Blue Mist Run-on

Atten-shun! Troopers of Battleteam Blue Mist. We are about to undergo a run-on. Since we have limited Troopers it is imperative we all post! I will begin now.

Guardian Caedes sat in his quarters of Blue Mists base on Dantooine, conversing with the holo-images of Proconsul Sashar Kodiak Erinos and Quaestor Zandro Savric Erinos. "It is imperative that we intervene, to show the group that Galeres is there to back them up and continue our relations of arms-trading. Do you understand this Sergeant?" asked Zandro. "Yes sir...crystal. When shall we depart and what are the details?" responded Caedes, nodding his head in understanding. "You leave tomorrow at 0300, details are on your datapad...now" intoned Sashar. "Good luck Sergeant Caedes" Zandro and Sashar said in unison. Nodding thier heads in respect, both figures images fizzed out and left the holo-projector blank. Caedes looked down at his data-pad and read the packet from Sashar. It contained supplies needs, times, rendazous points and such. Caedes changed the info-packet to Team wide and sent to all his Troopers, scattered throughout the base.

Caedes stood at the center of the Tactical Room in the base and nodded in greeting as his Troopers gathered into a ring around him and the holo-display. "Greetings all...I have recieved word from our leaders, Proconsul Sashar and Quaestor Zandro that one of our Houses arm-dealing comrads has fallen under attack from a radical group of cultists believing in the thought process that any group should provide for themselves. War erupted after our arms-dealing group...the Night Stars...refused to disband trade with us and numerous other suppliers. Apparently the cult...The 'Gwelio' have military strength beyond the thought of the Night Stars. They have been beaten back to a small number of bases on the planet of Cian". Caedes took out a clicker and the Holo-Display showed a single planet. "What do we do sir?" asked the Teams Weaponry Chief Legorii. "Zandro has asked that we aid the Stars to keep up relations with the group" Caedes answered. Looking at his five Troopers, silent and determined, he continued "We leave at 0300...supply needs and equipment suggestions are on your data-pads". "Furthermore...load your speeders onto the Heavy Haze and any equipment you need beside your basic equipment like weapons and medical" Caedes instructed. "I'll oversee the loading of the ship" spoke up another Trooper, the Teams pilot, JS. "Thank you JS and as always...Oriens Coactum" intoned Caedes. The Troopers repeated the saying and dismissed themselves from the Tactical Room.

<<0300, Blue Mist Base; Loading onto the Heavy Haze>>

Sergeant Caedes, now dressed in his midnight blue armor, stood at the ramp of the Blue Mists Lander, the Heavy Haze, his helmet cradeled in the nook of his arm. The Sergeant watched as JS came up to him, simiarly dressed in midnight blue armor with a red stripe on his right shoulder defining him as pilot. JS strode up to him, saluted and said "Sergeant...the Haze is warmed up and ready to go on your mark". "Excellent my friend...go to the cockpit and I'll be there to check into the sensor suite shortly" responded Caedes. In the traditional Blue Mist way, both Troopers grabbed the other's right armor pad, Caedes covering up JS' one red and JS covering his own three gold. It was a sign of equality and when in came down to it in battle, each was as good as the other, regardless of rank. Nodding to Caedes, JS strode to the Haze and jogged up ramp. Caedes slowly walked towards the ship, checking his weapons, his Verpine 52o assault pistol and EE-6 assualt rifle. Running a gloved hand around his vibro-sword, he checked its sharpness and was satisfied when the blade made a light cut on his glove. Carefully uncurling his newest weapon, a Shock Whip, he snapped it out and saw the little sparks of electricity appear. By this time, the Sergeant had reached the boarding ramp of the Haze and gazed inside to see his Troopers sitting perfectly still, all in blue armor and helmets on hooks above them. Through a side door was the berth for all six Aratech speederbikes, all painted blue and bearing the crest of the team. Caedes boarded the ship and nodded to each of his Troopers as he passed and made his way to the cockpit, where JS was situated at the controls. Sliding himself into the Sensory Suite, Caedes montioned for JS to take off. Nodding, JS deactivated the landing gear and caught the ship on it's thrusters. Closing the boarding ramp, JS rose and extended the wings for flight. With that done, the Sith switched off the thrusters and shot the Heavy Haze skyward. As the Haze cut through the clouds and approached space, Caedes said "Y'know JS, it's not even dawn and where already working". "That's the way it goes Sarge...trust me" replied JS, looking over his shoulder and giving a sarcastic grin. Putting his own helmet on a hook, Obelisk Sergeant Caedes returned the grin and rested his head against the bulwark of the BMS Heavy Haze.

Legorii stood on board next to Caedes, dressed in his crimson armor, helmet on. His sharp red eyes, altered by surgery, surveyed the other troopers as they stood ready to go to battle. All were well equipped, most carrying their own customized weapons. Legorii carried a BlasTech A280 in his right hand, his gloved finger only an inch away from the trigger. Strapped to the Weapons Chief's back was a katana, carrying the markings of Legorii's family. The blade was well worn, but it still served its master well in battle.

The second in command of Blue Mist had his comlink hooked directly to Sergeant Caedes, so he could be in touch with his leader at all times to coordinate the movements of Blue Mist. Legorii was confident that Blue Mist could handle this skirmish, but being a relatively new team this would be their first test. Legorii shifted, turning to face Caedes as the ship accelerated, stars flashing by the viewports in dazzlingly bright flashes.

"Sergeant, are the Gwelio well armed, and do we have exact details on their numbers, bases, and other information crucial to the success of the mission? Or is command sending us in blind, relying on our training and ability to get us through successfully?"

The Gwelio seemed to have at least a little tactical backing and leadership ability, judging from the reports his Sarge had supplied him with. If they were well supplied, this campaign to aid the Night Stars could take a while, years even. Legorii had a lot of ammo on his speederbike. Speaking of which, that bike was in top condition, Legorii had recently fine tuned it and had some new lasers mounted to provide better firepower. Its engines had been given a makeover too, providing better acceleration and stability.

Legorii had done some research on the planet Cian before they had left at 0300. It seemed that it received very high rates of yearly precipitation, a wet climate that would be dreadful for tactical maneuvering. The speeder bikes would be their prime concern, they needed to keep them all in top condition to stay mobile and be able to react quickly against the Gwelio. The Weaponry Chief had put some thought into how exactly they would retake the cities taken by the radical enemies. Because Blue Mist was slim in numbers, they wouldnt be able to engage the Gwelio in all out battles. They would have to keep shifting tactics, hit and run operations. Perhaps they could use the climate to their advantage, striking quickly then fading before the enemy could pin them down and retaliate. Their forces would be stretched thin, holding so many outposts, so they would be unable to move quickly enough to beat back the Blue Mist invaders.

The Weapons Chief wouldnt have time to talk strategy with Sergeant Caedes and the other Blue Mist members until they had landed on Cian and set up their camp. It would have to be mobile, they couldnt set themselves into one place. Being quick and untraceable would be key, they couldnt overwhelm their foes with brute strength and firepower. Hopefully they could rendezvous with any Night Star military forces, and together coordinate their strikes to cripple the Gwelio operations. In the cargo hold of the ship was a fair amount of explosives, tons of blaster rifle clips, some spare katanas and vibroshivs, even some vibroknucklers and locust knives for Blue Mists use. Legorii had requested all this weaponry from Zandro, and he had approved it. The Night Stars would undoubtedly be well equipped as well, being arms dealers, and perhaps could make some bargains with their trading partners if arms ran short.

All in all, Legorii was confident in their ability to perform well and do House Galeres proud. The campaign against the Gwelio would take time, but with such great comrades as Caedes, JS, Dathkka, Qu-Le Brog, and Illian Syn. Checking his blaster one last time, adjusting the katana strapped to his back, Legorii set his jaw and stared off into the depths of the galaxy, ready to crush all opposition in defense of Galere's assets and Blue Mist's pride.

Legorii stood on board next to Caedes, dressed in his crimson armor, helmet on. His sharp red eyes, altered by surgery, surveyed the other troopers as they stood ready to go to battle. All were well equipped, most carrying their own customized weapons. Legorii carried a BlasTech A280 in his right hand, his gloved finger only an inch away from the trigger. Strapped to the Weapons Chief's back was a katana, carrying the markings of Legorii's family. The blade was well worn, but it still served its master well in battle.

The second in command of Blue Mist had his comlink hooked directly to Sergeant Caedes, so he could be in touch with his leader at all times to coordinate the movements of Blue Mist. Legorii was confident that Blue Mist could handle this skirmish, but being a relatively new team this would be their first test. Legorii shifted, turning to face Caedes as the ship accelerated, stars flashing by the viewports in dazzlingly bright flashes.

"Sergeant, are the Gwelio well armed, and do we have exact details on their numbers, bases, and other information crucial to the success of the mission? Or is command sending us in blind, relying on our training and ability to get us through successfully?"

The Gwelio seemed to have at least a little tactical backing and leadership ability, judging from the reports his Sarge had supplied him with. If they were well supplied, this campaign to aid the Night Stars could take a while, years even. Legorii had a lot of ammo on his speederbike. Speaking of which, that bike was in top condition, Legorii had recently fine tuned it and had some new lasers mounted to provide better firepower. Its engines had been given a makeover too, providing better acceleration and stability.

