re with Four. Target the closest corvette and engage, guns free. Two, you’re with me. ” Thran said.

The Fighters broke formation again. They lived for this. They’d scattered the herd, left their mark, and were now ready to take down the stragglers. While the other pilots focused on the small corvettes, Ace One set his sights on the Immobilizer Cruiser. He knew that the Dlarit navy could jump and regroup with allied forces, the shortsighted commanders on the Plagueis and Scholae Palatinae ships would give chase. It was a recipe for a trap.

The fighters screamed towards the bulbed delta shaped cruiser. No sooner than he had broken formation, calls from the Warspite and Plagueis ships begged him to give up his chase. He had spent years engraining a mentality into the Aces. The Aces gave no quarter. They were relentless, merciless, and they proved deadly. All of the Aces silenced the incoming calls.

Two corvettes fell in seconds. They sparked with arcing blue bands of electricity, the trademark sign of ion cannon fire. Ace One and Two could feel the Immobilizer growing closer, they had to get there before they could jump away. They pressed forward, and just as their target reticles turned green, the vessel burst forward and vanished. They had gone to lightspeed.

“FRACK! FRACK! FRACK!” Thran yelled over the Com.

“Ace One, Warspite Actual. You are ordered to return to the Warspite immediately to prepare for an ambush.” Archangel said, a distinct anger in his voice.

“DAMMIT ARCH!” he yelled.

“Enough. Return to the Warspite, by Order of the Emperor.” The Aedile said.

“Roger, Warspite Actual. Launch capture shuttles. We nabbed two Corvettes, maybe you can find something useful on board, like an invitation to the trap they will set for us... We’ll stay on station until the corvettes are captured.” The pilot said, the ire in his voice obvious to all who heard him speak.

Begrudgingly, Thran turned his vessel away from the course he had set. The Aces formed back up and entered the flight pattern to return to the Warspite. As the fighters buzzed around the disabled corvettes, Occasus looked out over the battlefield. The fight had been too easy and the Dlarit Navy was too eager to retreat. It seemed as though they wanted that to happen. The Warlord balled his fist, smashing it against the control panel. Where the rest of the Aces felt disappointed that their fight had ended early, Thran was furious. He was sure that Archangel would lead them into a terrible trap. Something must be done. Someone must relieve him of command of the Scholae fleet. He spent the next half an hour stewing in his rage. After the capture shuttles had docked with the Dlarit corvettes, the Aces made lines for the Warspite.

Even as they got out of their cramped cockpits, amidst cheers from the other fighter jocks who had witnessed their daring feat against the Final Way, the anger did not leave the Bakuran’s face. They lifted Nichos Dressadin up onto their shoulders, chanting and whooping. They tried to scoop him up too, but a single glance at his demeanor told all the other pilots and flight deck technicians not to touch him if they valued their lives and limbs. He stood with the Aces until they had all cleared the flight deck, his teeth gnashing. Even safe at home, an Ace never left his wingman behind.

“What’s the matter boss?” Three asked as the dirty dozen made their way to the post-flight debriefing room.

“Fracking Archangel. Fancies himself some kind of tactical genius ‘cause he won a game of sabacc once. He’s leading us into a trap, I know it.” The Top Ace said.

“Come on, Boss…I’m sure he knows what he’s doing. What do you say you stop by my quarters for a celebratory drink?” she asked.
“Are you propositioning a superior officer, Lieutenant?” he snarled.

“Sorry Admiral…I…Just overly excited I suppose, Sir.” She said, hanging her head.

Thran had just turned down a woman. That spoke to the rest of the Aces as they took their seats to be addressed for the Debriefing. They had never seen him turn down an offer like that before. They worried for him; something had to be wrong.

Zabitha went deep into meditation as her Master recommended. She knew she'd have to follow his lead in order to be a benefit to the mission. She focused and gathered as much of the Force as she could.

Zabitha kept close to her master, she'd been in the 10th Great Jedi War, but this was the first time she'd been called to join a strike team. Koryn stayed close as he knew his apprentice was new to war and invasions.

The Zabrak stayed quiet in her meditation, keeping her right hand her side arm. Even though deep in meditation, she knew that the security sweeps were coming frighteningly close. The security sweeps put everyone on edge, there was more hand gestures and whispering with any communication.

