Battle of Alsakan: The Ark of Xenvaer

[GABA]

The Battle for Alsakan
The securing of Anaxes was easy for the Mandalorians and Empire. The Galactic Alliance pulled out their forces, all those who still resided in the system were the beginnings of resistance movements or those who welcomed the Mandalorians and the Imperials on their soil. The armada spread its way through the system and in no time was ready to make their jump to Alsakan, where the Galactic Alliance stood ready.

The Alliance compiled their forces together to make their final stand of the core, fleets pulled from Anaxes and Coruscant, as well as forces from the Chiss-Allinace border piled into a large blockade. It was a welcoming sight to those who craved battle, then tension boiled as the opposing forces faced off, one waiting for the other until the Mandalorians made their move besting the Alliance with their tactical brilliance. The military might of the Mandalorians and the Imperium soon broke holes in the Alliance defenses allowing for transports to reach the ground in planetary assault.

Task teams of comprised of SpecForce soldiers and Jedi hold up their defense in several locations around the planet as the Imperials and Mandalorians worked together to secure the system. Alsakan had not seen nor felt such a disturbance on its soil since the holocaust of Xenvear, such a time long ago, only considered being legend amongst the naïve.

The Ark of Xenvear

Artwork credited to artist Richard Dorran

With the ground invasion proceeding according to plan, combined Imperial and Mandalorian forces swept down amongst some of the most sacred locations on Alsakan in a bid to hold key cultural and historical monuments. With their ancient and sacred monuments threatened, the Alsakans would be forced to surrender the planet to the aggressors or face losing the relics of the past. As Galactic Alliance forces continuously were forced to give more ground to the aggressors, they too began to retreat towards these monuments, knowing that their enemy would prize the symbols of hope that had inspired the Alsakan people for thousands of years. One of these was the Sacred Ark of Xenvaer.

The Alsakan Crisis was the key conflict in a series of disputes between Alsakan and Coruscant that would eventually become known as the Alsakan Conflicts. Over the millenia, the Alsakan reverence of nature had grown increasingly fanatical and hostile. It was this fanaticism that led to their downfall. Their military fleets broken, their very system held ransom, the Alsakan leadership famously chose death over surrender. A final protocol was enacted on their great orbital city of Xenvaer, an artificial ring that inhabited the entire Alsakan peoples. Great couplings and binders were de-activated, and the re positioning thrusters that were used to build the great structure in the first place were used to cast the city's disassembled fragments back into the earth from whence they came. Billions of people perished in the cataclysm. Volcanoes erupted. Tidal waves lashed the shorelines. Earthquakes, and chaos engulfed the planet, and the great, untouched forests of Alsakan burned for generations. All but a handful of Alsakans were thought to have survived. And then the Ark was discovered.

By some unknown miracle, an enormous fragment of Xenvaer survived the cataclysmic fall from the heavens. Millions of people were killed, but many more survived the fall, and perhaps more importantly, the life support systems of the fragment itself survived the fall. Forgotten by the galaxy and on a burning world that was nearly completely inhospitable, the starship fragment that would be known as the Ark saved the Alsakans from extinction. As the climate of Alsakan stabilized once more, the Ark became the heart of the Alsakan capital, and created a newfound love and reverence for technology that would guide the people to prosperity for thousands of years. In time, the Ark was all but completely refurbished. In case the need for surviving in desperate conditions was needed once more, the Ark held almost all artifacts of cultural significance to the Alsakans, as well as furbished homes and protected quarters for millions. Just in case.

The Ark was a primary target for the Imperium. As the ground forces swept over Alsakan, the recognition of the importance of the fabled artifacts of the Alsakans to the citizenry identified the Ark as a primary target. With the artifacts in the Imperium's possession, the Alsakans would be helpless against the Imperium, such was the reverence for their past. However, as Imperial forces closed in on the Ark, they quickly identified Alliance forces also converging on the location - and a considerable amount of gunships protecting the Ark itself.

Alliance/Jedi: Converge on the Ark, collect Alsakan relics and board gunships to evacuate.
Imperium/Mandalorian: Intercept Alliance forces, disable gunship support and prevent Alliance forces from retreating with Alsakan relics.

Participants

Jedi/Alliance:
Jedi Padawan Stolatos Che-ath
Alliance General Franklin D. Aeon

Mandalorian & Imperium:
Mandalorian Elliot Marren
Sith Acolyte Noster Eden

Please remember, this isn't a competition. It's collaborative story-telling, so collaborate! Work together to make it an epic tale about how the GA struggled valiantly to defend the station against all odds and held their ground for longer than anyone could have imagined. The outcome may be predetermined, but you can make it a hard won victory for the Galactic Alliance and Jedi and a heroic defeat for the Imperials and Mandalorians. It doesn't have to be short. Be detailed, but most importantly, have fun!​

 

[Ender]

And so I plunge into battle for the first time since I took command of Clan Marren. Today, I must prove myself to Him that I am a Mandalorian. That I have the right to sit with the other Clan Leaders. Today, I wage war once again. Today, I am a man once more.​

"Me'bana?!?" What's happening!? Elliot roared through his helmet speakers, stalking towards a Mandalorian who held a family against the wall with his rifle raised. "Hut'uun!" he cried, raising his foot and bringing into the side of the suddenly surprised man with such a force that it knocked Elliot back a foot or two. Recovering, Elliot shoved his foot on top of the downed soldier's rifle. "Or'dinii! Utreekov! Di'kut!" Elliot growled insults, as he tore off the man's helmet. The battle for the Ark was in full swing, raging around Elliot's Drop Zone. For now, the Clan Leader had utterly forgotten his objective. Around him, five or six of his troops had gathered, watching, interested as Elliot unleashed his rage into the helpless Twi'lek below him. "Ogir naassad ijaat o'r kyr'amur haar, hut'uun! Ba'slanar ni! Slana'pi bat me'sen! Naasad akaanir par hut'uun." There's no honor in killing them, coward! Leave me! Get on a transport and leave! There's no room for cowards in this fight. Elliot rose and delivered another kick to the man's ribs before he could rise.

As the man made for the nearest transport he muttered "Dinii" Lunatic. Almost immediately, a blaster shot fired, hitting the man square in the back. He fell, dead. Burc'ya Marren, the mountain of a man who had helped raise Elliot, lowered his blaster rifle.

"Honor your alor." Burc'ya rumbled, kicking the now dead man over and looking up at Elliot. The Clan Leader scowled back at Burc. That would look bad on him. But at the same time, Elliot couldn't have killed the man and felt bad about it. Elliot turned to face the frightened family, switching to basic.

"Get out of here." he said, his voice tinny and robotic through the speakers. "The Empire is taking refugees at these co-ordinates. If you follow this route specifically, there's a good chance you won't get hurt. But stick to it, otherwise we have orders to kill anybody in the kill zone." The father nodded, and grabbed his wife by the arm and scurried away with his children. Elliot turned to look around at the urban sprawl around him. "Ori'sol ruyot olar, ba'vodu.Ni aalar dush par ram'or ibic mesh'la oriya." There's so much history here, uncle. I feel bad for attacking such a beautiful city. The Mandalorian looked around, and cried "Oya!" Let's go! and grabbed ahold of one the rungs that was attached on a passing Arc. "Let's go, Marrens! Bring down the Alsakans! Bring down the Red Hand! Let the galaxy witness the might of the Mandalorians! Let none stand in your way!". Elliot's words resonated against the Arc's hull as he hauled himself inside.