Legorii had done some research on the planet Cian before they had left at 0300. It seemed that it received very high rates of yearly precipitation, a wet climate that would be dreadful for tactical maneuvering. The speeder bikes would be their prime concern, they needed to keep them all in top condition to stay mobile and be able to react quickly against the Gwelio. The Weaponry Chief had put some thought into how exactly they would retake the cities taken by the radical enemies. Because Blue Mist was slim in numbers, they wouldnt be able to engage the Gwelio in all out battles. They would have to keep shifting tactics, hit and run operations. Perhaps they could use the climate to their advantage, striking quickly then fading before the enemy could pin them down and retaliate. Their forces would be stretched thin, holding so many outposts, so they would be unable to move quickly enough to beat back the Blue Mist invaders.

The Weapons Chief wouldnt have time to talk strategy with Sergeant Caedes and the other Blue Mist members until they had landed on Cian and set up their camp. It would have to be mobile, they couldnt set themselves into one place. Being quick and untraceable would be key, they couldnt overwhelm their foes with brute strength and firepower. Hopefully they could rendezvous with any Night Star military forces, and together coordinate their strikes to cripple the Gwelio operations. In the cargo hold of the ship was a fair amount of explosives, tons of blaster rifle clips, some spare katanas and vibroshivs, even some vibroknucklers and locust knives for Blue Mists use. Legorii had requested all this weaponry from Zandro, and he had approved it. The Night Stars would undoubtedly be well equipped as well, being arms dealers, and perhaps could make some bargains with their trading partners if arms ran short.

All in all, Legorii was confident in their ability to perform well and do House Galeres proud. The campaign against the Gwelio would take time, but with such great comrades as Caedes, JS, Dathkka, Qu-Le Brog, and Illian Syn. Checking his blaster one last time, adjusting the katana strapped to his back, Legorii set his jaw and stared off into the depths of the galaxy, ready to crush all opposition in defense of Galere's assets and Blue Mist's pride.

Caedes rose from the sensory suite and walked over to JS, where he profesionally guided the Heavy Haze through Cians atmosphere. "How long?" asked the fellow Knight. "We're about 10 out" responded JS, iniatlizing the Clean mode to wipe off the light rain of the atmosphere. "Right...any complications?" asked Legorii, coming to stand on the opposite side of the Sergeant. "Not really...the rain is affecting com signals and we can't set down so you're going to have to pull a SEM" answered JS. 'SEM' or Speeder Evac Manuver, was a special manuver in which the Battleteam rode their speeders off the boarding ramp, in the case the craft couldn't land. "Got it...inform us when we're five out" ordered Caedes. JS and nodded and returned to the controls. Caedes motioned for the Weapons Chief to come with him and the pair opened the door from the cockpit into the Troop Bay. "Alright Troops, JS informs us me that we are about 10 out and that we are going to have to pull a SEM due to the heavy rain on the surface. So you are to gather your gear and move to the Speeder Bay. Chief here will get all of your weapons onto the speeders. Lets get to it!" instructed Caedes. "Coactum!" answered all the Troops, grabbing their helmets from the overhead hooks and utility belt from underside. "I'll return in a moment" Caedes told Legorii. Caedes strode off towards his private quarters and pulled forth his datapad. He keyed in the passcode and brought up his personal file. He found his Will and sent it to his lover back on Galeres base. Even though Caedes knew he wasn't going to die, it was a precaution he had developed back when he was an Assassian. Gathering his own utility belt, Caedes strapped it on and unhooked his newest weapon, his own lightsaber. Caedes thumbed the switch and grinned as the yellow light reflected off the walls of his quarters. Deactivating the saber, Caedes put it back on his belt and returned to the Troop Bay.

Caedes now stood at the head of his Troopers, all standing by their warmed-up speeder bikes. "Sir, we are five out" came JS' voice over the com. "Alright! We are going in hot so follow my lead. On my count I'll open the Boarding Ramp and I'll go, after me you'll go out in your pairs. Understand?" ordered Caedes. "Sir yes sir!!!" shouted his Troopers. "Helmets on and mount your bikes" said Caedes as he donned his own helmet, midnight blue with a black visor and three gold bars on it. Once he saw all his men on their bikes and ready to go, Caedes depressed the release button and with a 'swoosh' of air, the ramp descended, giving the men of Blue Mist their first look at Cian. Caedes mounted his own vehicle and activated his lightsaber. Caedes raised his voice and bellowed "TROOPERS OF BLUE MIST!!! FORM UP ON ME AND LETS RIDE!" With that, Caedes opened the accelerator and rode his speeder off the ramp and into the stormy terrain of Cian.

Legorii accelerated, his speeder bike plunging off the ramp after Sarge. For a sickening second or so he hung in the air, before crashing down among the swampy ground. A torrential downpour soaked all the Blue Mist warriors within a matter of seconds, the engines of their speeder bikes roaring as they followed Sergeant Caedes. Legorii had personally seen to it that every Blue Mist bike was fully equipped and armed, and he thumbed his own mounted lasers, switching the power switch on while they heated up.

Cian looked like a miserable planet, judging from the swampy ground, harsh rains, mists swirling around, and overcast sky. The temperature was moderate, but Legorii couldnt feel it through his crimson armor. The red suit was strikingly contrasting to the dreary environment of Cian, whereas Sergeant Caedes' midnight blue armor was more of a match for Cian's climate and decorum. The other troopers of Blue Mist were following closely, Legorii took his eyes off Caedes' bike for just long enough to flash a grin at JS. Of course, he was wearing a helmet, so the gesture was meaningless. Reveling in the exhileration, the adrenalin rush, of deftly piloting his speeder bike at high speeds through a foreign environment, his comrades around him, was all that the Weaponry Chief needed to be assured of victory on Cian.

Reaching up a gloved hand, Legorii brushed some beaded water droplets from his visor, setting his jaw as he pushed his bike still faster. The bike powered a head, spraying up water in its wake, and Legorii was soon riding parallel to Caedes. The horizon ahead was blurry, obscured by the swirling mists of Cian. The rain was showing no signs of letting up, but warriors of the Obelisk would not allow such petty annoyances to hinder their combat abilities. Blue Mist was here to enforce House Galeres, show their weapons dealers their gratitude. That, and prove themselves the valid Cavalry, smashing a group of radical cultists in the name of Arcona and House Galeres.

Caedes looked over and saw his Weaponry Chief riding next to him. Nodding in encouragment, Caedes checked his gauntlet datapad for coordinates to the Night Stars current location. Ahead of him, Caedes could see the glowing colors of fires and the dilapadated buildings , some abanodend and others gutted by artiliery. Caedes accerlerated and the Team shot into the first street of the nearest city. All around, smoke, fire, and sounds of war. Caedes turned a sharp left and came to a guardpost of an encampment. One well fit man appeared from behind a pile of rubble, a Verpine Shattergun aimed at the Battleteam. Caedes slowed down and signaled for his Troopers to do the same. Caedes silently showed the guard the datapad and the guard recognized the text on the screen. The message read 'This group of warriors is the Galeres back-up'. The guards face looked relieved as he guided Blue Mist into the makeshift motor-pool. Caedes and his men dismounted and followed the guard to a large fueling station. Suddenly the guard spoke in a deep voice "Our leader is waiting in the control room, take the ladder up to the second floor, across the catwalk and up the flight of stairs. I've radioed ahead to have the rest of the guards stand down...and thank you for coming". "It is our pleasure" said Trooper Illian Syn. Caedes nodded and his Troopers continued, following the desired path. Soon they came to the control room, where a man dressed in black armor greeted them. "My profound gratitude for aiding us. I am Darvik, leader of the Night Stars" . Darvik extended his gloved hand which Caedes grasped and shook. "We are happy to aid. We have brought weapons and medical to help you. However, due to the terrain, our pilot cannot land" he said. "Thank you, we need every bit we can get. Your craft is welcome to land here of course" said Darvik. "Thank you...Que, get JS on the link and relay the coordinates" Caedes instructed, throwing Que-Le Brogg his private comlink. The Trooper nodded and went off into a corner to relay the instructions. "You must be tired...Ovark here will show you where you can set up" said Darvik, snapping his fingers to another dressed in black. "Thank you...we---" Caedes started. However before he could finish, a woman dressed in Scout 6 Armor ran into the room. "Commander! Stinger missiles inbound!" she screamed. Sure enough a 'whine' became auidable and then...'BOOM'!

Sergeant Caedes sprung to his feet, his lightsaber flying to his hand. "Our shields stopped most of the blast but another scout reports a platoon of Gwelio. Can you aid us?" asked the Commander, fetching a helmet and a Arkanian Blaster Rifle. "Absoutlutly" said Caedes. Darvik nodded and he and 6 other men rushed out of the east control room door. "Blue Mist with me" said Caedes and lead his group out the east door. "Legorii, use the binocs, what can you see?" asked the Sergeant. "A squad of enemies, coming towards our position" reported Legorii. "Right...all right Team, remeber we're Dark Jedi" said Caedes. As his Team was still wondering about his meaning, they saw their Sarge vault over the railing. "He's the boss!" shouted Que over the sound of blasterfire, following Caedes lead. Legorii was next and followed by Illian. All the Troopers landed safely with help from the Force and turned to see their enemies engage the Sergeant. "Go go go!" yelled Legorii and rushed to help his Sarge. Legorii unsheathed his family katana and swung at a Gwelio. Caedes turned to see his Troopers rush to his aid. He returned his focus to the battle and ducked a vibro-sword swing. He jumped and impaled the Gwelio with his lightsaber. He turned to see his second-in-command behead another Gwelio and Illian shoot yet another. Already half of the Teams enemies were down. Just then, Caedes was knocked over by a brutish Gwelio, weilding a hammer with a durasteel head. Just as the brute was about to come down with the hammer, the assasiliant stumbled and fell, dead. Looking up, Caedes saw JS standing over him, red lightsaber humming. The Pilot extended his hand and Caedes grasped it and rose...just as another two Gwelio approached. Going back-to-back, the two Knights engaged the enemy and quickly disposed of them. "Sir! All Gwelio on this side are down" reported Legorii, jogging over, his katana in hand. "Excellent, quickly we must the aid the Night Stars!" exclaimed the Sergeant.