Zabitha's meditation was broken as she heard Akatsuki's com-link beep. The second team had arrived. The cooperative strike team of Plagueis and House Scholae Palatinae were ready to fight to claim the temple.

Zabitha stood up next to Koryn who was still in meditation. "Relax apprentice. This battle won't be easy, but Scholae will fair well. I've seen many a battle. When push comes to shove, Scholae stands her ground. Now, please, focus, gather all of your energy and if you can meditate no longer meditate, then ready your weaponry." Zabitha nodded and sat back down next to her Master.

The second half of the Scholae team arrived. Zabitha looked up to see Xantros leading the others into the gathering coordinates. "Does that mean it's time?" Zabitha whispered to Koryn.

"Yes, we wait for the orders, then we're going to take the Temple of Sorrows. We are going to be a part of the Brotherhood's glorious history. You will be a part of Scholae's rise to greatness." Koryn said lowly.

Eether paced in a small circle...waiting...he couldn't stand the wait when he didn't know how long it would be. Sure, patience was easy if people could judge the time that they would be around. But this was excruciating! He knew that he had to wait for everyone to be ready for what he hoped would be the final assault. Scholae had come out victorious in this Feud...so far. That could all change in an instant though.

He watched as the second group of Scholae walked towards them and heard Zabitha speak. Now that Scholae was all together with the different strike forces on the ground, all that was left was the space team’s confirmation they were all grouped up and ready for the next stage in the assult up there. Last but not least, was the go ahead from their Feud allies, Plageuis. There may be a power struggle for clan status once this was all said and done, but that would be a later problem.

Everyone was checking their weapons supplies, restocking their stims from the back ups as well as going around and treating anyone injured. It was clear to Eether that everyone was getting antsy and ready to go, but no one could do so without the orders.
He leaned close to his friend Aka, “I’m surprised you’re sitting so till during this impatient time. Are you meditating or are you just picturing chasing little prey around in your mind?”

She glowered at him playfully before smacking his arm. As she did so, a noise came over everyone’s intercoms. It was their Emperor, Xen confirming everything was ready. This time thought, for the final assault, he would be joining them on the ground.

In Orbit Above Sepros
Aboard the Warspite

Having been assigned to duty aboard the ISD-II Warspite, there was not much Reiden could do for the Scholae forces on the surface of Sepros, but he knew that eliminating some of the enemy’s ships might increase the chance of success for their own ground forces. He was glad that Archangel had been in agreement with his suggestion and ordered the turbolaser barrage on Naga Sadow’s ships. Reiden watched through the viewport for a bit as the salvos raced across space toward the enemy, then he turned his attention back to the console he had been watching earlier, displaying the live feed of Scholae’s planetside assault. Satisfied that the ground forces had landed safely and begun their strike, he moved onto matters that involved their fleet in orbit.

Reiden turned from the console and made his way to Archangel’s wardroom and knocked, waiting for an acknowledgement before palming the door open and stepping inside.

“Sir, you asked for an update on the situation?” Reiden asked.

Archangel nodded, “That’s right. Knowing you, I bet you’ve kept an eye on the surface as well. How are our ground forces doing?”

“Camouflaged enemy combatants were engaged close to the landing zone, but they’ve been dealt with. Our troops then made their way to the firebase we were tasked with assaulting and it has now been successfully destroyed. They’re now heading for the Temple of Sorrow to engage the rest of Naga Sadow’s ground forces.”

“That’s good news,” the Aedile said with a smile. “What of our forces in orbit?”

“Our ships and fighter squadrons are still engaging Naga Sadow’s fleet. The Black Aces are proving a force to be reckoned with, as expected. Things seem to be proceeding as planned.” Reiden remained silent for a moment, unsure if he should even ask what was on his mind.

Archangel picked up on this and looked at the Knight, “What is it, Reiden?”

“Sir, I thought I overheard some chatter over the comms that we’re preparing for an ambush?”

Archangel simply smiled at him. “Reiden, why don’t you sit down a moment?”

The end is at hand.

Having pushed for so much, having fought and bled and died for ground soaked in the Dark Side, it is time to retreat.The betrayal of House Plagueis by House Scholae Palatinae has destroyed the strength and advantage of the alliance that was winning against Clan Naga Sadow. As such, you are retreating to your firebases for evacuation.

