The water was still, murky green and blue it held hints of animal life. Small fish swam gently across the riverbed the ancient set of ruins had its foundation up. Its original inhabitants long since dead, her remains nothing but dust in the whispering winds of Ashal. Located deep in the forests of the sparsely inhabited world, few outsider eyes had peered upon them. Colossal, sky scraping mountains filled the backdrop, a cool mist hovering in the sky, amplifying the humidity. Life was in these ruins, dust kicked up as heavy boots marched across the stone floors. Tribal symbols marked parts of the intact walls, their meaning lost in time. As the cultists moved through these relics they could feel the gentle touch of the Force, practically covering the planet. In some areas it was stronger than others, at the strongest points it was intense enough to cause headaches to the weakest of the Force sensitives in the mysterious group. Strange avian like creatures howled and screeched overhead, circling far above the gathered cult members. These animals perched themselves on top of the high reaching cliffs that overlooked the ruins.

Heavily armored men moved up and down the steep staircases on both sides of the remnants. Many were clad in armor, and carried powerful blasters as weaponry. They were mercenaries, bound to Okussus and its enigmatic leader. These men chatted small talk, some sat to the sides and drank, others smoked and traded war stories. Almost none of them had seen the fallen Jedi master with their own eyes, they had been hired through the man's highest ranking underlings. Many had partaken in raids in nearby sectors across the so-called 'Wild Space', a sector of the galaxy where the Republic had no jurisdiction, where even the recently fallen Sith Empire did not venture into. These hired guns pillaged, looted and killed without remorse during their raiding. They were paid immensely depending on how well their efforts went. Now they simply resided in these ruins, fortifying and preparing for the possibility of an invasion by their enemy, the Republic. No one knew exact numbers, nor if there was any actual truth to the words, but they still readied themselves the same.

Heavy turrets were set up in strategic locations, two notably deployed where the water cascaded down into the riverbed. Scattered snipers darted around the area, a trio perched atop the highest point of the ruins, far up above the top of the dual staircases. They sat there in waiting, draped in camouflage. They were the first set of eyes towards the sky. To the left side on top of the cliff perched a quartet of other snipers, also clad with a different set of camouflage. In its entirely, this group of almost three dozen mercenaries was but bait. They didn't know that of course, perhaps if they got lucky some of them would survive. Of course luck always worked in mysterious ways, like the Force.

Above the outward, identical set of ruins was a small courtyard. The stairs lead right to it, it was filled with toppled statues and destroyed monuments. Grass grew through the stone tiles, to the left and right inside the courtyard were other hallways, at the ends of these Ideon Donnall had ordered his forces to spread out down these halls and ready themselves for combat. Directly straight from where the stairs ascended and through the courtyard was a long hallway, lit by torches and filled with things the Okussus had brought in as cover. Metal crates, barrels, even pieces of rubble set up in perfect locations in the hallway. It was a way of retreat in case the mission went entirely tails up, the Okussus forces could dart down the hallway as it lead through a cavern, then into the open wilderness. Ideon had it all planned out, transports and vehicles of various designs would be there in case of a full scale retreat. Explosives would be set around the exit of the cavern and it would be collapsed to halt the Republic.

Of course retreat was not part of the actual plan. He was delighted with how his loyal followers had fortified the ruins. Scattered mines, tripwires, choke points the Republic would just waltz right into. What did not delight him was that the Republic were going to interrupt the mission. He heard word of approaching ships to the sector, it was noticeable whenever anyone ventured from Republic space into Wild Space. Through the Force he had also discovered them, there were Jedi among these forces. One in particular unnerved Ideon, it was his former padawan, Vasha. It was almost certain destiny she would end up seeking him out. Part of him was upset that she had brought backup, while another part of him was oddly proud of her. She was never a dumb girl, wandering into the middle of nowhere by her lonesome would have been an idiotic maneuver. He could feel how strong she had grown, had become a noble Jedi the Order could be immensely proud of. That part of his life was over with, he was no longer a Jedi. He had gone past that.