Two Hours Later;

"I cannot thank you enough for your assistance" enthused Darvik, once again back in the control room. "Only the beginning" said Caedes. "Now...we suffered no casulaties and you eliminated two Brutes, Gwelio commandants...now Orvark will show you to your quarters" Darvik said. Orvark smiled at the Blue Mist Troopers and lead them down to the basement of the powerplant and into a private section. Orvark nodded and left. "Excellent work today Troopers...this is the first of many" said Caedes, removing his helmet and smiling at his men. "I'm going to wash up and you all have the rest of the night off" granted Caedes, leaving the room. Upon his return thirty minutes later, Caedes grinned as he saw Que-Le Brogg and Illian Syn both asleep on their bunks, still dressed in full armor.

Legorii had just finished severing the head of a Gwelio radical, his katana slicing clean through the tender flesh of the man's neck. A black silk mask concealed his features, and Legorii did not bother to rip it from his face. Instead he let the head roll, trailing blood through the swampy ground. The body collapsed to the ground, the heart still pumping warm blood at a high rate into the wet grass. Clutched in the man's hand was a datapad, its screen dark. He wore strange robes, lined with red stripes. They seemed to be the robes of some kind of priest, but Legorii was not sure. He crouched down and pried the datapad from the priest's hand, taking it and attempting to activate it. Unfortunately, it was encrypted, and Legorii didnt have the key. He quickly searched the body for one, but found nothing. Cursing in disgust, he tucked the datapad into a pouch on his belt and turned away.

Sergeant Caedes was already meeting with the Night Star leaders, and the rest of Blue Mist was relaxing. But Legorii did not rest, he turned and set off into the fog. The sun was setting, and shadows lengthened across the swampy ground. The relentless downpour had slowed, not to a comlete halt but to a slight drizzle. Legorii walked across the ground for about ten minutes, until he could no longer see the complex where Blue Mist had fought the battle with the scouting vanguard. It was obvious that the Gwelio had been no more than a scouting party, they had been sorely underequipped and unprepared to face a coordinated strike or any sophisticated tactics. Legorii wondered if the Gwelio forces had been split into small parties like that, not expecting any solid resistance from the Night Stars. If that was the case, the best option would be to strike quickly and overwhelm the small parties, before word spread of a new ally arriving, before they could reunite and take on Blue Mist while it was disadvantaged.

The Weapons Chief was unsure what the next course of action was, but he assumed Blue Mist would sit tight and fortify the area for a few days. The speeder bikes were loaded with supplies, and they would need a fortified base if they were to launch an extended campaign against the Gwelio. The city walls were torn down, the buildings ripped apart. A strong outer perimeter was needed, and defensive arrays had to be set up. Legorii figured he could rig some turrets up, and the speeders could be used to transport rubble to pile up around the central base. A few staunch defenders could hold the base for a day at least, before the walls would be overwhelmed. It depended on Sarge's decisions in meeting with Darvik.

Legorii knelt, wiping his katana on the ground. The red blood was washed off of the cool steel, staining the grass crimson. The katana's blade was knicked, scarred from hundreds of past battles. But it was a faithful weapon, and still gleamed in Legorii's hand. Someday he would abandon the katana in favor of a lightsaber of his own, but until then this family katana would be his. Legorii had no heirs to turn his weapon over to, so he would keep it. But no longer would it go to battle in the palm of its youngest master's hand, but serve Legorii in a case. As the blood was wiped off, the insciption was revealed along the blade. A verbis ad verbera, which meant "from words to blows." For Legorii's father had made his way in the galaxy with a sweet tongue and an eye for a bargain, but his fortune had been made in the more combative Underworld of Coruscant. The words meant a lot to Legorii, and along with the words Oriens Coactum, that was how he lived his life.

The Weaponry Chief lived by the tenents of Blue Mist, Galeres, and of Arcona. He upheld all their beliefs and traditions, living the life of an Obelisk warrior. Standing once more, the warrior sheathed his katana, once more across his back. He continued walking, finishing his circuit of the city's perimeter. Then he made his way back into the city. It was dark now, around 1900. The central gate leading into the city, whose name Legorii did not know, was torn down. The iron gate was lying rusted to the side, the inscriptions on its center impossible to understand. The warrior strode into the city, all was quiet. However, Legorii knew that the Night Stars were watching, hidden in the dilapadated homes lining the once illustrious avenues. Nobody moved to stop Legorii, either because they knew he was an ally or because they did not care. Legorii fervently hoped it was the former, because if it was the latter then the cause was lost.

Soon he reached the command center, seeing Darvik and Sergeant Caedes deep in discussion. Not wanting to intrude, Legorii waited patiently out in the hallway. He wondered where JS was, but assumed he was attending his duties. There was much work to be done, but until Sergeant Caedes was finished his talks with Darvik they couldnt do anything. Legorii leaned against the doorframe, removing his helmet and closing his eyes. Tomorrow would be a long day.

Caedes rose from his bunk next to Legorii and swung his feet over the top and hopped to the ground. Dressing in his mesh underlay, Caedes quickly jogged up the stairs to a roof exit. A heavy downpour had started again last night but Caedes didn't mind. By the time he reached the Sentinel, his hair was soaked along with his underlay. He quickly keyed in the access code and went into his private quarters. Once there, Caedes quickly retrieved the key-card to the cargo hold and off-loaded the medical supplies that Galeres had sent with them. Caedes put them on one of the working carg elevators and sent them down to the 6th floor, where a storage room had become a make-shift med-bay. Caedes climbed yet another ladder and came to the very top of the facility. He knelt down in the rain and meditated, reliving the past events of yesterday and the war that was to follow. Fifteen minutes in, his comlink beeped with a message from Commander Darvik, asking to meet him in the Conference Room. Caedes obliged and leaped off the roof and Force-glided down to the outside level of the Conference Room, level 4. Entering the hallway, he saw two Night Star guards flank the door. Caedes nodded to each and entered the room, seeing Darvik seated at the head. "Sergeant come in, come in...take a seat and let us discuss our plans". Caedes greeted the Commander and sat at the opposite end and listened as Darvik began to speak on his ideas.

3 Hours Later; Compound Mess Hall

"Darvik wants the base fortified today and then we are going to start operations the next day" Caedes told Legorii, who sat next to him, drinking a cup of caf. "Alright" agreed Legorii. Just as the Sergeant was about to rise and return to the quarters to wash up, Legorii grabbed his wrist and Caedes stopped and turned around "Yes Legorii?" asked Caedes. "Sir, I found this on the corpse of one of the Gwelio that I killed" Legorii said, showing his Sergeant the datapad. Caedes took the pad, but before he could activate it, Legorii stopped him "It's heavily encrypted sir...all the reason for the need to crack it". "Good find Chief...take it back to the quarters, put in your travel bag and show no one else...I have a feeling we found something good...good enough to want back". Caedes handed the pad back to the Weaponry Chief and strode out of the Mess.

Sergeant Caedes stood before his Troopers. All were dressed in their armor and standing ad-ease. "Listen up! The bulk of today will be used fortifying this base. We must make it impenertable. So we are going to install wall turrets, trip security systems and update the armory. Do you understand?" asked the Blue Mist Sergeant. His Team came to attention and saluted saying "Sir Yes Sir!". "Good, then meet me on the landing pad in 030. Grab your gear and anything else you'll need" further instructed the Sergeant. Caedes and his Troopers returned to the quarters and grabbed fusion coils, hydro-spanners, hydro-saws and assorted screws along with the control box to the turrets. Caedes hefted a installation kit and had his Troopers jog to the roof. "Alright, Illian and I are going to rappel down and cut a hole for the installation. Que and Legorii, head down to the Control Room witht the master control box and begin installation. Dathka will be our spotter and instruction man. Clear?" asked the Sarge. When everyone agreed, Legorii and Que left the group and Illian and Caedes secured rappel lines to the hooks of the building. "Oriens" muttered Caedes as he jumped off the side of the building. Extending his booted feet to take most of the impact, Caedes activated the tinting on his helmet, signaled for Illian to do the same and both withdrew fusion cutters and thumbed them on. Working in opposite directions, the two Dark Jedi quickly cut the hole for the installation base, which Dathka handed down on another rappel line. Using hydro-drills and spanners, the duo quickly had the base installed. Signaling to Dathka for more instructions, Caedes and his Trooper continued to work. By four hours of hanging, Illian connected the final wire to the barrel of the turret. Caedes nodded at Illian and radioded Legorii on his helmet mic. Signalling for Illian to head up, the Protector did so and joined Dathka at the roof. "Legorii, we're ready, hit the Sync button now" ordered Caedes. "Copy that sir...Sync activated" responded Legorii. Caedes thanked him and signed off.

Meanwhile....

The Gwelios datapad, tucked neatly into Legoriis travel bag, activated and sent the following commands to the control box...