Luckily enough, your NPC Sergeants have been laying traps as you go. Remote activation mines, anti-speeder traps, anti-walker traps, and other things. They've been preparing for this eventuality. They, unlike you, were smart enough to recognize that Victory is never certain, and that in a moment of desperation, it's good to have a detonation activator in your hand as you flee.

The Sadowan Fleet is returning to full combat in orbit. They are focusing equally on the Palatinae Forces nearest to them, even as the hammer the Ascendant Navy. The Palatinae Forces on the far side are pouring fire into Plagueis. So far, the Ascendant fleet is condensing, but holding their own.

The Sadowan forces are pushing in on both groups from forward and behind. Your best and most reasonable option is retreat. At the ruins of the Firebases, you will have a chance to make your stand in the mud, the blood, and the gore.

„Retreat to the remnants of Southern Firebase,” ordered Xen’Mordin. “Any forces of Plagueis shall be considered as hostile. Show the troopers of the so called Ascendant House no mercy on our way to the firebase. We shall await there for evacuation.”

Xantros looked at his comrades and noticed that they were as much surprised with these strange orders as he was. The Dark Jedi Knight and the other Dark Jedi, as well as average soldiers of the Imperial House realized that whole situation changed. They were so close to the victory, almost ready to assault the Temple of Sorrow, where the main headquarters of Clan Naga Sadow were located. Now, they were retreating to the firebase, which had been previously destroyed by small task force, which included Xantros. They might be forced to fight on two fronts, defending themselves against forces of Clan Naga Sadow and House Plagueis.

“Definitely,” murmured Xantros. “I have not expect such situation to take place.”
“Neither have I,” replied Akatsuki. The Horansi was visibly upsed with the orders of the Emperor. “We could have destroyed whole Clan and take their planets into our possessions. We could have proved that we are worth to regain the status of Clan by defeating the Disciples of Sadow.”
“I know what you are feeling, Akatsuki,” spoke Valkas. “However, sometimes it is not worth to continue a fragile alliance with a House that will definitely betray you at one point. Making first move is very often a far better decision in such situations.”
“I understand,” replied Akatsuki, when her former Master finished his speech.
“We all need to take this lesson to our hearts. Patience is an extremely important trait of one’s personality,” said Xantros. “We do not know what has been planned by Xen’Mordin and Archangel. Only the course of action will reveal this secret. We can only wait patiently in order to learn their plan.”

Both of Xantros’ interlocutors nodded, but the discussion was finished. They continued the march towards the firebase in almost complete silence, as they remained vigilant, ready to fight any hostile forces that might appear on their way to the evacuation zone.

Akatsuki began mumbling curses, much to the shock of those around her, when the command was given. “You’ve got to be kidding me? A retreat? Running away? Our Emperor is off his bloody rocker!” The Horansi was enraged and growled through gritted fangs. “I should’ve killed Furios when he was there by us! Oh let any Plagueian cross my path now…I’m making a list!”

“Now now young one,” Valkas tried to reign in the fury of his former apprentice. “Orders are orders. We’re to return to the firebase and leave.”

Akatsuki snarled at her former Master, “You know, a well timed swipe of my paw and I could be Darth Tamalar…You cannot be first Master, but you can be next…”

He patted her on her head and in his most condescending tone said, “Go ahead and try, see what happens little one!”

“Aroooooooooooo!” Akatsuki howled in anger. The rest of the group remained quiet, it wasn’t like the Dark Jedi Knight to lose her cool as she was in the moment.

The rushed escape to the firebase was underway. The group moved in formation as to watch all sides. Those with GPS units on their holo-pads kept an eye on the radar. Those well seeped in the Force reached out to sense any beings, friendly or not.

A small group of troopers that had been assisting Plagueis was unfortunate enough to cross paths with the strike team from Scholae Palatinae. “Mine!” Akatsuki yelled as she lashed out, teeth and claws on the offensive. When the fray was over, two dead troopers lay decapitated in the jungle floor. The strike team attacked full on, lightsabers blazing. The troopers were only trained in the use of firing weapons, they couldn’t defend the lightsaber barrage.