Ideon walked calmly through the inside of the ruins, stepping into the sunlight in the courtyard, his hood raised and eyes wandering as he inspected the fortifications. As he moved he could sense all the former Jedi and Sith that had pledged to his banner. They too were readying themselves in their own ways. The elite handpicked soldiers were also there, it was important to have a mix of skills for this type of endeavor. Several armored vehicles moved through the ruins, some were simple hovercrafts with mounted blaster cannons while a few were more heavily armored machines. Two walkers moved around, mounted with multiple weapons. The Republic was in for a reckoning.

---

The Republic Warship, ‘The Will of the Just’ moved rather lazily through space as it approached the Planet of Ashal, already warning lights were flashing in hangars, and comms speakers were blaring orders for the crew members to begin preparations. It was organized chaos, to anyone else it would seem as if people were running in every direction with no idea what to do, but they were all well trained and knew exactly where they were going and why. The planet came into view larger, and larger, and finally the Warship came to a halt, The Jedi, and Commandos on the mission had been called to the main hangar, it was here that transports were docked, waiting to be loaded with their precious living cargo they were to bring to the planet’s surface. Bombers were docked here as well, pilots of the ships going over checklists while mechanics worked quickly to ensure they were safe to travel through the atmosphere.

Vasha stood in the middle of the Hangar unmoving as the crew of the Warship worked briskly. Watching through the open port of the Hangar she finally turned, and pressed her wrist comm and brought up and image of the Captain of the Ship. “We have already wasted too much time, and given the Cult room to prepare for our arrival. We need to move these bombers out the hangar now.” For a moment the Captain’s face took on an expression of annoyance before giving a nod, the visage retreating back into the wrist device. Almost immediately the sirens in the hangar would begin to go off, orders for the bombers to depart issued in quick secession.

Roaring out of the hangar, and into the empty space between Ashal, and the Warship the bombers went, and in little time had crossed into the atmosphere of the ancient world. Orders would come across the communications. “Bombing should be used to soften the forces, and any defensive positions located outside, and around the ruins, try to do as little damage to the ruins as possible.” The pilots would signal their affirmative and move in to begin their bombing runs only to find that there were turrets firing at them from the ground, one bomber took a direct hit to the nose quickly going up in an explosion of shrapnel falling to the ground, while another got clipped several times and spiraled into wall on the outskirts of the ruins, sending stone, and fire to gouge the ground.

“Evasive maneuvers!” The bomber leader shouted into the comms, and soon the bombers were spirally about, moving in quick jarring motions to evade turret fire, one of them eventually streaking above one of the turrets and delivering a devastating payload that blew the weapon to smoking bits. The other turret followed the offending bombers and the blasts from the cannon turned it into smoking ruins falling from the sky. “Take out that damned turret!” Another bomber would swoop in letting loose a payload on top of the remaining turret, turning it to a smoldering wreck. Soon the bombers had regrouped, though there were only four left after the turrets had obliterated three.”Let’s get this run over with.” The bomber leader said, as they began to soften the grounds of the ruins, and the surrounding forests, explosions shook the entire place to it’s foundations, mercenaries unlucky enough to be in the open and to be under the wrong cover were blown to pieces. The sniper team on the cliff side barely making it to safety before their position was turned to smoking stone. Soon enough the place looked as if war had already the ruins smoldering with smoke, several places having fallen in, the bridge now a pile of rubble.

Vasha watched what was taking place below, the bombings tearing apart the ruins. Turning she moved quickly towards a transport, and climbed aboard. Orders went out to all Task force members to board their assigned transports, it was time to go planetside. Vasha made sure that her transport was the first out the hangar, taking with it whoever happened to be assigned to it, the ship travelling as quickly as it could towards the planet’s surface. “Take us down.. The top of the ruins. The transport dropped quickly through the atmosphere, and Vasha pulled open the side door as they got closer, and closer, she noticed the snipers atop the ruins, and quickly leapt from the ship landing in the midst of the team the neon green blades of the lightsaber coming to life, the staff saber spun in deadly arcs leaving the snipers dead with smoking wounds in their chests. Standing there for a moment, she had been blind to what she felt in the force before, but now it washed over her like a wave. “Ideon…” She would whisper quietly.