Next, he opened his comm lines to the Sith. "This is Elliot Marren, commander of the Mandalorian Forces on the Ark. My clan is on it's way, what's our RV point? We're closing in on the enemy positions. Will the Imperium be providing fire support or do I need to call in a gunship?"

 

[Insoulent]

Franklin looked down at the chaos on the ground from his dropship. Down there, hundreds and thousands of men and women were fighting for their lives, and the outcome of the Galaxy's future. Screams and yells were muffled by the sounds of blaster fire and explosions. A hand touched his shoulder, a heavily decorated SpecForce member in full gear had whispered something in his ear. The landing zone was cleared. They were good to go land. Franklin simply nodded, acknowledging the SpecForce soldier's update. He sighed deeply, clearing his mind, as the dropship made its way to the Ark. Behind him, a small fleet of dropships, all full of SpecForce members. They would stop the Sith and the Mandalorian's advancement on the Ark, or die trying, all while recovering relics sacred to the Alsakan people.

Their ships were allowed entry directly at the heart of the Ark, tactically, they were already at an advantage there. From here, Franklin could set up the defenses for his men, and could keep a watchful eye on all of his forces, along with having a clear path out of the Ark, something he needed for his mission to succeed. He looked as the ships passed through various defensive turrets that ignored any ship with the Alliance logo on the ship. They were being expected. As they made their way into the landing zone, he could already see men setting up barricades and defensive measures for their arrival. This would be their headquarters for this battle, the command room of the Ark Defense Police, somewhat close to the Senator's sector of the capital city. It was in the heart of the Ark, and at its highest point of the ancient ruins-turned-city. If his men were in the top shape he believed them to be, this battle will tilt in their favor. It wouldn't be easy, but it could be done.

Franklin stepped from out of his dropship as it landed on the ground, as a flood of soldiers also walked out from the ship. Franklin was met by a man slightly younger than himself by a few years, saluting to the Alliance General. The General met the salute with his own, as the two then dropped their hands. "Captain Seris of the Ark Defense Police, I presume?" the General spoke as he looked at the man who nodded. The General held his hand out, with a smile as the two shook hands. "Me and my boys here heard you needed some help with some rabid Sith dogs, we've come to put 'em down." the old man said with a smirk, as some SpecForce men walking by cheered. Franklin's men were ready for battle. "My men will set up communications with our fleet from here. We will bring any and all artifacts found back here. From my studies, we're looking at about 4 relics, correct? The Torch, the Amulet of Sarhk'ka, Dermak's Armor, and the Map. " the General asked, as the Captain nodded. "Very impressive General Aeon. My men can help if needed, but we've focused more on the evacuation of our people. But, you're free to use them at your leisure. I have my personal security detail here to help with anything you might need here, and to help with navigating through the Ark." the Captain informed the General. "Your people's evacuation and safety is your first priority, my men and I will handle the rest, but I thank you for offering your security detail, I'll see about using their knowledge to help us in our search." the General said, as the Captain nodded in agreement.

"There was a Jedi tagging along with us in another dropship... he should be around here somewhere..." the General said as he lowered his voice a bit, looking around their makeshift base. All the soldiers were moving, setting up their defenses, made it seem like a bit of a blur of faces. Still, the General had only one good eye, so scanning the room would take a little bit more time than usual.

 

[Wolf231]

Stolatos paced slowly back and forth in the dropship he had hitched a ride from, his lightsaber in her hand but not ignited. It gave him comfort to have it in his hand, even if it wasn't on. The planet was under siege, or at least would be soon, and he was part of the task force sent to collect the sacred artifacts of the Alsakan. It would be his first battle; with any luck not his last. His nerves were riding up on him and making him worry, and that was never good for a battle. He forced himself to stop pacing and sit on the floor of the transport, closing his eyes and meditating.

His lightsaber came to float in front of himself vertically, slowly rotating on the spot as he sought the serenity that the Force could offer those who wanted it. This battle would be intense, but he could survive it. Better then that, he could help shape the course of it; he would do everything in his pwoer to collect those relics. He remembered the briefing. If they did not collect the relics, the Empire could use them to completely control the Alsakans, to enslave them and force them to join the Empire. That really wouldn't look good for the Alliance, or the Jedi. Not to mention that the road from here to Coruscant was really not so long.

He opened his eyes as he felt the transport coming in to land, his lightsaber falling into his hand as he stood. He clipped it onto his belt and moved with the rest of the troops off the gunship, taking a look around to get his bearings before he simply came to a stop. Slowly circling on the spot, he took a few long moments to gather in and appreciate the beauty of the Ark. It was truly a sight to see. He was immediately regretful that his first trip to see it had to come under such dire circumstances. it was truly a pity, but it was likely that the Ark would not survive this fight. Such beauty destroyed - it reminded him why they fought against the Empire and the Sith.

He broke from his contemplation, turning and making his way towards the command center; or at least where he thought it would be. He got some directions from a nearby soldier and sped up his walk, now searching for a General Aeon, with a rough description of the man. Spotting him in the distance, he started to jog in order to close the distance quickly. Coming to a stop and seeing that the General had noticed him and even looked like he was expecting him, and easy smile appeared on his face and he extended a hand in greeting. He wasn't military, so he wasn't going to play around with a sloppy salute.

"Stolatos Che-Ath, Jedi Padawan. How can I help?" This man was a General, a leader. He wasn't going to try and take control of the mission, the General looked much more capable then he felt, anyways. While he had heard that in the battles long ago the Jedi had been put in charge as generals themselves and it had turned out alright; he however did not even have any experience in a battle like this. Some things were just better left to those who knew what they were doing, so that was his plan.

 

[Butler]

Some time ago...

A boy, laced in tattered cloth and weathered hides, looked up to the skies of his homeworld; the gray and white clouds parting from the deep blue to reveal the massive fleet of an invading Empire. He stood alone, a child of the wilderness yet welcomed there by the well intentioned Jedi who paid no attention to him now. Cries of peaceful citizens and the echoes of their madness from swaddled babies crackled all around like the fires that would later consume their city. Soldiers pounded along, formations gathering and strays lifting up the helpless to herd them to their pens where they would eventually be slaughtered. Yet while others scurried and fled through the city streets that were not his own, and while his physicality cowered beneath the heralding might of the awe inspiring power that parted the heavens unknown, the eyes of this unkempt boy welcomed his future with that dead stare. He wanted this, even as it would lead to one of his greatest heartaches. It was a future that flashed over the clear of his eyes like a dream.

Current time...

The colors shifted over those eyes as they stared at the sky. The ripples of the space battle had painted a violent fresca of power and death, its strokes cutting through the beautiful skies and splashes blotting out entire patches of blue to replace it with smoky blacks and fiery reds. There he stood as troopers rushed to their lines and orders all around him, his silent stare beaming up into the sky; a distance in his deadened state. So much history veiled those moistened eyes, they dare not blink it away. His path had taken him full circle, placing him on the other side now as he stare into the past as if he could see the back of that child now; himself. He wondered if this would be his day, if he'd finally be free of his vow. Perhaps it would be so, perhaps.