As the bodies lay strewn about, parts missing, holes skewered and wounds though deadly, cauterized, the unit looked up to see Furios running away like a scared child. “Shall we?” Xan Phraz-Etar questioned, the Plagueian in his scope. “No, we scared him but good,” Akatsuki responded, “Let’s move on to the firebase.” Akatsuki's friendship with Furios stopped the sniper bullet.

Koryn came up with his apprentice Zabitha. “I was a little shocked to see you snap like that Catwoman!” Zabitha just nodded at the Horansi, a little frightened. She’d not seen her friend behave in such a way.

Eether was ranting and raving about wanting to blow more things up. Various other members discussed ignoring the order from Xen’Mordin and attacking anyhow.

“Enough!” Draco commanded, “The orders were to reach the firebase and evacuate as soon as possible.”

The group listened to the veteran and pressed forward. Many grumbles of, ‘Scholae never runs!’ ‘Why are we retreating?’ and other various tirades were whispered under breaths. But, the order was given…The group pressed forward to the firebase as commanded by Xen’Mordin, begrudgingly, but they still followed the orders.

Very few travels have ever dragged on so much. The forces of House Scholae Palatinae were attacked in a regular occurance by small units that belonged both to Clan Naga Sadow and House Plagueis. However, no hostile Dark Jedi accompanied them and their efforts were too unorganized to cause a real threat to the army of the Royal House. Average soldiers were no match for a large contingent of Dark Jedi in service of House Scholae Palatinae. Still, such attacks slowed the retreat of the army, as it required constant vigilance in order to avoid getting surprised and unnecessary casualties. The only positive aspect of the situation was that Xantros had an opportunity to satisfy his hunger of blood, at least to some extent. However, he missed the fight against some more challenging opponents - the Dark Jedi, who would wield similar power.

Suddenly, they heard a loud noise of a big explosion. It was far behind them, but they were sure of one thing. A larger contingent of troops, probably in service to Clan Naga Sadow, was heading in their direction. It was possible that the soldiers were assisted by several Dark Jedi, maybe Dark Jedi Knights or even more powerful Disciples of Sadow. "The real battle is close," thought Xantros with a nasty smile. "Finally, I will be able to warm myself up."

Still, the situation caused another problem. The remnants of the firebase, where they were heading to, were the only place, which was easy to defend, within many kilometers. If the army of House Scholae Palatinae was caught in the middle of the jungle, it might be destroyed by the overwhelming forces of Clan Naga Sadow. Even if the soldiers of the Royal House were to defend themselves with success, the casualties among them would be extremely high. It was also probable that some Dark Jedi would get killed and that would be a great loss to the House. The dream to become a predominant unit of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood would be delayed, if not completely shattered. The only chance to reduce the casualties to a minimum was to reach the ruins of the firebase and to defend their position there. However, it was not for certain, whether the whole army was going to manage to do that in time. Even booby traps and other attractions prepared by average soldiers of House Scholae Palatinae did not guarantee that. Something more had to be done to ensure the survival of the Imperial House.

Suddenly, Xantros heard a voice in his mind. It was the order and definitely came from Xen'Mordin, "Xantros, you wanted a fight and you will get it. You and few other Dark Jedi shall remain behind the main body of our army and slow down the march of the Disciples of Sadow and their troopers as much as it is possible. Be careful and do not take a greater risk than it is necessary to achieve your goal."

"Yes, my lord," replied Xantros through the Force.

The Dark Jedi Knight turned to the left and moved outside the main stream of the soldiers passing by. He noticed that several Dark Jedi, who were chosen for that task, did the same thing. As all troopers of the Imperial House outran them, they started to move in the direction of the destination point in a slow pace. They were determined to be successful at the task they had been ordered to perform. "For the Empire!" spoke Xantros with a strange smile.

Some famous Coruscanti author once wrote that ‘the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.’ And this hadn’t even been the best laid scheme. The plans had unfolded as expected, but as the situation had begun to devolve and change, they soon became obsolete. To quote another famous Coruscanti, ‘discretion is the better part of valor.