---

As explosions tore through the ancient ruins the turned Jedi Master felt the ground shake beneath his feet with every single bomb which impacted. There were screams echoing around him as his mercenaries unfortunate enough to be caught in the attack perished. Ideon only blinked, paid soldiers dying didn’t phase him that much. They had more loyal to the cause, and more credits to purchase the service of more. Several of the bombers went down in the chaos, the others retreated quickly. It was just the beginning, now the real fight began.

Ideon stood still throughout the bombing, safe from any explosions, showing not a single bit of fear. His eyes shot upwards as he watched a figure lauch down from a dropship, landing with their double bladed lightsaber ignited as they carved into the surprised snipers which sat atop the highest point of the ruins. It hit him instantaneously, the Force flowed through him powerfully as he locked eyes with his former padawan from a distance. She was leading the charge it seemed, he once more felt oddly proud of her, then his lightsaber ignited. The crimson red blade emerged fiercely, then hummed gently as he spoke out.

“Fortify positions, they’re gonna try to drop right on top of us. As soon as they land and you have a shot, take it. There are Jedi among them, keep your guard up and reject any feelings of fear. We have the advantage.” Ideon loudly stated to his loyal forces around him, they knew these ruins, every single inch, the Republic and the Jedi did not. Clenching his lightsaber he gave one more glance upwards at his former apprentice, then thrust his weapon into the air, urging his followers into combat.

---

The decaying walls of the ancient structure shook violently as the payload hit its target, all manner of soldiers, menials, and non-combat personell scrambling about to their various stations. Amid the chaotic roar that would signal the first strike in what Feroson believed would be a long and glorious conflict, the Chiss prepared himself for war as he had countless times before. His armor was sealed, his weapons primed and readied at his side, all manner of gadgets and equipment was within the reach of his fingertips. Helmet cradled under his arm, a smile curled across his silver lips as he watched his men prepare themselves. The last of his corsairs fastened their helmets, loaded their weapons, and secured extra ammunition. His crimson eyes scanned over each of them, his gaze piercing deeper than any blade could.

Content, Feroson placed his cruel-looking helmet over his head, the seals hissing as it locked into place. Rifle slung across his shoulder, the Chiss turned from his soldiers, heading towards the sounds of battle with a silent dignity. There was no need for rousing speeches or hateful curses, they knew what they were here for and would do their duty well. A ten man squad of the shock-troops followed their captain, their powerful blasters held across their chests as they marched. The second and third detachments would head elsewhere, to man entrenched nests along the fortress walls, and bring down the enemy vessels with volley after volley of rocket fire.

Bringing his rifle to bear, Feroson sent a single burst through the comm within his helmet, the men of his retinue and the other squads each responding in kind with their own. Beneath the feroscious war-mask, the corsair grinned, daylight slowly pouring through the ancient bunker doors as they opened. In an instant they were home, amid the roaring confusion and mayhem of battle, focused and disciplined fire assailing the interlopers as they landed. Now he wished for nothing more than to see how many lives it would cost to take those ruins.

Finally, it had begun. So long had Kaleb heard of a coming battle. He was equally excited that there might actually be Jedi to fight on the opposing side. He was grinning behind his helmet. Kaleb had received his orders earlier. Form a vanguard with the "Corsair" mercenary band which was being lead by Officer Feroson, and keep the threat from finding decent cover. It was a plan he could certainly get behind. Corral them to be slaughtered. He was itching to fight already.

The ex-Sith Warrior saw the detachment coming into view. Kaleb pulled the hilt of his lightsaber out of it's holster, twirling it around in his hand in twisted glee. He approached the Chiss Officer, and looked upon his men too. As he scanned the group behind the visor of his mask, Kaleb nodded slowly. This will work. "Captain Feroson." The Sith greeted. "So these are your chosen few? There are other force users on the other side of the battlefield. Are your men up for the task?" He questioned, wanting to confirm their adequacy.