His comm buzzed with the name Elliot Marren, to no reply. He'd let the device call him all it liked, but he would not answer it. For there was no purpose in raising a vocal transmitting device to the lips of one so bound by a vow of silence. For one so silent as he, it could leave him at a disadvantage when communication is key to victory. And advantage must always be seized. Such was a lesson burned into his soul by Audroti when he learned the definition of true honor. But this issue had already been dealt with. At least it was supposed to have already been dealt with.

"...Commander Marren," came the scratchy voice of the Imperium soldier after an unwelcomed pause. "Rv to east quadrant, seven; that's E-Q-7 under the monument. This is Sergeant Gaat." The transmission would seem faulty, static booming rhythmically through the man's voice from his end.

Noster Eden's black hooded head swooped around intimidatingly close to Gaat's unflinching ear, whispers crossing from traversing thoughts through the thick white helmet on the Sergeant's head. Gaat nodded to his silent commands, not needing to fear this soon to be Sith so long as he does his job. For this one needed no overbearing malice nor flinging lash to spur on his soldiers, only the straight forward answers they sought to obey. Yet he would just as soon cut down the weakest link if it would serve him the same. But why waste the manpower before it was necessary?

"Call in your gun ship," Gaat said as he echoed Noster's thoughts through the device. "Heavy support has been moved to box in their drop ships and flank their position while the main forces still march up the center along side you. Demolitions team should already be in position and ready for escort. If their escort hasn't shown yet, see if you can't spare some men to get them going. Infiltration team blue is on its way. Team yellow is up against some bush returning fire and holding their attention until heavy support reaches the red zone. Otherwise keep the ranks and move up the line as agreed. And get to the rv. We'll meet you there." The Sergeant finished with the harshness of Noster's tone, carried into his mind as if it were of his own inception. He looked down to the double-bladed lightsaber dangling inside the long black cloak of Noster beside him, then flicking his eyes up and forward through his visor to keep on task lest he outlive his usefulness.

Noster turned away from the Sergeant, striding along side him as they make towards their objective. Though one always needed to be flexible in the changing winds of war, a battle was won through organization. But duels and skirmishes, individual clashes were inevitably going to splash out of the mold. Noster cared not for the messes of battle, looking only to the major shift of the field. But secretly he hoped for 'Jedai'. For it was they who might satisfy his hunger for speech once more. He prayed to the 'Mountain' that there were more than one of them for his blades to slaughter. He trusted in the dark side as it had a will of its own. Perhaps it favored him this day. Perhaps the newer Acolytes that fought here would not be enough to get in his way and steal his vengeance before him. It mattered not, for as their numbers diminished and fled, his numbers swelled.

 

[Ender]

Elliot recoiled in annoyance as the Imperial Soldier spoke. "Affirmative, Marren actual out." The Mandalorian then turned to his clan members next to him and said "Ruus'alor? Vaabir haar dral tsad droten naas mar'eyir ni ruusaanyc be val ijaat'la alor?" Sergeant? Does the powerful Empire not find me worthy of their honorable leader? Elliot asked of them, shaking his head. "Ganar naas ijaat, hut'uun!" he spat, as the craft neared the RV point. Blaster fire peppered the opposite side of the hover craft and Elliot cried out "Oya!" and dropped to the ground, followed by four other Mandalorians with weapons raised as the hovercraft moved on. "Just defense forces, vode, should be an easy hunt." Elliot whispered, taking cover behind the wreck of an Alliance hovercraft. He pulled his rifle up, resting it on the roof of the speeder and waited. Finally, there was a flash of dark blue and Elliot pulled the trigger swiftly. Ssssprat! the rifle barked, spitting red fire at the militiaman who fell dead quickly. "Marren actual to Imperium forces, I have detached myself from my clan with four of my vode. We are clearing this sector of enemy resistance. Feel free to join, provided you're up to the challenge. Marren Actual out."

 

[Insoulent]

The General was caught by surprise at the sight of the Jedi, but relieved they found one another. He introduced the Captain to the Padawan, as he led them both to the center of the command room. "Line up Maverick Platoon." the General said in a calm and normal tone, over the sounds of the men surrounding him, all moving at an incredible rate trying to set up the fortifications, despite his rather soft order, the men all stopped mid-work, and began to line up in front of the General in an uncanny discipline at a silent attention. The 40 or so soldiers there all looked ahead of them, staring intensely at the General. "Men of the 101st. Maverick Platoon." he paused, as the men and women of the group suddenly barked in eerie unison, "Sir!" The General continued, "At ease, Vornskr Company. We've got some relics that need securing." the General said as he placed his right hand over his left wrist, reaching for a small circular pad. He placed it in front of him, revealing a hologram of the building they were in. "It's a simple layout, four stories up. We'll have two Sniper teams set up there, along with our comms unit, keep on the lookout for any strange groupings and incoming forces. I want the demolition team to place 3-pound SC40s 20-meters out in any path that leads to this building. Have them ready and charged for remote detonation, should we have to block all paths here. Have the pilots of eight of the gunships surround the building and have systems direct all power to their energy shields. Delta team, suit up for heavy gunnery, and set up defenses outside on the north entrance of the building. Echo team, suit up for heavy gunnery and take the south. Omega Team, load up the remainder of our explosives that the demo-unit won't be using and place it in one of the last two available dropships. We have a pair of anti-air turret towers 60-meters out in all four cardinal directions, but enemy forces have begun to attack a few of them, so we shouldn't expect too much from them. Lastly, we've been given an M2 Organa MBH. Omega Team will be in charge of the MBH. We have a small array of miscellaneous weaponry too: 2 rocket launchers, a few heavy repeaters, light repeaters, some pistols, and a small group of grenades, should we need them. We have two small crates of ammunition, alongside the few energy canisters you've been given already. There are two emergency Flight system attachments in every dropship, use them only if necessary. Intel and locals have gathered the location of these relics and were being protected and transported by two companies, each having two relics each. They're been collected and are ready for transport, but the companies are pinned down and communications have been cut off. Our last reports has them pinned against overwhelming odds, but command has a feeling that many of them survived, seeing as enemy movements have stopped completely in the area, as long as the relics have a chance of being there, we are going to take it. Command wants us to retrieve any and all survivors if possible, but to return the relics safely at all costs. The locations of the two companies have been downloaded to all of your datapads and GAMCA systems, and we should expect Imperial resistance, and I'm sure Mandalorian warriors won't be too far behind them too." the General said finally ending his small brief.