“All ships, this is the Grand Marshal” he announced, as he keyed the pad next to him to broadcast to a fleet-wide communications band. The officers around him sat a little straighter in their seats, their ears pricked to hear the orders of their commander. It wasn’t every day that the Grand Marshal of the entire military gave you a command and not even the Force could help you if you didn’t hear it for lack of attention.

“You are ordered to reverse course and proceed to grid marker two-two-ten-mark-fifteen, now designated Rendezvous Aurek. You will form up in an orderly fashion, maintain a closed formation in orbit and retrieve our ground forces. Once retrieval is complete, we will exit the system. Captains, send acceptance of orders to my batman”

He tapped a few keys, changing the channel to that of the ground forces commanders as well as any Dark Jedi on the ground. He hated to have to tell them this, and it sickened him to the core, but it had to be done.

“All ground forces, this is the Grand Marshal. I am ordering a general retreat and evacuation. The fleet will be in orbit above you in five minutes, and we have a short window to retrieve you all, so be ready to go. Send acceptance of orders to my batman”

The communications officer nodded to him, informing him of the completion of the message. He returned the nod, and glared out in the darkness of space. He could see the turbolaser batteries of the Dlarit fleet pounding his ships, as well as his own batteries pour salvos into the Ascendant melee. It was a mess.

“Reiden, maintain orbit and formation as instructed. Any deviation will result in punishment vetted by me, understood?”

The Knight looked visibly paler, but nodded, his jaw set with determination. He could hear the Grand Marshal’s barely caged rage in the older man’s voice, and did not wish to be the one to let it free. Archangel turned abruptly and stalked out, yelling at a pair of ensigns who dared to stray into his path.

After a turbolift ride which took far too damn long in Archangel’s mind, he strode down the long corridor towards the hangar bay. A Dark Jedi he had not seen before stepped out in front of him, her eyes widening at sighting the Aedile. Archangel stopped and glared at the woman.

“You” he said, his voice deep and barely tempered, “What is your name?”

“Alexa Vai, master” she replied, bowing her head slightly. She spoke with a clear and calm voice, something which many her senior would have trouble doing so in the presence of an angry Sith Battlemaster.

“Ms Vai, you will follow me. We will have wounded to treat and men to marshal. We need to get them on this ship and keep them alive. They are now our priority. We got them into this mess, and we’re sure as hell going to get them out. Understood?”

'Understood?' came the pressed word once again as Vai nodded her acknowledgement and followed quickly and closely.

Alexa Vai, fresh from the Shadow Academy and still learning to understand what exactly was happening, only knew the basics of any first aid; mainly just to keep herself mobile when wounded herself. She knew now that her minor knowledge would soon be put forth with more effort than she envisioned before.

Klaxons still rang out, deafening to the uneasy of hearing, which caused Vai to resort to deep breathing and on-the-go meditation to keep herself calm. Being in space upon a ship was not her first choice of places to be, especially in a time of war. Too many cramped places to squeeze through and get caught in. Not to her liking what-so-ever.

Following the Grand Marshal, Vai could sense the importance of his thoughts, to which he let run freely, though unseen by the lowly Acolyte. As they entered a largely open spaced chamber of the ship, Vai began to see the wounded lined on the outer walls while various sorts of equipment, both medical and militant, littered the center. Vai eyed the Grand Marshall once and quickly parted him to begin checking on the closest of the wounded; her training soon kicked in.

The first man she approached had bandages over his eyes, completely removing the ability to see and therefore fight, at least in Vai's eyes. She immediately left the man groaning in pain and moved to the next in line. This man was holding his ribs and grunting with resistant breaths. After a quick check over, Vai determined he had fractured a few ribs and went to work with the closest medical equipment she could to field dress the man's wounds. After finishing, she moved on and on.

A deal of time later, Vai had finished with eight field dressings and had passed over four others to which she deemed unsuited to return to fighting without a more experienced medic's assistance. Vai located the Grand Marshal once more as he was speaking to several of the soldiers and patiently waited for a moment to which she could intrude.

"I have done what I could to some of the men. Those not deathly injured are back in working condition and those I could do nothing for need wait for a proper medic, as I am not," the young woman stated plainly.

"That will have to do," is all she recieved in response as the Grand Marshal strode from the room with the Acolyte quickly in step to follow suite.

They hadn’t even set their helmets down before the lights in the ready room flicked to the red hue of a call for battle-stations. A raspy tinny voice came over the intercom.