<> Activate friendly-fire protocol
<> Order impossible. Protocols against friendly fire are activated
<> Relocate, recognize this heat signature and eliminate. Update friend and foe database.
<> Heat signature recognized, changing station to that of traitor. Elimination will proceed immideiatly.
<> Function done; signing off
And once more the pad sank back into its encrypted state.

On the Roof
The turret was fully installed, came to life and...aimed at Caedes and fired. Caedes sensed the danger through the Force a moment before and kicked off from the wall as the bolt seared where his boots had been a second before. The turret turned on its axis and followed Caedes, bolts flaring past him. Caedes ran across the roof, his rope steading him. Caedes activated his lightsaber and flew in towards the turret. Caedes went for the control wires but a blast hit his hand knocked his blade out of his hand, where it went falling to the ground, 9 stories below. Reaching forward, Caedes grabbed a bunch of wires and pulled...just as a blast hit his visor. Caedes pulled the wires just as he fell towards the ground...the world quickly growing dark.

Compound Med-Bay.

Caedes awoke with a start and quickly took stock of his surrondings. He was in the med-bay and his armor was on the chair next to him, along with his lightsaber on a small table. Caedes started to reach for it and wracked by pain in his arm. He looked down to see medical guaze stretched over his shoulder, where, if he remebered correctly one of the lasers had hit him. All of the sudden, Legorii appeared in his line of sight. "Heya Sarge, how goes?" he asked, grinning down at him. Caedes responded "Well other than getting shot three times...pretty damn good". Caedes tried to return the grin but felt a tickling sensation in his face. "Don't try to make faces Sergeant" came a foregin voice. A attractive women walked in, a white coat over her Night Star armor. "Doctor Megan, Night Star Medical Superviosr" she said. "What happened" gurgled Caedes. "Put simply; you where shot three times by the turret, once on your hand which caused you to drop your weapon, once right in the face, which your visor absorbed and if it hadn't you would be in the ground, and on the right shoulder, which was the final blow in making you fall" she rattled off. "What was the cause?" asked Caedes, his question directed at Legorii. "We are working on that now Sarge. Que and I weren't even near a computer when Dathka radioed us and told us. It had to be an outside source like a...---" Legorii said then paled. "What is it Chief!" exclaimed Caedes. "Had to be an outside source...like a datapad" Legorii finished, his face still pale. Caedes tried to rise but was pushed back down by the doctor. "Not so fast Sergeant. You came so very close to death you are staying overnight at the very least" she ordered. Caedes sunk back down onto the med-bed and attempted a pout. "I'll go get the datapad and bring it right back Sarge" Legorii promised. "No you won't Trooper. Visiting is over till 1900, you can bring it then" Megan said. "Very well Doctor. Sergeant, good to see kicking again and I'll see you at 1900" said Legorii, snapping a salute and walking out of the med-bay.

((OOC: In your post you stated that we werent anywhere near a computer when you were hit, but strictly speaking that isnt true seeing as you ordered Qu and I to be in the control center.))

Morning came, and Legorii pulled himself from his comfortable bunk to dress. He did not wear his battle armor, instead donning his Acolyte robes. He pulled on some leather boots, sticking a short dagger in his left just in case. His rifle stood in the corner, loaded and ready to fire. The katana sat on the table beside the bed, in its worn leather case. Neither weapon would leave the room this morning, Legorii had to set up the defenses instead. Another Trooper would be doing the perimeter rounds this early, checking for Gwelio patrols. The Night Stars also had capable patrols, and Legorii was confident they would have plenty of warning before the next surprise attack. The Weaponry Chief had a leather utility belt tight around his waist, carrying his tools and spare parts that he would use to set up the defensive arrays.

Jogging down the hallways to the command center, Legorii met up with Qu-Le Brog. He nodded in acknowledgment but said nothing. Sitting down in a leather chair in front of a large console, gazing up at multiple large screens. They showed different camera angles flashing across the screen, the images hazy. Some were positioned facing out of the city, showing the rains and the quiet swamps. Others showed the inner city, demolished buildings. Legorii knew Sergeant Caedes was out working on the turrets, but something would have to be done about these cameras. They needed to get some more online, because there were serious gaps in the territory covered. For instance, the entire western wall was invisible to the control room, and without any mobile defenses it would be a prime target to armed Gwelio forces.

Typing a few sequences into the keyboard, Legorii locked onto a camera focusing on the rooftop. There he saw the blurred figures of Sarge and Illian Syn working on getting the turrets up and running. Typing in a few more sequences, the camera zoomed in on the turret. The interface seemed to be working, but some circuitry needed work. Sure enough, Caedes sealed the wires off and set the protocols. The turret zoomed to life, its gun swiveling as it took in the area. The circuitry scanned the area, searching for targets. Legorii watched as all levels of its capacity rose to fully functioning, then frowned when it detected targets pending. He pivoted in his chair to gaze up at the other screens, quickly cycling through camera angles. There were no Gwelio in sight. Then in dawned on Legorii, and he opened the comm connection to Caedes as he stared in horror at the screen...

Caedes had his lightsaber knocked from his hand, and it tumbled from the roof down to the streets below. Then the Sarge surged forwards, ripping the wires from the turret and effectively shutting it down. Caedes then toppled to the ground, lying motionless on the roof. Illian moved to help the Sarge, and Legorii was sure he would get him to the med-bay for the Night Star medics to work on with the renewed medical supplies. Legorii turned to Qu-Le Brog, his face grim.

"Trooper, I want you down on the street retrieving the Sarge's lightsaber. Make sure the streets are secured, we cannot afford any discrepancies in our defenses now that we are down a good man for the time being." Then the Weapons Chief turned away and keyed in another combination, desperately searching for what went wrong. He ran analysis' of the turrets telemetry, all was fine. Its perceptions were accurate, its wiring online. Legorii checked the activity reports, frowning at what he found. After activation, two reports were in the history. The second was expected, the first, not. The second event shown was the location of Target A, Caedes. But the first event was an encrypted interaction between the turret and an external source.

Legorii tried to access that interaction, but it was encrypted. What external source could have acted on the turret? As far as Legorii knew, the turret had been interfaced to only accept communications from the control center, the portal Legorii was operating. But it had been infiltrated by another portal, and that portal had sufficient access to modify targetting protocols set by the command center portal. It was puzzling, so Legorii printed out the page of communications, encrypted and everything, for later review.

Then he turned his chair over to a Night Star tech man, who quickly accessed camera arrays to perform the analysis and graph the weak zones. Meanwhile, Legorii gathered his papers and hurried to the medbay. The medical workers were not allowing visitors, so Legorii sank to the floor outside the hallway. He was deep in thought about what the source could be, but was having no ideas. The Night Stars were passing through the halls, attending to the varied tasks. Eventually, after an hour had passed, the medics still were not allowing visitors. So Legorii rose and made his way back to the control center, to check the progress that had been made. It was almost noon, and the Weapons Chief hoped work had been done on the cameras.

The tech man handed Legorii a synopsis of the changes he had carried out. The resolutions of the interfacing on the cameras had been changed, hopefully to allow for more rapid image transfers and clearer views. There were a dozen Night Stars out installing and salvaging new cameras to cover their blindspots. The turret maintenance had been carried out, and analysis' had been run on each gun. All changes were suitable and active, but the turrets themselves had not been activated in fear of a repeat incident. Blue Mist needed to resolve the problem quickly, or they would be weak when the Gwelio came.

Now that turrets and cameras had been set up, they needed physical barriers. Legorii pulled up a map of the city streets on one screen, a sewer map on another, and emergency routes on one more. He then rerouted them together, meshing the images. Then he broadcast the image onto the wall, where he could examine it closer. He called Qu and Dathka over to show them what he planned. He highlighted a few zones on the map, mostly sectors where the city had sustained heavy flak damage. Those areas had been reduced to rubble, but still had clear routes to other sectors. The entire eastern section of the city was clear, the wall impenetrable. The western side, however, had been decimated by explosives. The entire wall had collapsed, leaving the city wide to the hostile swamps.

Legorii planned to transport rubble from the decimated districts to rebuild, or at least partly repair, the western wall. The southern was damaged but intact, and the gaps could be covered by a few alert Night Star infantrymen and a gunner. The northern sector was heavily damaged as well, but this area was shelted by physical barriers outside of the walls as well as a vast amount of turrets. The western wall was their weak spot. So Legorii ordered the speeder bikes to be activated to transport rubble to the western side, to be piled up in strategic spots. The plan was to limit Gwelio forces to pushing one man through the gaps at a time, while two maybe three Night Stars could wait behind the barrier and kill him. They could hold off invaders indefinitely, and with the help of a turret perhaps repel all assaults. The Blue Mist troopers would then be deployed accordingly to aid struggling flanks.

The second in command of Blue Mist checked the timepiece on the desk nearby. 1400. Time to visit Caedes. Legorii made his way down the hall to the medbay, where sure enough the medics were allowing one visitor at a time. There was a ten minute limit, however, and Legorii entered at 1404. Caedes was bandages and wounded, apparently in his shoulder, face, and hand. Judging from the wounds, it would be a week or so until Caedes was ready for combat. Legorii wondered what that would mean for Blue Mist.

Would they continue strengthening the defenses, waiting for a Gwelio invasion force? Legorii hoped not, despite having a now well fortified city, they could not hold out against the superior numbers of the radicals for an extended period of time. They could be overwhelmed in a day or two, they didnt have a week. Then again, they had no idea where the Gwelio fortresses were and what they were planning. Perhaps an invasion sent to break the backbone of the Gwelio military was foolish, nobody could tell at the moment.