He turned to his men, who didn't seem to show any emotion at all, but rather stayed quiet. "This mission is important not only to the people of Alsakan, but to the Alliance. These relics have stood for a millennia as symbols of not only hope, but of triumph. These Sith and Mandalorians not only attack our homes, but they now attack our will to fight. Without will, without spirit, we are nothing but walking sacks of meat. Now, more than ever, we need these symbols to survive, to remind us why we fight. To assure not only ourselves, but to the Galaxy, that we stand for something other than politics, something other than ourselves. We have only a few hours to find these relics, before they are taken or even worse, destroyed. Jedi Padawan Che-Ath will lead Alpha Team in retrieving the two relics in battle zone A. Use the last dropship we have and head to the location of the first two relics. Send all reports back here and we'll send reinforcements, should you need it. Bravo Team and I will move on ahead on foot to secure the second set of relics, since the team protecting that is closer in location. Our goal is not to eliminate enemy forces, our goal is to retrieve the relics and head back to Alliance Command, we're not exactly armed for prolonged stay. Now should a few Sith and Mandalorians fall into our sight while trying to retrieve these relics, I won't say to hold fire." the General announced, as many of the SpecOps chuckled at the idea. "Well then Maverick Platoon, you have your orders. Let's go!" the General said in a sharp bark. The soldiers all shouted "Sir!", this time with an odd vigor to it, and they suddenly took off to follow orders. Many of the men knew that the General had specifically assigned himself to this mission, and knew very well how important to him that this mission was, and they wouldn't dream of failing him or their brothers in arms. They'd have to move quickly if they expected to survive.

The General turned to the Padawan. "Alpha Team is one of the best we have. They know what to do if you don't. Show them you're a leader and watch their back, they'll return their favor." the old man said with a wink, as the four members of the Alpha Team now filed up on the side of the Jedi Padawan. They were his to command now, and his to protect. "Captain, the men here will stay out of your way, and once we retrieve the relics, we will transport all of your men to our main command center, from there we can better equip you and your men." the General reassured the man, who simply nodded, staying quiet. The General and his men walked away as the Captain took off to another floor in the building.

The General pulled his neat trenchcoat back, checking the pistol which lay comfortably on its holster. He then turned to his men, as he nodded to them. They all wore the standard GAMCA, which most of the men and women there were wearing, and then looked to the northern exit of the building. Their relic point was a lot closer to the HQ, but also under heavy fire. He and Bravo Team would meet with Serpent Company, the soldiers that were protecting the relics. Hopefully, they could get there before the Sith overwhelmed them.

 

[Wolf231]

Stolatos listened to the briefing, standing straight and just generally doing his best to look like he wasn't nervous. It likely wouldn't be good if they thought a Jedi was full of anticipation and doubts of the coming conflict, so he internalized it and put on his best serious face. It was something he was good at, so it was likely that not many noticed he was anything but calm. He even put an assuring smile on his face. Yeah, everything was going to be just fine. Even though the general had put a squad under him and he had no experience leading others. He would just have to fake it, then. How hard could it be to command four people?

He nodded to the General as he was addressed, bringing his hand up to thump his chest lightly. It was a traditional salute he'd seen holos of, and it seemed fitting to him here. "We'll be back with those relics, Sir." He looked to Alpha team and nodded again before turning and jogging to the nearest gunship they had been assigned. Time was of the essence here, so he had none to waste. He gave the thumbs up to the pilot and they were off with their escort towards their primary target, the general location of two of the Alsakan relics and the reason they were here in the first place.

"Alright, I'll be taking point. If and when we find those relics, we bring them back at all costs. I'll likely be leaving them to you to carry so that I can be free with the lightsaber. We'll move fast and quiet, only fight if we have to. And if we meet anyone else with a lightsaber, you're all to move on while I deal with them, understood? We're getting those relics out, period." He smiled assuringly again, glad as he saw all four of them nod to him. It was abou to get real; their gunships would be to their drop point in just a short minute or two. He drew his lightsaber but didn't ignite it yet, keeping up his calm demeanour for the benefit of Alpha squad. One way or another, there was going to be a lot more death on this battlefield yet to come. Likely some of it dealt by his own hand.

 

[Butler]

Noster strode into the midst of battle, an ebony cloaked figure that powered through his intimidating gate. Blaster fire hailed all around them while the cracking thunder of the Alliance's heavy artillery boomed from a distance. Noster seemed unaffected by the chaos of battle, a stoic wanderer who could not yet be bothered to even draw his weapon. His man, Gaat, was of a different mindset however; survival his goal as his heavy repeater spat at the thinning Alliance forces so far out of shelter.

As he walked, and his man followed, Noster's black gloved hand shot up into the air, five fingers spread to the Imperium's soldiers that he passed in their cover. Noster pulled those five fingers into a fist over his shoulder, and several troopers fell in line behind him without a word spoken; their minds linked to his now, all of them making their way towards the rendezvous point. And they carved a path straight through militia forces. But this was not where the Alliance held their focus. This barrage was only a front to keep the Imperium from crouching too close over their operation. Their main forces were back a ways and ready for the hard defense that would grant them their freedom once they had served their purpose here.

An incoming transmission...

"We have our coordinates," Gaat said as his eyes met Noster's. Gaat held his wrist computer up as the holo-grid displayed two locations via a secure channel. "Two relics there and two more there, with teams under heavy fire," Gaat relayed as he pointed down to the grid with two fingers then raised them out to the battlefield ahead both times. Noster leaned in as Gaat showed him their newfound insight, then turned away to make a quick decision in response. Noster turned back to telepathically transfer his orders, but there was more.

"Hot spots," Gaat added, as he studied a second grid upon his wrist computer of a four story building. The simple layout gave further insight to their situation, though it did not show how the Alliance would use it. Noster did not doubt the Alliance's tactical prowess, however, and felt it wiser to keep on target. An opportunity had come to him, and he would take advantage.

Noster lowered his glare into Gaat as the man bobbed his head with each silent order. "Understood," Gaat confirmed to his Sith leader.

"Marren," Gaat began on the switched channel, somehow skipping the formality of the Mandalorian's title. "Change of plans. I'm sending you coordinates to a 'Battle Zone B'. It's due north of the rv point, and is the location of two Alsakan relics. General Ragash has reported a deadlock there, a downed transport in a heavy firefight. Retrieve the relics, scot-free. And destroy all opposition there. We're taking 'Zone A'." Gaat ordered the Mandalorian as though he were his commanding officer, the Sergeant seemingly unashamed in his personal opinion of Mandalorians.

Suddenly the trooper entourage stopped, realizing their Sith had halted his steps. They shot glances over their shoulders and then looked out to see what had seized the Sith's attention. It was a Jedi.

The vision of a brown robed female in light-weight white armor flashed like a streak of lightning over the gloss of his widened eyes. His time had come. Noster snatched up his lightsaber hilt, then pushed the troopers out of his way with the spread of his arms as he broke free of them. Savoring this moment, he saw that there was a cowering man, unarmed, holding a child in the corner of a ruined wall behind the defense of this lone Jedi. And in their stare they both knew what was to come. So Noster lifted his gloved fist, spread his hand wide, and cast his arm out to order their advance without him. They obeyed without question, though Gaat remained for a moment before he too felt the fear of Noster's wrath in his mind. This was what he had waited for, for far too long. And they were nearly to 'Zone A'. Noster would catch up to them, but this had to be done. It had to start with her, and she could see it in his eyes as they morphed from their white and pale green to a disturbing black and beaming white. In his form, the dark side had reached new heights.

He charged.