“Pilots to your birds. Pilots to your birds.” It said, calmly.

“What the frack?” said Ace Three, looking to Nichos and Thran.

The men looked at each other before slipping their polished black helmets back over their short hair. They tightened their gloves and returned to the flight deck. The Aces could see in Thran’s gait that he was intent on destruction. While it inspired them, it also set them on edge. When the Admiral was enraged like this, he was dangerous. His regard for the well-being of others vanished along with his intoxicating smile. The pilots were worn ragged from an intense battle and with no rest, yet they eagerly leapt back into their cockpits.

TIE fighters swarmed as if they were angry wasps, sent forth to protect the hive. They buzzed the surface of the Escort Carriers, awaiting their orders from the Star Destroyers. The Warspite coughed flocks of the bubble centered fighters, as did the Indomitable, and the Excidium. The whole might of the Scholae Palatinae fleet had been released. The Aces, though not the first to join the battle this time, screamed from the hangar bay of the Warspite.

“Ace Squadron, Warspite Actual. Come in.” Archangel said over the communications circuit.

Thran’s finger clicked a toggle. The voice in his ears went silent. He would no longer be taking orders from anyone. In his mind, turning on the Plagueis fleet happened too soon. The Forces of Naga Sadow hadn’t even been gone for an hour before his leaders hastened the attack. They had allowed a damaged fleet to escape and did not bother to give chase. The combined might of Plagueis and Scholae Palatinae should have been enough to crush Naga Sadow beneath their heels. After Naga Sadow had been eliminated and Plagueis was beaten up by the Dlarit Navy, then they should attack. Instead, their poor planning left the Imperial Fleet pinched between Plagueis and an inbound Sadowan fleet. In Thran’s eyes, they were doomed. He would mark himself lucky if he could escape with his own life, much less to preserve the fleet. Damned fools, the lot of them. Thran had begged for war, but he had hoped there would be better planning. He blamed Archangel, he blamed Xen, but above all he blamed Tra’an Reith. The man was a traitor to Scholae Palatinae and as all shapeshifters, he was not to be trusted.

Thran could not place his anger on one single person. As a result, he placed it on anyone who was stupid enough to find themselves in his crosshairs. His mind ran wild as he calculated a plan of escape. They would not be going anywhere with two Interdictors in the field. They would have to conjure a way to disable both the Plagueis Atrim Pars and the Naga Sadow Heretic Sun. As skilled as they were, the Immobilizer 418 was well designed, especially in the redundancies behind the deflector shields. He would have to work with Archangel to coordinate the retreat.

“Warpite Actual, Ace One. What’s your plan, Admiral Jackass?” he spat into the com, finally responding to Archangel’s commands.

“We need to retreat, Thran.” He said, showing his agitation.

“YA DON’T SAY!” Thran roared back.

“We’re firing at everything we can here…” Archangel said in frustration.

“Renown, Repulse, and Relentless need to break away from the fleet. Use the Gunships as cover. Once they are free of engagement, Concentrate fire on their Interdictors. We need those Gravity Wells down. Keep the Interceptors close to the carriers, when we jump, we all have to jump. How are we doing getting our troops off the ground?”

“Not well...” Archangel said, taking Thran’s direction.

“Figures.” Thran said, cutting the communique off.

His fighter rolled over, arcing through the star lit battlefield. He ran through the scenario in his mind. Things did not look good. He took a deep breath and focused his anger. It would take every ounce of skill and cunning to get the fleet through this.

There was no time to think whilst charging through the jungles; no time to gather ones bearings. It was just a mad dash to return to the Firebase. Dlarit artillery fire was beginning in earnest, throwing up dust into the air, obscuring vision even further. Through the fog of war, Koryn could make out the silhouette of a figure, violet lightsaber drawn. Instinctively, Koryn drew his own blade. Leaping through the air, the Rodian brough his weapon to come crashing down on the figure. At the last second the dust cleared to reveal Xantros. Deactivating his lightsaber in midair, the Priest landed in a crouch in front of the Duro.

"Come on," insisted Koryn. "What are you doing?" Xantros had a bloodthirsty look in his gaze. Zabitha came to a stop by her Master's side.