When Legorii finished his conversation with Caedes, he ran to his room in search of the datapad. This had to be the problem. And what a serious problem it was.

Legorii and Blue Mist worked all week, every day all day while Caedes healed in the medbay. The defenses of the Night Star outpost grew into a fortress, the turrets were once more up and running accurately. But they did not fully trust them, another accident could happen. The cameras were high tech and accurate, covering every angle of the city. The walls were mostly rebuild, the rubble hauled together to patch up holes. Every survivor living in the city had undergone defensive training and was armed with a blaster. The city was now the rock withstanding the Gwelio storm. But soon Blue Mist would have to take the offensive, needing only a push in the right direction. Luckily, the very same day Caedes was up and about, blade in hand surveying the changes, that push came, in the form of spy information from Darvik.

It seemed his Night Star operatives had located a nearby Gwelio base, just a short distance from the current Night Star outpost. Caedes and Legorii were off to meet with Darvik immediately, on precise locations and battle plans. As soon as they were settled into chairs Darvik spoke. "Friends, we have just received word of a Gwelio base nearby. It seems their garrison is in turmoil due to our crushing of their scouting party, and transferals to their main outposts. I am sending the main Night Star forces to help you deal with them."

Legorii looked at Caedes, who nodded. "We will leave at 0400, gather the Troopers and weaponry." The Corporal saluted and turned sharply on his heel, jogging along the hall to rally the Troopers. He was excited, finally he would get to face the Gwelio radicals once more in battle. He helped pack the speeders, and everyone was ready and organized. Then it was time to sleep, because in the morning they went to continue the fight to aid their arms trading allies.

Jedi Hunter Caedes swung his feet from the med-bed and re-claimed his armor, lightsaber, blaster, vibro-shiv, blaster packs, shock whip, thermal detonators, proton grenades and cyro-ban grenades. The Sergeant muttered to himself "She just had to go through my stuff didn't she". He quickly organized all his arms into their appropiate slots and carried everything back to his quarters. Instead of donning his dura-skar armor, he threw on his Gladiator tunic and over-robe of a Jedi Hunter. As he just clipped on his lightsaber, his comlink chimed, one of the four special tones that he had assigned to various people he cared for or needed to hear from. In this case it was Corporal Legorii, a Protector now. Caedes deftly called the comlink to his hand with the Force and pressed the 'Accept' button. "Go Corporal" said the Sergeant in his clipped tone that meant it was buisness. "Hey Sarge, glad to see you on your feet again. Listen, Illian, Dathka and I just completed our sweep and we've got nothing, zilch, zero nada. Orders?" asked the newly annointed Obelisk Corporal. "Right...I'm surprised to say the least. Return here, clean up if you need to and see if you can get a meeting with Commander Darvik" Caedes instructed, now strapping on his thigh holster. "Roger that sir, Corporal Legorii over and out" responded Legorii. "Out" responded Caedes, turning off his link and returning it to the holder on the side of his belt.

<<1 hour later; Night Star Meeting Room>>

"Ahh Sergeant Caedes, most excellent to see you healthy once more. Megan take good care of you I assume?" asked Darvik, rising in from his seat at the head of the table. Caedes thought he detected a mischevious glint in his eye. "Impeccable Commander Darvik, send her my devout thanks" responded Caedes. It was a good thing that Darvik was not a Jedi or he would of sensed the closeness that had grown between the Night Star doctor and himself. "Of course, now onto buisness" said Darvik, changing the subject. Caedes nodded and motioned for his Corporal to sit, since now Legorii went to every meeting with Caedes, as his title granted him. Caedes sat himself and stared as a holo-projector apperead and displayed a holo-image of a corporate building. "Recieved just today, this is the Gwelio's main headquarters. Of course they have smaller bases, but this is the one that if we sit, we cripple their effort. They set up in the old corporate building of Arkanian Micro, you may know them, a technological weapons firm. Yes, they abaondend the building when the war broke out and in the hurry, left much to be desired. My Scouts recovered what they could carry but the Gwelio recovered most when they moved in. Seeing your nature to be elite warriors and...Dark Jedi, I believe you have the means to recover this base for us and severly help the war effort. Do you accept?" finished Darvik. "We will, and will crush every Gwelio beneath our heel" said Caedes solemly. "Grand!" exclaimed the Commander. "When do you want us to leave?" asked Caedes. "Well, for your speeders it would take two hours, making it 0930 when you got there so...now?" pleaded Darvik. Caedes nodded and he and Legorii walked out of the Meeting Room.

<<2 hours later; 0930 am; Arkanian Micro Corporate building; Lobby>>

Now dressed in full combat gear, Blue Mist jogged up the steps to the Gwelio base and silently broke in. Caedes motioned for Dathka and Illian to scout out the east side and JS and Que to do the same to the west. Caedes pulled out his lightsaber and Verpine 52o and stood in the center with Legorii, he armed with his family katana. Dathka jogged up to the Sergeant and said "Sir, there is a working turbo-lift to the east and back. Illian reports that it has been refurbished so it must be used by the Gwelio". "Very good Trooper; Legorii, round up JS and Que and bring them to the lift, we'll meet you there" Caedes ordered. Legorii snapped a salute and set off at a brisk pace. Minutes later, the 6 men of Blue Mist stood in the turbo-lift, ascending to floor 3, the 'Checkpoint' as a crudely scribbled piece of paper indicated, undoubtedly put there by the Gwelio. Caedes reached forward and pulled the emergency stop lever. The lift came to a silent stop and Caedes briefed his Troopers. "Men, we have practiced for this moment, that of serving Galeres and Arcona. We must not hesitate and we must not falter. As a great Sith Lord once said, 'Do what must be done...do not hesitate, show no mercy'. We must do what Lord Sidious instructed Lord Vader in the years long past. So, weapons ready?" asked Caedes. When all Troopers nodded and JS activated his lightsaber, filling the lift with red light, only then did Caedes reactivate the lift. The Sergeant motioned to Dathka and Legorii and watched as the pair flanked the opening to a nearby awning. Caedes stood next to Legorii on the right side and peered around the corner. Two Gwelio stood next to a telemertry colsole, quietly conversing. The Obelisk Sergeant nodded to Dathka and watched as the Trooper slid away from his position and aimed his sniper rifle at the head of the Gwelio facing him. Dathka dropped to one knee and depressed the trigger. With a near-silent 'fwamp', a blue bolt of plasma shot out of the barrel and hit the Gwelio in the face. The other Gwelio quickly turned and stood shocked for a moment at the appearnce of six blue armored figures. A second was long enough as Caedes also rounded the corner and planeted a Verpine bolt in his chest. As the Gwelio fell back, his last act was to reach out and push a single red button...the alarm button.

The room filled with red light as alarm klaxons blared. Caedes holstered his Verpine and withdrew his lightsaber. "Troopers of Blue Mist! Execute Order 7X!" ordered Caedes. At once, the Sergeant went back-to-back with JS, his lightsaber activated as well. All around him, the Troopers of Blue Mist ringed him. "To the east!" shouted JS. In unison, all six heads of Blue Mist turned just as the first of many, many Gwelio appeared....

((OOC: Alright Legorii, just put what I told you into the next post and you'll be fine. My half-brother his getting married this weekend so I'll be on tomorrow and Thursday but not be back till Monday (MLK Day). It's a holiday so I'll be on all day, trying to make-up what I missed due to exams. Make the post good because when I get back, we'll be starting the climax, then the close. You've done fantastic so far, keep it up! ))

Legorii saw the Gwelio rising up in waves, so many radical cultists. Some were dressed in mismatched armor, others in full suits. The mismatched warriors charged first, seemingly fodder. Legorii drew his katana, dropping his A280 Blaster Rifle on the ground at his feet. An A280 was not hard to come by, and Legorii knew that he had at least two more rifles back on his speeder. A cultist dropped to all fours, a primal motion as he charged across the ground. The Corporal saw Sarge go back to back with JS, the two ready to tear through the advancing Gwelio. Illian and Qu-Le Brog were standing shoulder to shoulder, providing cover so Dathka could continue to snipe from the ground with his scope. That left the Corporal standing alone facing the tide. He felt the Dark Side swell within him, and let out a deep throated roar. It was echoed by his comrades, as the main force of the Gwelio crashed into the Blue Mist fighters.

Immediately Legorii stepped and stabbed forwards, catching a Gwelio in the shoulder. His armor did not cover there, he just wore a tough burlap shirt. The sharp blade easily pierced the burlap, cutting into the Gwelio's shoulder. Blood splattered Legorii's helmet as he ducked under a blind swipe of the cultist's dagger. Stepping into his blow once more, Legorii brought his knee up into the man's face. There was a sickening crunch as his nose broke, leaving a bloody mark on Legorii's armored knee. The Gwelio staggered backwards, and Legorii seized his opporunity. He lunged forwards, blade cleanly splitting the man's ribs as it punctured his right lung. Hanging suspended on the Corporal's katana for a second, he soon fell to the ground in a puddle of blood. Whirling around, Legorii was just in time to parry a blow coming at him from behind. This man was big, bigger than Legorii by far. He was struggling with all his might against the locked swords, and then the man collapsed. Legorii saw Dathka grin at him out of the corner of his eye, his blaster trained on the now dead man's skull. The Corporal smiled his thanks, then turned to engage another Gwelio.