 

[Insoulent]

General Aeon rushed through the abandoned city, while his team paced behind with the old man. The sounds of a fire fight were heard some yards away, they were near the battle zone, but as they got close, he noticed that only six soldiers hidden behind a heavily damaged mobile transport. This was the remnant of the Serpent Company. It was a surprise to him, over 50 men lost, with only six left? While miraculous they had survived this long, even more so to be able to keep the opposing Sith forces at bay was also noteworthy. "Pick your targets, release the smokers, and light the targets up." the General said, as he pointed at the unsuspecting Sith forces some yards away. The men simply oblidged, as their targeting systems saved the positions of their Sith targets, while they threw smoke grenades infront of their Alliance allies. As the grenades landed, the team moved in unison, shooting through the smoke as they ran to their pinned down comrades sides. "Boy are we glad to see some friendly faces, and my, General Aeon himself to save the day." one of the soldiers said, as Aeon shook his head. "We should of gotten here sooner, apologies. Where are the Relics, we have to get out of here, now." the General said, as the soldier quickly removed the grin from his face. "Well... you see..." the soldier said, while another quickly spoke up. "It's trapped inside the transport. They've been trying to flank us, we've managed to stop them so far, but we're out of explosives, and short on ammo. Either way, if you hadn't come we'd of been flanked and trapped by both sides." the soldier said. Frack.

They were surely overwhelmed, and the transport entrance was facing the ground. None of them had any equipment, and they couldn't just blast their way in, it could damage the relics. The men were in a tight spot, while the relics were of utmost importance, the General couldn't simply grab them and go. "Looks like we'll have to dig for it then." the General said bluntly. "Dig for it?!" one of the men said, as the General nodded. "Two of you keep watch on our flanks, the rest of us, start digging." Most soldiers were equipped with shovels to dig for trenches, but it seemed they'd have another purpose today, relic finding. With a few men digging, the General figured it wouldn't take too long, but that meant they still had to survive the enemy forces pouring down fire on them.

 

[Wolf231]

Stolatos was ready. Or at least he was fairly sure he was. The alliance gunships were getting close to their objective. He saw fighting in the distance, just past the battle zone. It wouldn't be long before they broke through. If they diverted now, they could save lives - but he couldn't. It went against most everything he believed, but sometimes there had to be sacrifices made. As his father had said to him; First, you do what you have to - then you do what you want. He would make a concerted effort to save those soldiers down there, but first he had to see to the relics and their safety.

He closed his eyes, feeling a strange pull through the Force, as though something was off. Almost as though he shouldn't be here. He shook it off, though, as their drop ship came to a stop. He and Alpha team piled out, hurrying into the building as their drop ships pulled up, setting an escort position around the tower but not firing at anyone, yet. Stolatos led the way into the building, his lightsaber in his hand but not ignited. Once inside, he found the remnants of the original group that had secured the relics, which amounted to two wounded soldiers. "Get these men out of here and back to main base for extraction." Alpha team responded quickly, one of the wounded soldiers managing to get out that their commander was still alive, and was trying to reach the roof with the relics. "Have most of the squad set up here, then. Stop them from following us." Fourty of the squad set up in defensible positions along the first floor, the other ten following him up the stairs.

He was jogging now, in a hurry to catch up to the commander. They needed to secure those relics. Ten soldiers filed in behind him, but he sent six to secure the stairs. If the enemy managed to get past the blockade downstairs, these six would by them time by bottle necking the stairs. At least that was the plan. He and the four remaining soldiers continued on, moving up the complex and searching for the man with the relics. On the way, the Force showed him a vision of a man and child, with a deadly red lightsaber held over them. It brought a chill to his bones.

 

[Butler]

His boots beat into the earth, as the souls of the deceased hammered their fists back from underneath the soil. He ran towards her, for what felt like years; running past dead Imperium donned troopers and running into the decimated landscape of this little corner where she waited for him. She was alone, a wall. She was the only wall that remained, so solid and true. Yet for all those she had defeated to protect this man and his child, she had not known the vengeance of this man who claimed her now. The rage inside him, tasting victory so close to bite his own tongue in anticipation, built up to tremble inside him. For this day would crack in terror to his cry, his voice muted to this existence for too long. Ecstasy would be his.

Somehow, her viridian lightsaber had lit into the air as the wind brushed the dust out from between them. And somehow, his crimson beams had spat out from both ends of his double-bladed hilt as his eyes lit up from their glow, his long black hair whipping back behind his head as he barreled straight towards her. She Pushed out a spread of the Force like a plowing wall, to which Noster suddenly vanished; leaving a slick of dust beneath his steps. He landed silently from the jump, his muscles near bursting from the amount of scream held back within him. Their sabers clashed and crackled between them, but he released the lock to slash up the bottom blade. She blocked the attempt, and the next, and the next after that. Each time she managed to reserve her strength, but could not give ground with superior footwork for fear of relinquishing the innocent. He had her cornered and at a major disadvantage if she even gave him an inch that he might kill them. Their blades rebounded back and forth, the splashing light too much for the father to watch as his child cried into his chest. Noster stepped into her feet, stepped around her stance, and bashed a pummeling advance on every side. If she wouldn't attack, then she would make a mistake in her defense. She realized this, and attacked out of desperation; erupting a flash of light out of her hand holding her lightsaber. The Force whitened out the little corner with a brilliance of purity and hope. Then she choked.

She opened her eyes, looking into his constricted and blinded pupils washed with the light of her attack. Then she looked down where she felt a pressure restricting her breath, but no pain. His back-side blade was sticking into her belly, and she was in shock. Her hand with the lightsaber held out to the side of his face, then dropped it. The viridian blade retracted and the silver hilt bounced before settling in the soil. And she wheezed her last breath into his mouth. He savored that moment so, witnessing it through the Sight of darkness; through the Force. It was what he had prepared for. He'd lost to that one Jedi all that time ago because of this distracting 'attack'. It couldn't have been any better than this.

He retracted the back beam and she fell to her knees into his leg, her cheek slapping into his thigh. He wasn't disgusted by it. No, he stood there, eyes fluttering into the back of his head as he inhaled her death with utter pleasure. Finally sliding his leg back into the other, her body slid off and to the ground, and he returned to himself. He studied the father and child as they cowered there in shivering fear. Not yet. It wasn't an even trade for what he'd lost. He hadn't freed himself yet. And these people were why he did it. Just like the people on his homeworld. The Jedi had come, told them to trust them, told them to hide behind them. But there would have been nothing to hide from if the Jedi hadn't come. There wouldn't have been so much death if it weren't for the Jedi. His people, who didn't even know there were others on his homeworld let alone out in the galaxy beyond, wouldn't have been butchered by the Sith.

So he stepped up to the father, a single red beam hovering before them, and he made the change that would come after the Jedi were destroyed. Noster turned and walked away...

---

The team of elite, lead by Gaat, silently came up to the site. They were smart. They wouldn't try to get into a strong hold while the ones they wanted would have to come out in order to escape with what they wanted. They'd wait to ambush, and they'd wait to do it with their commanding Sith officer. And as they pressed their backs into the broken structure opposite the building, Gaat alone peering around the corner ever so discretely, they found that with their knowledge of the layout, they could effectively surprise the hell out of a good sized team. They even saw a few perimeter men that confirmed the presence there. And Gaat waved for them to fan out and set up, motioning for heavy artillery on the roof opposite the site, demolitions across the broken alley, riflemen at their respective corners, and a look out at the back. They didn't know about any traps, but they weren't planning on entering. But as soon as a ship came to pick up the Alliance team inside, that ship would be blown to bits.