"Xen has given us the order. We will see the Sadow lines run red with their blood." Koryn shook his head and turned back to Zabitha.

"Go with the rest of the troops. I'll be with you soon." He motioned to a nearby squad to cover his Apprentice. They moved in on her position and disappeared into the smoke laden jungle. Turning his attention back to the Duro, Koryn noticed a rainbow of colours shining through the smoke. Did the Quaestor not realise the casualties that would be sustained? "This is suicide, you realise." Xantros shook his head.

"It is the Force's will; it is the Emperor's will." Koryn tapped a couple of buttons on his commlink.

"Xen, do you copy?" He had to get to the bottom of this. "Confirmation of the order to hold position and engage hostiles." There was no reply. The Quaestor was obviously indisposed with the space battle. Koryn cursed inwardly.

"You should go," advised the Knight. "We'll slow them down, but the Firebase will need to be defended until evac arrives." Xantros was right. If he truly believed this was something that needed doing, there would be no persuading him.

"Good luck, my friend. I wager you'll need it." Koryn took off in the direction of his Apprentice. It didn't take long to find her. It appeared that the squad had been ambushed by Sadow; the troops lay dead around her, scorches on their armour indicative of a firefight. With the Force as her ally, Zabitha was managing to hold her own. Getting closer, Koryn could see that this was not the work of Naga Sadow, but Plagueis. The crest of the Ascendant Clan adorned the soldiers' armour. Drawing his lightsaber, the Krath quickly closed the gap between himself and the nearest combatant. Thrusting the crimson blade through the troop's stomach ended him quickly, and blasting his body forward on a wave of the Force saw that two of his squad were briefly incapacitated.

Adjusting his grip, Koryn twisted his weapon to deflect a torrent of fire. Shots were fired from behind him; Zabitha downed another two. Taking advantage of the squad's need to reload, the Priest slashed forward, leaving only one left. Lifting him up like a marionette with invisible strings, Koryn brought him close enough to drive his lightsaber through his chest.

"You're learning quickly, Zab," he said proudly, deactivating his lightsaber.

"See, I told you I listened to you, Master."

"Let's go, we should get back to the Firebase before nightfall," Quickly scanning the area with the Force before moving on, Koryn and Zabitha continued through the jungle to the extraction point.

Xantros bared his teeth, when he noticed that their enemies came from the armies of the Ascendant House. He could feel that his anger and hatred were getting strong and stronger. House Plagueis was the ally of the Imperial House! Or at least that was what Xantros had been said. Now, their soldiers did not hesitate to attack their former allies. "They shall pay for this betrayal," thought Xantros. "The price shall be so high that they will never think about attacking might heirs of Emperor Palpatine himself!"

The purple blade of his lightsaber was the last thing than many soldiers loyal to House Plagueis saw, if they managed to see it before they got killed. Assisted by his friend, Dark Jedi Knight Akatsuki, and few other Dark Jedi of House Scholae Palatinae, Xantros revelled in the battle. He hardly ever enjoyed mindless slaughter, but that time, he was determined to kill as many of his enemies as it was only possible. He could not stand any act of betrayal, even if he had expected something like that to happen.

Countless bodies were lying on the ground. The verdure of the grass and low bushes was mixed and covered with red colour of blood. However, more and more soldiers were coming. Surprisingly, not all belonged to House Plagueis. Some of them wore uniforms of Naga Sadow scouts. But, Xantros did not pay attention to that. On the contrary to his usual behaviour, he was hungry of blood and battle.

Suddenly, he felt a paw on his arm. He quickly turned around, ready to kill an animal that was getting to attack him, but he noticed that it was Akatsuki. She immediately spoke, "Xantros, we need to retreat immediately. There are soldiers loyal to Clan Naga Sadow incoming. They are very close to our position and there are some Dark Jedi with them."

The Duro looked at her surprised, as he would never expect the Horansi to resign from an opportunity to kill some enemies. However, there was a reason in her words and he could not deny that. He could only refuse to accept that wisdom, but such decision would be a suicide. Now, when the rage ended and his mind was clear again, he could sense that Akatsuki was correct. He realised that the attack of the forces loyal to House Plagueis was an accident or a coincidence. They probably had the same plan - to retreat to the firebase, which they had destroyed previously, and to wait there for the evac. However, there was no time for further thoughts like that.