"This is not the first time we've killed Jedi, friend, and neither will it be the last. My men are ready. If they prove inadequate then we won't live long enough to worry about it, will we?" The corsair's tone was dry, a smirk curled across his face as he and his men gunned down soldier after soldier. They struck while the enemy was vulnerable, the republic soldiers gaining their footing and balance as they landed from their drop ships. Feroson and his retinue were like a wall of death inching closer and closer to the enemy, the various outcroppings of stone providing them cover among the ruins.

From above came a rain of blaster-fire, blaster cannons unloading barrage after barrage into the enemy and their ships. Meanwhile, rockets screeched as they soared through the air, the pirates working quickly to prepare a second volley. Several of the projectiles missed the dropship that had swooped in, but a few hit the mark. A series of explosions detonated across its hull, clipping the carrier's wing. It began to spin out of controll, crashing off into the wilderness surrounding the temple.

Kaleb watched the chaos ensue. At first, he was sticking by his assigned team, deflecting or simply batting away enemy fire that came their way. However, soon enough, it would be time to strike, and leap upon his prey. Channelling the force throughout his body, Kaleb began to invoke his Force Rage power. "Let's slaughter them all!" He growled through his mask as the Sith lifted his ignited saber high. Almost immediately, Kaleb charged forth from the line the Corsair's had formed.

All inhibitions of fear that could possibly been there was gone. Now, it was just the internal lust for carnage and destruction upon the enemies. Roaring out, he twisted and twirled his lightsaber around him as he charged at the enemies. Soon enough, the crimson saber was slashing across enemies' chests or lopping off various body parts.

Franceska, Vindica and Tesh
Collab with Lucifina & Assallya

---

Feet dangling over the edge, she stared out towards the unfolding battle.

Already one of theirs was putting up a fierce resistance, seeking to destroy the opposition while they were unbalanced and vulnerable by their landings. Franceska Havale, however, was not fighting, not yet. The sunken tower she was in, filled with a few choice mercs and a stockpile of weapons, wasn't quite ready to retaliate. At least, not until that person deemed it ready.

"They're already fighting." She turned back from her perch on the edge. "Are we ready?"

Drawn back, attempting to keep herself concealed, her compaion, a cloaked figure gazed out from beneath her cowl. Cool, dark shaded eyes, gazed out over the same battlefield. She was dressed, scantily attired, in dark natural leathers that clung to her slender figure and drew attention to the paleness of her skin.

"I think we must ask ourselves," the cowled figure responded, "What the purpose in engaging these enemies is? How does fighting them or even killing them aid our cause and agenda?"

Situated at the edge of the riverbed, the tower was more than damp. Had she lived a less spartan lifestyle, Tesh would've perhaps been at least a little bit uncomfortable. Meditation required great concentration, especially to direct a battle of any scale. Already she had adopted the proper posistions at a far flung corner of the fortified building.

Despite the need for concentration, however, she found more than ample time to answer her allies question.

"War and the Jedi Code can't exist side by side. There is very little to lose in this battle, but much to gain. I suppose from the perspective of someone who drew on the darkside, the purpose is likely to instill fear." These ruins didn't have much strategic value for the cults goals. The land was more than meaningless.

Wordlessly, Tesh began work on a battle meld for the various force-users on the frontline and elsewhere. While nothing fancy enough to enhance their combat prowess, it would make communication more than easy if an emergency arose. For now, her Meditations would focus on her immediate surrondings and allies.

Franceska didn't answer the question, at least, not out loud. To her it was easy; kill them, so they don't kill her, so she could go back and get credits. An answer she would perhaps be inclined to give should she was a bit more talkative. She didn't exactly feel comfortable around these two. One gave her odd feelings, and the other... felt a bit too much like a Jedi for her.

Like her master, who thankfully didn't seem to be on the other side. She wasn't sure what to do if he did come all the way here and met her.

"I see. I'll keep watching them for any changes then."

She betrayed no emotion on her countenance, just a mild interest as she drew out a blaster from her belt, inspecting it once again as she waited.

The cowled woman considered their words but didn't see the relevance. As far as she was concerned, fighting only led to personal satisfaction. They were going to lose resources for nothing more than a demonstration of their intent and power. Better, Vindica thought to herself, that be used to gain some sort of advantage, some form of profit. Their plan was bigger than petty battles.