But then the worst possible twist came marching down the way in the form of an Imperium garrison.

"Sergeant! Sergeant Gaat! What the hell are you doing in this quadrant?!" The fool of a Commander called out so loud that all the battlefield could have heard the man broadcasting this special team's position as they came up on the site without a clue to what was inside. They were a threat to the Alliance soldiers inside, matching their numbers. And as soon as they saw the hints of defensive setups and traps and perimeter guards or as soon as the Alliance opened fire on them, they would open fire with intent on destroying the entire building without realization that there were relics inside. The garrison had shown at the worst possible time, with the least amount of knowledge, at the head of one of the worst military leaders the Imperium had to offer, as a major hindrance to Alliance and Imperium agendas alike. It was a cluster******* in the making, and the Imperium was about to draw the short stick and possibly blow the most important mission currently in progress.

 

[Wolf231]

Their feet stamped, five men hustling up flights of stairs in search of the man with what they needed. Only three flights up, they caught him. He could barely walk, was trying to limp his way to the roof. He passed them the relics and base them go; take them to the roof and leave him behind. They refused, they couldn't. Two men carried him, the remaining two without a lightsaber taking a relic each to carry. Their ascent continued, of all them save the Padawan. Something felt wrong. His vision from earlier was expanding, to see the dead Jedi laying on the ground, an extinguished saber fallen from her outstretched arm. Killed by the Sith who had been menacing the man and child. Moments later, he was interrupted by the noise of someone speaking through the comm. the imperials had just loudly expressed their presence outside. He turned, moving to step out into the offices of the fourth floor.

He kept moving straight until he made it to the window, looking out as if expecting to see the Sith from his vision staring back at him. What he did see was a mess of imperials. Clicking his comm on, he spoke quickly into it. "Don't let them form up. Have four of the gunships make strafing runs in pairs, blast them into hiding or charging the building if we can. The other four, get to the roof. We have a priority package on its way to you." He turned, seeing the two soldiers with the relics were still with him. They recognized that their best hope of getting them out of here rented with the Jedi. Stolatos nodded and returned to the stairs, making his way back to the second floor. The six who were guarding the stairs were sent to windows, and would start shooting out of them at whoever tried to charge the building.

"There's a Sith close. I can feel it." He was speaking just to the Relic carriers now, who shifted nervously. Stolatos was holding his unlit saber, ready for combat if it was needed. "Perhaps more then one. Remember, getting those relics out is what this mission is about. If it comes to it, I will fight the Sith as you two run. The gunships will draw their attention to the roof, then you and the rest of the squad go out the back way. A gunship will meet you there." They nodded their response, though it was still uncertain. Even with imperial eyes looking upwards, it would be hard for a gunship to drop by unnoticed. Still, it was the best plan they had. "You two get into position. I'm going to go draw the Sith in." The two soldiers made their way to the rear of the building, ready to smash the window and get to the ground quickly when it was time.

Stolatos moved down the hallway, eventually coming to a large open foyer area off to on side of the second floor. Seeing a pair of full-sized windows, he gathered the Force and pushed his hand out, smashing the windows open. He sat in the middle of the Foyer then, crosslegged with his saber on the floor in front of him. He concentrated, meditating on the Force and passing a feeling of serenity through it. From what he knew of the Sith, they would hate the feeling, and should know that a Jedi was creating it. It shouldn't be too hard to follow his signature and jump up to meet him here on the second floor, a minor jump for any Force user. He had to do his part and keep however many Sith were here occupied; though if there were more then a couple it could easily be a suicide mission. He was at peace, however. Keeping them occupied meant that the relics would escape; countless lives saved. A civilization for the life of one Padawan? A fairer trade he'd never made.

 

[Butler]

Gaat's gloved hand slapped onto the Commander's chest piece and threw him into the wall, the butt of his rifle crossing through the Commander's cheek.

"Shut the **** up!", Gaat grunted with pleasure.

But two of the Commander's men quickly seized Gaat and pinned him against the wall, a bit of a misunderstanding coming between them and their duty. The Commander, having all but fallen to the ground, lifted back up to a stand and wiped the blood from his lips; a cut lining from his teeth to his nose, as he snarled in pain.

"I always wanted to do that," Gaat snickered. One of the Commander's men holding Gaat punched him in the gut to silence him while the battle unfolded behind them. The Commander might have joined in Gaat's pummeling if he'd heard him, but the noise of a hail-fire raining between the building and the ground around it drowned out any chance of conversation.

"Hold him for insubordination until Vysteth returns!" the Commander shouted to his men.

"Vysteth?!" Gaat retorted, spitting at the Commander's feet. "I'm hear under Noster Eden's orders, retrieving reli-"

"Silence!" the Commander screamed with the slap of his knuckles across Gaat's lips. "Vysteth is our Sith Commander, Crusader and superior to that fool Eden." The Commander took pleasure in studying Gaat's reaction to Vysteth's presence, Gaat somewhat aware of the Crusader's impact on Noster; constantly lording over the Acolyte, undeserving of Noster's obedience while accepting his place beneath Vysteth until their titles no longer separated them. And as Gaat stared back at the Commander, he could tell what Gaat was asking.

"He's already gone to ...deal with a Jedi in the building adjacent," the Commander slithered his tongue through his teeth at his foreseen ascension while Gaat would be hung most assuredly. The Commander continued with a sinister grin, "It won't be long now before the Jedi discovers who he's dealing with."

---

Weight plants into that boot, its teeth sinking into the shattered pieces of glass that crunch to his coming. A thud, the corpse of the Alliance's singular survivor once found on the third floor, their hero whom had given them the relics; now dead, flung to the Jedi's heels with satisfaction. Vysteth repealed his dark side veil, emerging from the shadows with yet another surprise; one soldier, unconscious in his arms with feet dragging between the Sith's legs as he stepped out before the Jedi. Vysteth smiled, his black gums all but bleeding around his teeth. His skin was smoked and charred, showing only underneath the shadow of his black hooded robes. And his eyes shown yellow, disturbed by the darkness of the Force.

"Hello there..." Vysteth wheezed, his tongue as black as his soul. Holding his hilt at the soldier's neck, he smelled the duraplaste of the soldier's helmet as if to smell his life force as a dripping marinate. "Look what we have here..." he continued, looking to the relic tucked into the soldier's satchel. It hung between the soldier's arm and hip, the straps pinned underneath Vysteth's arm. He'd stumbled across the find, as always; a fool without the power to call himself a true Crusader but for his coddled youth and favored training.

A stand off, with a soldier's life in the balance. Yet all of it was worth the relic that hung between his arms. That was what the Jedi had come for. That was what Vysteth would make him pay for. The Jedi had his attention. But what would he do with it...?

---

The Force tugged and warped about his arms, wailing its pain as he drained the life from the air; Revitalizing his flesh, building his hatred and fueling his anger. Today was his day. He could taste it.

His toes scratched at the dust covered path, coming to a halt. The Commander, his men, and Gaat turned their heads. There he stood, a true Sith in the making, Noster Eden.