"You are correct, Akatsuki. Let's move out, but slowly," spoke Xantros, but the anger, which he felt, was still hearable in his voice. "We must reach the evac zone before the night, but I do not want to get surprised by the Disciples of Naga Sadow. However, we will engage the battle only if necessary."

Akatsuki nodded and the group followed the retreating army of House Scholae Palatinae.

Akatsuki looked around at the remaining forces of Palatinae. "We must make it to the firebase for evacuation. As much as I'd love to collect Sadow sabers, orders are orders." This group wanted to take over, these were the warriors with the ways of Palatine in their hearts. They bled Scholae. No one wanted to retreat. Being on the edge of glory only to be called away was almost too much to bear.

Xantros was being obstinate. He wanted to kill both Plagueians and Sadows. Hesitant to push forward, the Duro finally agreed and joined the group as they pushed in a final moment to reach the firebase. The journeymen and other troops were kept on the inside, with the more experienced members on the outside.

As they made their way to the make-shift landing strip, there was a hail of blaster bolts from the folliage. Those with lightsabers in the group protected their apprentices as well as the journeymen that were brave enough to serve.

Akatsuki ignited her sun blazoned lightsaber and kept it in motion. She knew using her Soresu III form would prove the most protection for herself and Ulfsark. There were chinks and crackles as her lightsaber blocked the incoming fire.

The Horansi looked at the rest of the group. "Less than ten meters!" Her joy at making it to the evacuation point was disrupted by a loud explosion and screams of dying troops. "Wonder who that was?"

Xan responded, "I'm not sure, some enemy...Does it matter, they were likely trying to sneak up from the rear. The explosives were set for a reason."

As they pushed into the clearing where the ships could land, there was a collective sigh. The problem was, could our ships hold off the Sadow forces? Would the transports be able to land?

Xan grumbled to himself. The thought of retreating sickened him, but there was nothing to do about it now. The Palatinae strike force made it back to the firebase, and started to hunker in for the wait. The journeymen were instructed to barricade themselves behind any and all cover they could find, as the more experienced members were to cover all directions of the forefronts. Xan pulled out his sniper rifle as he settled in to a nice spot beside his Akatsuki. She grinned as Xan started picking off Ascendant forces, cracking off headshots left and right. Xantros had his saber ignited, deflecting as many blaster bolts as he could, and hacking away any soldiers that got too close. Eether was doing the same, trying his best to defend the wookie apprentice he called his own. Xan fired off two more shots, effectively putting holes through two more Plagueian troopers. He heard his holo start ringing, and answered as he instructed the other Obelisk to keep the pace going.

"Xan here, what's your ETA? Things are getting pretty ridiculous down here."

"This is Archangel, your transport is almost there, get everyone ready to pile in. We've only got one chance to get this right, the AA fire is beginning to increase."

"We'll be ready, just get here quickly."

Xan cut the line, and looked at Akatsuki.

"Aka, they're almost here. We need to round everyone up and get on that transport, I can hear the engines getting closer."

"Agreed, cover me!"

Xan roared orders to lay down covering fire, and his troops obliged nicely. They were to be the last to leave, as they always are. Akatsuki started to round up the strike team forces, as the transport finally landed.

"Go! Go! Go! Into the transport NOW!" Akatsuki roared.

The strike team started piling in, Journeymen first, troops after. The remaining Dark Jedi started to pile in, as Xan and his Obelisk troops lobbed their last grenades, and spent their last clips.

"Troops! Go! I'll cover you!" Xan yelled to his troops.

As the troops began their retreat, Xan ignited his yellow blade and started deflecting any bolts he could. He would not let any more Palatinae blood be spilled by these Ascendant dogs. It seemed timing was on Scholae's side as Sadowan forces started their attack on the Plagueian forces on their flank. Xan grinned to himself as he heard the screams of dying men, and explosions going off in all directions. He was almost to the transport as he turned around one last time, looking upon this jungle expanse. This jungle of death. Akatsuki's large paw grabbed him from behind and yanked him into the transport as the doors closed. The transport's engines screamed back to life, and launched towards the waiting Palatinae ships in orbit.