"Perhaps we should reconsider this," she thought to herself as she felt the flows of the force lending her guidance, "Maybe with all their warriors down here upon the ground attempting to rout us from our holes they have left no one aboard their ship to defend it agaiinst a counter assault?"

From the perspective of the various Cult aligned force users, it would've been like a tiny prick at the back of their mind. A simple connection bound them together, though it was not complicated enough to convey things like speech. It could, however, easily convey dire need. The force meld Tesh created was simplistic enough that it wouldn't make her a target just yet.

With that task done, she began to truly concentrate on directing the various Mercenaries around her. Expanding her senses with the Force, she gave the towers defenders unnatural vigour and deadshot accuracy. The tower itself wasn't nearly the frontline yet, but it would inevitably become it. The open space around it, which was mostly muddied water would likely slow even a Jedi. it was a perfect killing ground, in military terms.

With the dropships flying over the treeline ahead of them, already a few Mercenaries had begun taking potshots with hand held anti-aircraft weapons. They proved to be fairly effective with her guidance, even at this range. They had only managed to destroy one dropship so far, but had damaged several others enough that they couldn't return to space anytime soon.

---

Keenan almost lost his balance as bombs shook up the place but he managed to steady himself by grabbing hold of a small nook just above him. He was perched on a ledge close to the top of the ruin, not quite the highest point but above the large staircases, that overlooked almost the entire area. The reason for this was because he had his own order: while everyone else defended the temple he was to find the Togruta, subdue her, and bring her to Ideon. So here he was, keeping himself hidden with the force and expecting to spot his target somewhere in the battle below. It was to his mild annoyance that he spotted her leaping from a shuttle to the one point that was higher than he was.

He was climbing from the moment she was out of the transport, the short distance between him and the top thankfully meaning he was peeking his head up there by the time she'd finished dispatching the snipers. With her seemingly distracted for a moment he threw himself up over the edge aided again by the force, his stealth dropping at this point, extending his staff as he landed and sweeping her legs out from under her which he followed by attempting to follow up with a blow to her head.

Vasha had been in fact deep in thought, but her mastery of force sense brought her some measure of fast reaction to the sudden underhanded attack on her person. As her legs were swept out from under her time seemed to slow if only for a brief moment before she was suddenly twisting in mid-air and landing on her feet, her lightsaber spinning as it moved to block the oncoming blow for her head. She stared at Keenan almost placidly, as if there wasn’t a wish for ill will in her mind. However that split second with which she looked at him would end quickly.

With grace and acrobatics Vasha spun once more, flipping up and over the pole arm, her staff saber spun so that it would not connect with anything around for for a moment, but from the flurry that was her spinning body and weapon her leg would kick out aiming to strike into the Dark Force user’s protective facial covering. Regardless of the connection her movements would cease little as she continued her aggressive moves forward, having mixed different maneuvers from both Niman, and Makashi in her attacks as she incorporated a more aggressive tendency with them being quite effective with a staff saber as such.

The togruta's foot collided with his face but rather than knock off the mask it sent him stumbling back, however, he carried through with the momentum to get away from her as she launched into a flurry of attacks. She was good with that staff, taking it away might be a good idea. Avoiding her attacks for the moment he waited for an opportune moment before thrusting his staff forward to block her saber, the cortosis-weave enough to withstand the blow but not quite enough to short the blade but with her saber stopped he threw a punch with his gauntleted toward her middle to stun her then he stepped forward into it to grab further down his staff and try to twist her weapon away or pin her arm, whichever he could manage.

Surprised for a moment as her flurry came to an end Vasha didn’t quite have enough time to dodge the punch coming her way, which sent her stumbling a bit, the sudden disarming of her lightsaber causing her to huff loudly as her arm was pinned for the moment. Though rather than give into this her hand suddenly shot out releasing a large blast of the force to send Keenan away from her, and create some space, her free hand would be reaching to use the force to bring her staff back to her palm once more.

Keenan was thrown back by the force, landing a short distance away but quickly scrambling back up to a crouched position. His staff was knocked out of his hand but rather than go for it he rushed her, seeing that her blade wasn't reignited yet. One hand grabbed for her saber to keep it pointed away while he again threw a punch with the other, this time aimed at her face.