 

[Wolf231]

A voice spoke from the darkness, causing the end of his meditative state. A voice dripping with venom, the grate of it causing pain to his senses. It was a voice truly befitting a Sith, he thought. Stolatos stood and turned to face the man - or whatever this creature was. A sickly looking thing, black gums and charred skin visible just barely within the shadow of his hood. Yellow eyes, so clearly sick with the taint of the dark side, staring back at him. His eyes went first to the living soldier in the Sith's arms, then down to the commander who had given them the relics in the first place. Stolatos knew he was dead without crouching to check on him. He let out a soft sigh for the lost life, a silent prayer for his family sent through the Force. There was little else he could do at the moment.

His eyes returned to the Sith; he saw the Relic so close to being in the Sith's hands. The man was clearly stealthy; why had he not taken the Relic and gone? Either he didn't consider Stolatos a threat, or he was simply a fool. Perhaps both, Stolatos mused. He seemed to have only found one of the soldiers carrying a relic. The other must have gotten away, which meant his mission was half over. The other half would of course require that this Sith relinquish the relic, but he wouldn't if he found out it was important. There was also the life of the soldier to consider, the Sith's lightsaber held against his head. Holding a hostage marked this man as a coward in his books. It would usually mean that a Jedi would be unable to attack. He had already decided that the relic was worth more then his own life, however - so he did what must Jedi wouldn't.

He gambled the Soldier's life. Surprise was his ally; what Sith would see this coming? The Force he had gathered during his meditation surges back through him as he raised his hand, sending a push through the room, using the Force to throw Sith and Soldier alike. Whatever happened to the Soldier, Stolatos was already moving, the Force speeding his movements now as he burst forward, saber igniting as he leapt through the air. Ideally, he would have made the Sith drop the soldier, but even if he had not he was set in his action. His saber came down in a vertical slash, the Falling Avalanche of his fighting style with all his momentum behind it. If he had to cut through the soldier to get to the Sith, then that is what he would do. He had only one mission in mind, and that was to kill the Sith and get the relic back. Nothing else mattered in that moment. Even if he would surely come to regret it later, he had a task to perform, and he wasn't keen on failing it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The lone remaining soldier with his relic was still crouching at the back window, ready to make his move. He and his partner had taken positions at different windows, just in case. He heard the fight starting in the back and made his move, smashing the window and rappelling quickly down to the ground. A quick sprint had him hidden up against some cover; he heard the approaching gunship before he saw it. He sprang from cover as it came to hover, back hath open and waiting for him. He put his head down and ran for all he was worth; there wasn't a large window before someone spotted them back here.

 

[Butler]

Above the red and blue lines of streaking energy that dotted the ruined walls around this battered building, a sudden blast of orange and black billowed out from a single explosion that trailed a fast projectile that soared down through the street. Its angle was bad, yet its target was locked, as the rocket bashed into the corner of the building and the street with a stone-made shrapnel eruption that marred the area with its tremor of destruction. Hitting the ground just behind the running soldier, the projectile unable to reach the gunship as intended, this carrier would be thrown by the rocket's destructive force and possibly even pummeled by broken stone. Reloading, the heavy weapons specialist stood and made for the other corner of the rooftop, having seen the ship come in and trying to cut off any escape.

The Commander and Gaat both looked up to where the rocket had launched from, the scene around this building becoming a ferocious battle indeed. Noster just stared at the Commander. The fool was attempting to tie Noster's 'hands' by taking his man Gaat like this. It came to him, this displeasing feeling, like an itch at the back of his spine that he could not reach.

A sudden spit-hiss buzzed through the air with the accompanying spray of a bloody mist followed by the pitter patter of plopping objects, and both men looked back to see what they had just heard. But before they could comprehend what had just snuck past their notice, the two soldiers holding Gaat burst into screams of terror and pain; the men lifting up their stubs to show their hands cut off with all four on the ground at their feet. The Commander jolted back with a verbal escape of surprise and disgust at the disfiguring sight, Gaat taking a moment before grinning with a sense of justice.

"What have you done?!?" the Commander cried. Noster tilted his head for Gaat to get it over with. And Gaat happily reached down, picked up a rifle from the fallen and handless soldiers, and bashed the underside handle of the rifle into the Commander's temple. His body collapsed, and Gaat looked back to Noster with a wide grin; quickly falling back to a more serious frown in response to Noster's dead stare and traversing orders through to Gaat's mind.

"Understood," Gaat nodded. They were back in charge, for now. "Khors, take out a wall on the middle floor, second or third, and shoot a streamline in. Decaar, grab four guns and take that line and make hell. Brock, get these pansies to rush the front entrance. Their Commaner's ...under the weather. They take orders from us now. Tourn, I want somebody around back o' this damn building now!" Gaat screamed into his comm at Noster's command team, urging organization and using the extra numbers to salvage something of this operation. It was all of it a design to stall, to throw away the pawns and force the Alliance to eventually make a mistake. But at least the Commander had been ...relieved.

Noster looked up to the building's protruding balcony of sorts, focusing his thoughts behind his one-eyed squint. The decision had already been made. What he felt there called to him, and he would answer it.

---

Vysteth and his captive were both of them thrown back by the unexpected surge of the Force from this Jedi, the relic carrier buckling first between the Sith's legs and Vysteth tumbling to his back there after. But his surprise was rejected with a scowl as he saw the Jedi descending on him from above, as his curved lightsaber hilt flew into his palm and ignited -slanted over his shoulder- as he rolled out of the way.

Stolatos' strike would hammer into the angle of Vysteth's saber and slide into the floor. Vysteth rotated onto his feet to face the Jedi, sneering his displeasure as he realized the Jedi now stood inches away from the unconscious victim and the relic while he had been forced away. Vysteth hissed as he pulled at the Force, the unconscious relic holder sliding along the floor towards Vysteth's feet as he held out his red-beamed lightsaber to prepare for engagement.

 

[Wolf231]

The soldier flew as an explosion occurred just behind him, sent flying by the concussive blast. He was sent tumbling as he landed, a groan let out as he crumpled to the earth. He could feel that his arm was broken, probably a few ribs as well. It made it difficult to breath. But he had a job to do. He got to feet that didn't want to hold him up through sheer willpower alone and started forward once more. He saw two Alliance troops hop from the gunship and race towards him. His hand gripped the relic he had been given tightly, even as he collapsed back to the ground, too injured to continue.

The two rushing soldiers collected him and practically dragged him back to the gunship, where the pilot was calling in a strike on the buildings around them. A moment later, the three gunships from the roof of the building they had occupied spread out, pulling circles and blasting the roofs of all the adjacent buildings into bits. The mission was too important to worry about collateral damage, so they blasted away and made sure no more shots would get through from those roofs. They were on the lookout for movement as well, ready to blast just about anything they saw. Down below, they managed to get the injured man into the gunship and it rose into the air, immediately flanked by the other three as they sought to escort it back to the Alliance base. They got the feeling it might be a rocky ride.

-------------------------------------------

Stolatos quickly regained even footing after he landed, his strike redirected by the hastily dodging Sith. He saw the man - or whatever this was before him - sneering his way and them hissing, the slight tug of the Force as the unconscious soldier slid across the floor. A grin found its way into his own face. Perhaps this Sith actually did have some inkling of what the man was carrying after all. He also seemed to want to get it back, which would only lead to his own distraction. His gamble had paid off well enough, as the Sith wasn't actually in contact with the relic carrier anymore. He could work with this.