Illian and Qu-Le Brog were holding their own, keeping each other from being flanked. Legorii did not turn to see how Caedes and JS were faring, but he was confident they were wrecking day, if the agonized shrieks coming from the Gwelio were any indicator. Legorii was staring down two more mismatched brutes, both brandishing vibroblades. Legorii sidestepped away from the first, his vibroblade cleaving the air. The second was more foolish than his counterpart, raising his vibroblade high in the air. He expected Legorii to thrust forward, but he was more clever than that. So he stepped to the other side, behind the first. Now the brute was inside the ring of Blue Mist Troopers, and stumbling from his off balance attack. Legorii leapt onto his back and swung his katana in an arc. The Gwelio's head fell neatly to the ground, shortly followed by its body. Legorii rolled off its carcass across the wet ground, coming to his feet in front of the brute. He was too fast, and cleaved his belly open with the tip of his bloody katana. The brute dropped his vibroblade and clutched at his innards, trying to hold them in place. He failed miserably.

The rain was picking up again, washing the blood down the battlefield. Dozens of Gwelio lay dead at the feet of Blue Mist, but the fight was far from over. The fog was swirling around the main force of Gwelio farther back, where they were regrouping. Corporal Legorii saw a momentary lull in the action, and turned to Caedes. "Sergeant, we need to press the offensive. They outnumber us still, and we are tiring. We cannot hold this position much longer without being overrun. We must strike fast and furiously, break through their ranks and take the base. Where are the Night Stars?" Legorii was frustrated, he didnt want this chance to slip away. So while the Gwelio were regrouping, he ran forward to meet them. He didnt know if his comrades followed, he hoped they did. But he was taking this upon himself.

A few fully armored warriors, not the guys with mismatched armor, moved to meet Legorii. The first carried a katana like himself, but was not very well trained in its use. He tried to sidestep the brunt of Legorii's charge, but ended up over stepping and being unable to parry the flashing blade that followed the charge. The katana caught the side of the Gwelio, leaving a gaping hole as blood spilled out. The other two warriors were smarted, spreading out to try and flank Legorii. The man on the left was thin and wiry, carrying his twin vibroblades with skill. The other was a big brute, wielding his single vibroblade like a club.

Legorii moved to the right, and both men copied his motions. He wanted to use the pure size of the right man to block the left man, so he could fight them one at a time. But the right man saw this and stayed clear for the left man. The Corporal cursed under his breath, glaring at the two men. Their faces were concealed by masks like every other Gwelio, so Legorii couldnt see their grins. They advanced together, and Legorii's eyes darted back and forth as he tried to come up with options. He didnt see any readily available ones, so charged the man on the right. His katana was a flurry of motion, but the big man moved quicker than expected to parry the blows. Legorii was forced back again, into the waiting blades of the other man.

The first vibroblade skidded across the armor plate on Legorii's shoulder, finding no flesh. The other was better wielded, and drew a thin line of blood down Legorii's back. He grimaced, and spun around in a hurry. The other man was off balance from his attacks, providing Legorii with a golden opportunity. With his katana in his right hand, Legorii pulled back and punched the Gwelio in the face with his left. Then the kicked out with his foot, knocking the man off his feet. A swift stab downwards finished him. But the big man was still there, and he slammed into Legorii, knocking him off his feet. He stumbled over the corpse of the ther Gwelio, hitting the ground hard. The big Gwelio stood over him, ready to finish him. But Legorii reacted quickly, kicking the man in the shins and slashing out with all his might.

The blade struck bone, and the impact jarred the katana from Legorii's hands. He quickly grabbed it and ripped it out of the Gwelio's leg, scrambling to his feet. The man snarled at him and lunged once more, but his leg gave out on him as he tripped and stumbled himself. Legorii thrust forward, and the man didnt fall. Instead, he caught himself on the tip of Legorii's katana, as the other edge of the blade thrust out his back. Sliding the katana out quickly, before the blade broke under the man's weight, the body thudded to the ground. No more Gwelio charged at Legorii, for the rest were engaged with the rest of Blue Mist.

Legorii turned in search of another target, but all he saw was one of those robed Gwelio. Black robes lined with purple, he held a blaster and an amulet in his hand. He had his back to Legorii, and was standing alone. The Corporal ran forward to engage the priest, and he turned just in time to fire a blaster bolt to break the Blue Mist Corporal's charge. The bolt struck Legorii in his knee cap, and he staggered. He was only a few feet from the priest, and he hurled his katana as he fell. He just barely saw the blade penetrate the stomach of the priest, and the amulet dropped from his hand. Legorii immediately crawled forward to retrieve his blade, dragging his right left behind him. Legorii crawled into the corner as it was the safest. As he pulled the katana free of a dying body once more, the priests eyelids fluttered and he moved his lips to speak. Blood gushed from his mouth and wound, but he managed to speak the few syllables needed before dying.

"Why..."

Caede saw his Corporal handle himself, with warrior-grace and motioned for Dathka and Qu to follow him. The Sergeant motioned and the two Troopers broke off and followed their Sarge. Caedes led the two through wave after wave of Gwelio, flesh being singed by both blade and bolt. When atleast two-score lay down around their feet, Caedes and his Troopers found themselves by the turbo-lift bank in which they had arrived. Caedes deactivated his blade and took a deep breath...only to be disturbed by Qu. "Sir, the turbo-lift!" shouted the Trooper. Caedes looked up at the lift and saw the it rise towards the floor in which the fight had erupted on. "Trooper! Disable it!" ordered Caedes and as Qu set to work, another five Gwelio appeared. Dathka dropped his sniper and withdrew his vibro-sword and blade and went back to back. "Ha...and this is only the beginning?" quipped Dathka as he crossed blades with a Gwelio. "More or less...Qu how is that de-wiring coming?" responded the Obelisk Sergeant. "I can't get it in enough time...I'm sorry sir" said Qu. "It's fine...take my place" ordered Caedes. Qu withdrew two Ryyk blades from cross-holders on his back and switched places with his Sergeant. Stepping in front of the lift console, Caedes used a brash display of the Force as he pulled off the metal panel revealing a tangle of wires. "Ok...so red before blue and green before black" reciteted Caedes, desperatly trying to recall his Assassian training on turbo-lift kills. Then Caedes remebered he was a Dark Jedi and looked down at the lightsaber in his hand. Smiling to himself, he activated the yellow blade and thrust it into the web of wires, severing more than half. Stepping back, Caedes knew he had achieved his objective as he heard the turbo-lift coming to a halt, then switch directions and plummet back down. Knowing what he did of turbo-propulsion technology, Caedes knew what was about to happen and quickly herdered his Troopers back the way they came. Finding an emergency release lever on the side in case of fire, the Obelisk quickly pulled it, a dura-steel door sliding down, seperating them from the turbo-lifts. Resting for a moment, all the warriors heard the distant 'boom' of the turbo-lift exploding. "Yes Dathka, this is just the beginning" answered Caedes. Giving a brief laugh, the trio hurried back down towards the sound of gun-fire.

Sergeant Caedes ran along the buildings expansive corridors and met back up with his Team. "Legorii, did you do all this?" asked Caedes, motioning to the mounds of dead Gwelio. "Actually Illian and JS helped alot. You could learn a thing or two about the blade from him" responded his Corporal, motioning as JS rejoined the group. "Lets finish this" said Caedes, taking point and slapping Legorii on the helmet as he passed. The Battleteam slammed through a door and into a stairwell. Jogging up the stairs, the Troopers stopped just outside a room labled 'Comm'. "Reload now" whispered Caedes. The Troopers of Blue Mist silently reloaded blasters, put new vibro-cells in vibro weapons then signalled the ready sign. Caedes withdrew his Verpine 52o and opened the door. Four Gwelio inhabitated the Comm room and were quickly dispatched by the men of the Battleteam. "Legorii, check the mainframe, grab anything worth taking" said Caedes, throwing him a hack-kit. When Legorii didn't move Caedes said "Corporal, did you hear me!". "Oh yes sir, sorry sir" answered the Obelisk Corporal, moving over to the mainframe and beginning to hack in. "JS, Dathka, Illian and Qu, set up an auto-turret, make sure nothing gets through. Caedes approached a holo-top and shoved the corpse from the seat onto the floor uncerismonily. Sitting himself at the laptop, the young Sergeant withdrew a ICE-Breaker V 3.5 and fed it into the memory slot. Within seconds Caedes had complete access to the Gwelios computer and coded all files to the ICE-Breaker. Withdrawing the ICE-Breaker, Caedes put the strip back into his utility belt. "Y'know Sarge, getting into their Comm Room was way to easy" JS said. "He has a point boss" said Dathka. "Hey Caedes...they're both right...and I know why" said Legorii from over by the mainframe. Caedes rose from the chair and strode over to his Corporal. On the screen was a timer...starting at 1:00...and counting down.

Caedes quickly scanned the room and saw a glass view port overlooking the city. "Troopers, pack up and get out your grav-cables. NOW NOW NOW!!!!" shouted the Sergeant. Qu got the idea and shot the glass, the latter instantly breaking and pieces falling to the ground. "Legorii, take point. Qu, Dathka, Illian, JS in that order. NOW MOVE!!" continued the Sergeant. Legorii hooked his grav-cable to the window sill and rappeled off. Seeing the man halfway down, Caedes motioned for Qu to go, then the order rappeled down the building. Seeing his Team almost to the ground, Caedes looked at the timer and saw it drop to 10 seconds. Not enough time. Looking down at his Troopers, a plan formulated in his mind. Standing straight up, Obelisk Sergeant Caedes stood at attention as the Arkanian Micro building engulfed in flames...consuming the Sergeant.

Corporal Legorii looked up in horror as the building exploded, shedding long pieces of window outward. Just then, a glint of blue caught his eye and he saw his Sergeant standing on one of the window pieces, riding it as if a hoverboard. Watching as the piece crashed about 10 meters away, the Obelisk Corporal motioned and the men of Blue Mist ran towards the crash site. Upon arrival, they saw Caedes lying on the ground, his helmet discarded and his face covered in soot. Looking up at his Troopers all he could do was laugh and laugh.

Legorii limped along, his katana hanging fairly limp in his hand. It trailed blood, for many Gwelio had fallen on its edge this day. The wet grass sloshed under the Corporal's boots, only broken occasionally by the hard stone and fragments of the building that had blown apart before them. The Gwelio seemed to be defeated, at least for the time. Legorii's back was bloody, his armor sliced through. His left leg seemed to be fractured, he had landed awkwardly on it when he had been tackled by the Gwelio brute. And his head was ringing with the blows of the long combat, dizzying the Corporal of Blue Mist. Legorii turned to see all of Blue Mist intact, if not a little worse for wear. Blue Mist had proven themselves though, they had gone into enemy territory low on manpower and low on advantages. They had churned out a well defended base, and had beaten the Gwelio. But one thing was still troubling Legorii. The Gwelio priest he had killed had asked a simple question before he had been coldly cut down by Legorii. He had asked why. It hadnt seemed like anything to Legorii at the time, but looking back he wondered. And now, in the aftermath of victory, he was having self doubts. Were the Night Stars the instigators, the criminals here? Had Blue Mist erred in helping them? Perhaps Sergeant Caedes would know better.

The Blue Mist Corporal limped over to the laughing Sergeant. He didnt think it was funny. But Caedes was laughing, so Legorii waited for it to subside before asking his Sergeant. The others were off dressing wounds, cleaning weapons, and taking stock of their situation. Legorii had time for a private word with Caedes. He eyed the Sergeant wearily, leaning on his katana as he tenderly touched his injured leg. "Sergeant Caedes, I am doubting myself and our purpose here. When I killed that priest, who seemed to be inside the command circle of the radical cultists, asked me a simple question as he died. He asked me why. At first I paid no attention, I didnt know what it meant and didnt care. But now, I am wondering.

Do you think that perhaps our cause here is false? Are we in the wrong, should we be fighting against a weapons trading organization that has betrayed us, or a group of cultists who seems to have done us no wrong? Perhaps it is not the way of our clan, but I feel that we should at least further investigate the matter. And I think the key to unlocking this mystery is the datapad..." Legorii trailed off as a thought dawned on him. The amulet. He reached into the folds of his robe, underneath his cracked armor, and drew out the dark looking object. It was inscribed with dark looking drawings and letters, and Legorii carefully ran his fingers over it in curiosity. It was in the shape of a pyramid, and there was a small knob on the bottom. Focusing, Legorii flipped the knob. At first nothing happened, then the top of the pyramid popped off and a hollow chamber was revealed. Hidden inside were two things; a card and a crystal. Legorii hoped Caedes didnt see the crystal, quickly drawing out the card and placing the cap back on. From another fold in his robe the Corporal pulled out the datapad.

Looking at Sergeant Caedes once more before swiping the card, Legorii murmured something under his breath. Then he slowly slid the card across the interface of the datapad, and it sprung to life. The screen went white first, then a few typed lines of text appeared.

<_Interface: on>



When the command screen popped up, Legorii hurriedly typed in a few basic commands. Each time he got an error message. Then he ran a search for anything labelled Night Stars. Immediately the screen came to life once more, this time filled with reports and files on the Night Stars. Legorii opened the first document. It was very short, a one line command. It read:

Night Star infiltration commencing.

This puzzled Legorii. But what he found next apalled him and amazed him at the same time.

Caedes swiped his commlink from the bunk-side table and answered it. "Go Legorii" said the Sergeant. "I've got some information you need to see at once. Come to the East Data Center...but come quietly" the Corporal said in a hushed tone. Asking no more questions, Caedes thumbed off the link and donned a set of Jedi Hunter robes and a small Naboo made hold-out blaster. Properly dressed, Caedes exited his quarters and preceded down two floors to the Data Center. As he approached the door, he Force-Flashed the holocam and preceded into the door. Legorii was hunched over a com bank, staring hollowly at a lit screen in front of him. "Corporal!" said Caedes, awakening Legorii from his stupor. "Sorry Sarge...just been here a long time" explained the man. "So I can tell. Now what is it you called me for?" inquired the Heragan/Mandalorian Sergeant. "This sir...we have been in the wrong...we have commited an act of murder" said Legorii, spinning the computer so Caedes could read the text displayed.

>

Infiltration Report II: A Battleteam, or group of Dark Jedi, arrived today from Galeres, brining weapons and supplies. The Team is eager to help with our 'problem'. Our victory is in sight...we can deal with the Gwelio and the Dark Jedi in one, swift, solid, blow.

"And these are what was found on the hardrive of this computer? What about on the disks recovered?" asked Caedes, leaning over the computer, his face ashen. "Reports of missing weaponry and medical supplies" answered Legorii. "Great...we need to act. Return to the bunk room and later tonight, 2345, go to my office...we'll plan there. Bring the amulet you found and tell no one...not even another Trooper" ordered Caedes. "Yes sir...but how do you know about the amulet?" asked Legorii. "There was a another one by the holocomp I was using at the Gwelio base" informed the Sergeant, pulling out the object from a robe-fold. "Interesting...but agreed" said the Corporal. Putting the data onto a holo-disc, the armored figure took the disc from a jac and was about to rise as the door to the Data Center 'whooshed' open. "You know to much 'Dark Jedi'" said Orvark, training a A2508 on Legorii. Caedes spun and withdrew his Naboo hold-out and fired twice into Orvarks face, killing the man instantly. "Huh...thought it was set to stun" quipped Caedes, once more stowing the blaster. "Now go" ordered the Sergeant and he and his second moved out into the hallway.

In the Central Command Room, Commander Darvik looked at the holo-moniter and allowed a small grin. Blue Mist had found out...so they would die and never leave Cian. It was a pity about Orvark, but he was a foolish and impulse-prone man...such mistakes cost. Shutting down the monitor, Darvik grinned one last time and left the room.

The Corporal was tired and frustrated. All this time they had been helping their enemies kill the men they had been sent to help. They had been deceived, and had so willingly fallen into the trap. All along, they had been killing the ones truly in need of their help, brutally murdering and butchering the true Night Stars, also known as Gwelio. That Darvik would dare deceive them...Legorii shook his head and stood up, drawing his blaster rifle as he ran out the door and down the hall. He had stepped over the corpse of one the enemies, the one Caedes killed. His body was still smoking from the power of the blaster pistol. The halls were surprisingly silent, the Corporal would have expected Darvik to immediately sound an alarm to have all the Blue Mist members killed. Legorii knew that he had to get his things together and meet up with Caedes in a half hour, 2345.

As he turned a corner, he saw Dathka. "Dathka! Sergeant Caedes wants everyone in their bunks, he has big plans for us tomorrow, so get some sleep. And we have been notified of possible...enemy retaliation, so be careful. Lock your door and sleep with your blaster." Legorii knew the enemy reference was vague, but he didnt want to lie to the Troopers. He knew they could take care of themselves, they were House Galeres trained and prepared for anything that could be thrown at them, even betrayal. Blue Mist was a resilient team, and they had proven it here on Cian. They would have to continue to prove it though, because this was far from over.

Legorii continued jogging down the hall, reaching his room. The door was open, and lying in wait was a "Night Star" operative. This man was not a big brute like some of them, rather a small wiry man wielding two knives. He lunged at Legorii, who barely had time to knock aside the blades with the butt of his rifle. Then tossing the gun aside he drew his katana. Eyes narrowing as he looked at the operative, he realized it was an assassin. So the "Night Stars" had set them up to discover the deceit. Well, maybe not discover. But they planned on letting Blue Mist know. They planned to take out two enemies in one swipe.

The twin daggers were wielded with talent, and Legorii had to work his katana quickly to parry all the lightning fast slashes and slices. Slowly the Blue Mist Corporal forced the assassin back against the wall, but he wasn't defeated yet. Pushing off the wall, he propelled himself down as he slid across the floor. He didnt try any foolish heroics of sliding through Legorii's legs, rather he rolled to the right and took a slash at Legorii's ankle. He was too low and quick, the knife flashed across the exposed skin underneath the shin plate. A thin line of blood first, then a bloody ankle. Legorii grunted in pain, whirling to face the assassin. Now he was on his feet again, but turning to face Legorii. In a split second Legorii reached out and punched him in the face.

The assassin fell back, blood dripping from his nose. Blood was smeared on the glove covering the Corporal's fist, and he figured from the crunch that the assassins nose had been broken. He just faced Legorii once more and grinned in malice, not beaten yet. This time the assassin dove, both daggers flying from his fingertips. The assassin landed on the bunk and pulled out his blaster pistol. Legorii saw the daggers coming, and ducked. The first went wide, thudding into the wall behind him. The other stuck in his side, penetrating the armor. Blood welled up and began to trickle down his side, and Legorii grimaced. But now he was staring down the tip of a blaster pistol, and had to act fast.