He noted the curved hilt his opponent was carrying; a style of saber usually only preferred by users of the Makashi style. That worked in his favour, as his own style had a distinct advantage over it. Namely, that Makashi had a hard time dealing with sheer power - which was something he could certainly put behind his strikes. He came forward in a rush, gathering the Force within himself as his lightsaber came up, then down harshly as he neared the Sith. He was a strong man, as well as using the Force to enhance his strength at the moment. If the Sith went for a block, it likely wouldn't end well for him. He followed up on the strike with a series of powerful blows, either trying to pummel the man's lightsaber aside to get a hit in or just tire him out by making him dodge constantly. Either way would likely end well for the Padawan.

 

[Butler]

"We've got it covered down here," Gaat assured as he looked up to the balcony Noster had been eying. Turning back to give his leader confidence in his men, Gaat realized the Noster was no longer there; he had disappeared.

A wire shot through the air as the three gunships rose up over the area as supreme destructors. Their fire reigned down on the rooftops, catching the one Imperium heavy trooper in a scream of his last moments, the blossoming clouds of destruction raging overhead as the perfect cover while five men streamlined from building to building. First came a smoke screen canister. Decaar and his small team dropped into the second floor, the top floor of the building they had come from collapsing into itself. Opening fire on sight of the enemy just as they landed: Decaar's men tossed one grenade out to the corner of the second floor, shot one concussion grenade up into the far side of the roof of this second floor, and peppered a majority of blaster fire with one exception of slug fire.

Below the blooming clouds of destruction that the three gunships had created, Brock managed to call a Normandy assault on the front entrance. This would be where the majority of the Imperium soldiers would die.

Tourn brought a team around the back and into cover, ready to strike when called upon.

But Khors was the wildcard, having shot the wire for the team to swing across the buildings but not having taken it himself. There he remained on the second floor in the adjacent building. Only the tip of the nose of his armor piercing sniper rifle lifted and sat upon the corner of the window, resting inside the groove and out of sight. From here, he would be charged with determining red targets from blue, and taking the most necessary shots like the sudden strike of lightning from out of thin air. Holding his fire and waiting for the smoke to somewhat clear above and for all engagements to begin, Khors would have both a sight in through some windows and to the front of the building and to the skies.

---

Vysteth sneered as the Jedi ignored his surroundings, Stolatos charging past the sliding victim on the ground. Vysteth stepped back to angle and avoid the first strike just when the soldier's body flew into the Jedi's back. Vysteth had yanked the body into the air towards Stolatos, who might sense its danger just in time. But the onslaught of strength had been interrupted, and Vysteth rounded his saber towards the Jedi. Swirling several quick taps from the Jedi's hip to arm to thigh and wrist, he tried to find a quick burn into the Jedi's skin to distract him before turning on the heat. It was still uncertain how much Vysteth knew of the soldier and the relic he carried, but he hid behind the use of a hostage still. For he was a coward, having learned of its success in many ways.

 

[Wolf231]

Stolatos had only a moment to react as he felt the Force flowing past himself, the only response he could manage was to halt his advance and hunch his back to 'catch' the soldier with it. The advancing lightsaber caught the man's arm and his for a brief moment, cutting into and burning it before Stolatos could interpose his own saber. He pushed out with it then, to limit the amount of cutting done and catch the repeated light strikes that came afterwards. He let out a grunt of pain, but the cut wasn't as bad as it could have been. This Sith was a coward, he thought to himself.

He shrugged the soldier off and stepped forward, his slightly burnt arm hanging limply. Due to his robes his opponent shouldn't know how bad it was, and since the man liked trickery he would use some of his own. He held his saber solely with his left arm and stood over the soldier protectively, as if to say that he would protect the man with his life, despite his grave injury. His plan was obviously to draw the Sith in close so that he could get a clean shot at him. And for it to work - he put a slightly panicked look on his face and glanced towards the stairs where there were Alliance soldiers waiting, as if contemplating running. He gathered the Force slowly into himself, preparing for his ruse.

--------------------------------------

The alliance soldiers weren't quite ready for all hell to break loose, but there it went breaking anyways. Four of them died in an instant, leaving one dashing for cover and the other yelling down the stairs for back-up. The laid down cover fire from their positions towards the men who had blasted in on a zip line, but that was soon interrupted as a pair of grenades exploded. While most of the men downstairs stayed there, blasting away at the imperials when they charged the door and inflicting more then they took due to cover, ten men filed quickly up the stairs and opened fire at the intruders, hoping to get to them before they could find great cover or start tucking grenades down the stairs.

The gunships made it back to base in the meanwhile, but were not sent back to the conflict, rather detoured towards the other combat. Still, one relic ha sheen found and accounted for - with three more to go. And the alliance was getting the feeling that they were starting to run short on time.

 

[Butler]

Vysteth growled at the unexpected shift of the Jedi's body into his ploy, catching the soldier and foiling the well timed distraction. But a show of pain tantalized Vysteth's curiosity and he followed the Jedi's projected line of thinking. Looking from Jedi to the body he guarded beneath him to the exit and the noise beyond, Vysteth connected the dots and grinned knives for teeth. This was his chance.

He could taste the Jedi's blood, bursting into a charging advance towards Stolatos' right arm. Vysteth swirled his saber underneath and up to cut a flurry of quick slices into the Jedi to lead him to that final deal of death. He envisioned it so smoothly, running up beside the Jedi and connecting several times before catching a hole in his guard and marking the beginning of the end. Then he'd circle the wounded, slowly delving his blade into the soldier's side for Stolatos to see before his own end. Then, just when the Jedi felt enraged by his failure, Vysteth would dip his saber into Stolatos' gut, so slowly and sweetly.

---

Fire zipped up from the stairs and dropped one trooper. The team of five instantly became four, as they scattered to take cover. One of the men indeed lobbed a grenade from the side of the stairs, but his angle was difficult. Instead of tossing the frag down the stairwell, the grenade bounced into the first stair and blasted the floor into a spray of white powder. It was in that instant that Decaar and his soldiers three determined their first objective, to pincer the downstairs soldiers.

The troopers out front dropped into piles of bodies, the ones still storming the tight entrance using those piles as cover since there no longer seemed to be a threat from above. They were taking down one Alliance soldier for every five of theirs that fell. It was messy, and they were loosing confidence, but they weren't giving up. One even attempted to toss a flash grenade into the complex as best he could, for a moment of breath.

Tourn stayed right where he was at the back, awaiting orders for reinforcements or any sign of escape.

Khors quickly decided there was nothing he could do for the front, so he peered in through the window sights. Should a soldier come running down the stairs to the second level he'd splatter their brains upon the wall before they even knew what foot they had just stepped on. Decaar's team was being watched now. They were the best option for success.

---

And like a sparrow in the night, he landed upon the terrace soft and silent with his cloak flaying out like wings daring not to touch the dew dropped glades. He had come. As a shadow in the corner, you might second guess yourself in absence of sentient resemblance with long ebony strands draping over eyes; but the feeling is there. He was there, a black streak of purpose rising on the level of Vysteth and Stolatos. A true warrior of the Sith, Noster Eden.