The shot was fired. Legorii dove, was in midair. His katana extended, he felt the tip slide into the belly of the man. He heard the blaster fire buzz by his ear, and then time seemed to speed up. The katana was up the hilt in the assassin, and Legorii's momentum carried him into the dying man. They both landed on the other side of the bed. Now who was the dead one?

Sergeant Erebus lit a small torch and sat down at his desk, adjacent to his bunk-room. He withdrew the amulet from a robe pocket and ran his hand along it, feeling the particular edges. Finding a niche in the top portion, he pulled the top revealed a small chamber holding a data-card and a yellow crystal. Putting the crystal in his robe pocket, he studied teh data-card, its information revealing the same as Legoriis. Just then the door creaked open and Caedes rose and pointed his hold-out at the door. Standing in the door was his second, his right hand man, his Corporal, Legorii...battered and bloody.

"Legorii! What the fierfek happened to you?!" excalimed the Sergeant, crossing over to his friend and helping him to a chair. "Assassian...Orvark had some friends. Darvik has done nothing...the man is dead and mentioned nothing" muttered Legorii, leaning his katana against the desk. Caedes crossed his desk and broke open the bacta-crate in the corner, returning to Legorii and applying salve to his wounds. "The plan is to finish this tomorrow...Darvik made contact requesting a meeting...he also asks the rest of Blue Mist to go to Command Center. Do it when I leave for the meeting. However, bring everything...weapons, armor, packs...I have a feeling we will be leaving" explained Caedes. Handing his Corporal a wet rag to wipe the blood off his wounds. "Right...I'll have JS get the Heavy Haze warmed up at dawn. What should I tell the others?" asked Legorii, standing and placing his katana back in his back sheath. "What you deem they need to know" said the Sergeant simply. "Yes sir" said Legorii. "Now get some rest...awake at 0630 tomorrow for a quick briefing and tell the Troopers to awaken at 0700" finished Caedes. "Yes Caedes" agreed his Corporal. "Legorii...it has been an honor serving with you" said Caedes to him, as Legorii headed toward the door. Legorii turned around to see the Sergeant with his back to him. "Likewise sir...likewise" he said and exited the door. Caedes returned to his bunk and crossed to his armor, hanging on its rack. Caedes took a rag and began wiping it down. If Darvik was to take his life...Caedes would make sure he looked his best.

<>

Sergeant Caedes Erebus, second Heragan ever to become a Dark Jedi and proud Arconan, walked into the Meeting Room in full armor. The midnight dura-skar armor was newly oiled and shined and his weapons, a Verpine 52oA Rifel was seen hanging from his belt while two Ryyk blades crossed his back. "Morning Sergeant Caedes" greeted Darvik simply. "Commander Darvik" acknowledged Caedes. "I have called you here for two purposes. One to apologize for lying to you. And perhaps if you accept the apology...you'll accept what I have to say and we can avoid the second purpose" explained Darvik. Caedes merely looked at the Commander. "I am part of a greater organization...one that would greatly benefit from your Battleteams alliegiance. We spread throughout the galaxy as one of the greatest empires...the Exchange" said Darvik. "Another lie...or the truth. The Exchange has been heard of by the Brotherhood. Yet I refuse. Galeres is the only House and the Brotherhood the only organization I give fealty too" responded Caedes. "Well then...the second purpose is unavoidable...let us walk" said Darvik, anger accucenting his voice.

<>

The Troopers of Blue Mist walked into the dark room led by Corporal Legorii. "Fan out Troope--uhh!" moaned Legorii. A figure had appeared from the shadows and kicked in Legoriis knees, sending him to the ground on his knees. Looking around the similar thing happened to his Troopers. His rifle was yanked out of his hand and he heard it placed somewhere nearby. "Now we wait Jedi...Darvik wants your Sergeant to see your descruction personally" sneered his captor.

<>

"Witness the second purpose Erebus" said Darvik as they entered the Command Center. Flipping on a light, the illumination revealed his Troopers and Corporal all on their knees. "Your scum Darvik" muttered Caedes. "Come to the center Erebus...you deserve to die with your Team" said Darvik, ignoring the previous comment. The Obelisk followed him to the center and stood, staring at Darvik. Darvik stared back, a door leading out onto a catwalk behind him. "Last words Caedes?" asked the imposter Commander. "May I send my will to my wife via my datapad?" asked Caedes. "Fine...you have one minute" relented Darvik. Caedes withdrew not his datapad, but the one that Legorii had recovered so much earlier in this war. He put in the password 'IMPOSTER' and was granted access. He brought up turret controls and re-figured the wiring. Now...when activated by voice-imprint, they would target his Troopers captors. "Done now Caedes?" mocked Darvik. "Last words?" he continued taunting. "Actually yes...TURRET! ACTIVATE AND NEUTRALIZE ENEMY SIGNATURES!" yelled Erebus. The turret wirred to life and sprayed the Blue Mist captors with blaster-fire. "Troops! Catch!" ordered Caedes, wiping his hand across the weapon table, making the weapons fly to the floor in front of the Troopers. Caedes turned to see Darvik dissapear into the storm outside. Turning back to his Corporal, weapon reclaimed, he said. "Legorii...wipe out every Imposter here...spare no one...do what needs to be done" he said gravely. Legorii nodded and montioned for the Troopers to follow him. Caedes sighed and drew his Ryyk blades. Even as enemies...Caedes found it hard to order an extincition. Of course, as Acheron Briareos d'Tana often said, Do What Must Be Done Caedes!. So he did. The Sergeant of Blue Mist turned and dashed after the fleeing Imposter Commander.

<>

Caedes rounded the corner and ducked as a green bolt of energy whizzed over his head. "Its over Imposter!" screamed Caedes over the howl of the wind. Erebus rolled towards Darvik and slashed with his Ryyks, only to be blocked by the Commander. Rising, the two warriors dueld their way across the catwalk. Caedes lunged and was surprised as Darvik judo chopped his hand, making him drop his left handed Ryyk blade. The blade cascaded its way over the railing, leaving the Jedi Hunter with only one. As the battle ensued, Caedes threw up his blade and slashed it across Darviks face, drawing blood and temporarily blinding the man. Taking his advantage, Caedes kicked him in the chest and watched as he bent over the railing. As a red haze descended over him, Caedes grabbed the Commanders legs and flipped him over the railing. Satisfied as he heard a sickening crunch, Caedes knew from the Force that Darvik, Imposter Commander, lay dead, some feet below. The haze leaving his vision, Sergeant Caedes Erebus tore off his helmet and slid down the railing, coming to stop in a sitting position. Leaning back, Caedes just let the rain wash over him...the War on Cian was over. The War of Blue Mist was just beginning...

Legorii turned to engage an impostor, his breath ragged. He was exhausted and sore, but he had to marshal the Blue Mist troopers and beat the impostors. He raised his bloody katana and charged, JS and Dathka beside him. One impostor stepped up, trying to take quick aim with a blaster rifle. He was a fool, and Legorii took a blade to his arm before he could pull the trigger. JS quickly impaled him before moving on to engage another. Perfect teamwork. Dathka was fending off another, and Legorii moved in to flank him. Another down.

The impostors were falling back now, the flight of their leader had broken their will. Illian and Qu were working in harmony against the now fewer than a dozen combatants. Soon they had beaten them. The last impostor broke and ran, but was shot down by the quick thinking of JS. The war was over. Blue Mist had triumphed. Time to leave Cian.

((OOC: Yea, it sucks, was doing other stuff and ended up editing the majority of the post. Sorry to disappoint.))

((OCC: You didn't dissapoint. It was good though short. Well hope you enjoyed it...next one counts.))

Caedes returned walked through a corridor and saw his Troopers come to attention. "At ease!" barked Erebus. "Legorii report" ordered Caedes. "Sir...the Doctor is all that remains of the Imposters" said his Corporal, bringing forward the doctor. "Did you know Megan?" asked the Sergeant. "I will not lie...I did" she said, looking proudly in his face. "Then you know I'll hate myself even more for what I have to do" said Caedes. "You'd hate yourself more if you didn't" Megan said. "You are a true warrior...you do not fear it" Caedes said, drawing his Nubian hold-out. "I do not...I knew it would find me when I joined the Exchange...do it...put me at peace" Megan asked of him. 'Pimf'. Caedes Erebus hold-out discharged once and Doctor Megan of the Imposters slumped to the ground. Looking up at his Troopers, he said "Let's go home".

<>

The Heavy Haze cleared through security and JS guided her into the Hangar Bay. As the Sentenial lander was put down, Caedes assembled his Troopers in the Troop Bay. "Men...we did good. This was our debut as a fighting force and we passed. We expirienced a taste of war...and betrayl. It wasn't easy and the future won't be either. So anyone who wants to return to regular duties as a Galerian...go ahead" Caedes said. Not a single Dark Jedi rose. "That's what I thought. While the future will be hard and trying on all of us, emotionally and physically...if we stick together, we will all make it. You did good on Cian...so get out of here and get some rest. Oriens Coactum" the Obelisk Sergeant concluded, dismissing his Troops. Caedes descended the boarding ramp and strode to the edge of the hangar. Looking up at the hazy skyline, Caedes removed his helmet and sighed...a sigh of relief.

((OCC: Ok...This concludes the Practice RO 'War on Cian'. The next one will be run by Kraval and approved as a competition where those who post will be rewarded and those who don't won't. Simple as that. Stay tuned! Oriens Coactum!---Sergeant Caedes Erebus----