Once more the Dark Jedi continued to surprise Vasha, the sudden fight to keep hold of her staff, and the strike to her face caused her to reel backwards. She groaned as she stumbled for a moment, her nose now bleeding, though she would stand and extend a hand the polearm saber belonging to Keenan shooting to her palm as she ignited it. She spun the weapon a bit before beginning to jab at the dark side user with it, making quick short slashes with the pole weapon.

Keenan was surprised when she used his own weapon against him and narrowly avoided being impaled by her first few strikes until he deflected one of her jabs with his own hand, his cortosis gauntlet shorting the blade on his staff, he grabbed the end of his staff then and pulled, counting on her having a firm enough grip that she would be pulled toward him and he could go for a grapple again, if not he'd spin the weapon around and try to strike at her.

The opportunity presented itself, and Vasha was not going to let it pass, she let go of the polearm, both her hands coming together as she concentrated harder than before, using the force she brought a blast of it upwards under Keenan’s feet sending chunks of temple soaring into the air that could possibly strike the dark jedi as well as possibly send him flying. Her hand would stretch back out and reach with the force once more to retrieve her lightsaber from his hand, hoping to have ended this duel as she knew she would be needed further in the assault on the temple.

Before Keenan could land his blow his opponent sent pieces of the temple flying up from under him. He was able to create a barrier fast enough to block most of the debris but that didn't stop him from being thrown off the top of the ruin, crashing back down on the side and sliding down until he slipped off the ledge and plummeted down to the wall next to the main stairs where he thankfully stopped. He groaned from the painful landing, his barrier saved him from the worst of it but it was going to be a bit before he got up again.

Watching the Dark Jedi get thrown from the top of the temple she would turn with a heavy sigh, and watch the battle taking place. For but a moment she was motionless till she saw missiles being fired from the corsairs towards some transports, reaching out with the force she quickly turned them, her teeth gritting from the exertion as they changed directory and flew back into corsair lines.

@Frater Jeremiah

Vemka Vall had been mentally steeling himself for the initial assault when the alert came for all hands to man their stations and for the assault force to make their way to the primary hanger for departure. Before any combat mission he did the same thing, steeling himself and clouding his mind deliberately, shielding himself from Force users with old tricks that had been employed by some Jedi Hunters that Republic Intelligence had tracked down and converted to their cause over the years. Clouding ones mind, coupled with strong emotion, could shield them from easy detection with the force, something that had saved his ass on more than one occasion. Add in the chaos of an attack, and a younger Vemka might have even trusted a well placed sniper shot with that alone, but that was not who he was today. Rising, and grabbing the helmet of his armor, he fastened it as he made a brisk run to the hanger, just in time for the boarding order from the Knight, Vasha, who was in overall charge of the operation. She was one that Vemka knew little of, considering how much the Jedi operated independent of Intelligence Agents typically, so profiles on lesser known Jedi were incomplete at best, something the Intelligence Agent did not like.

Like it or not, Vemka had his orders and it was simple enough, boarding a shuttle that contained another strike team of Commandos, Vemka being the only one on board the shuttle not a part of the Commandos. They gave him the usual odd looks that Republic Intelligence got, and there was likely mutterings of 'that spook' on their squad comm channel, but the Mirialan was used to such things at this point. Half closing his eyes, which dismissed the Commandos for now, he focused on the general situation developing while going down, processing the information fed through the comms and building a mental image of the situation at hand. Heavy resistance, dug in and ready for the attack. Typical, the ham fisted approach had been spotted, there was a reason the Wild Space was outside conventional Republic control. But, in as much as any plan, first contact had forced plans to change and to improvise new responses.

Vemka's train of thought was, at that point, interrupted by a series of explosive detonations that raked the side of his shuttle, the Pilot going off about how he'd lost a wing and they were going down. Rather than tense up, the Mirialan forced himself to relax, getting ready for the impact instead of dreading it, dreading the inevitable wasn't going to help. They hit hard, Vemka catching himself as the side door was ripped from the shuttle, and the Mirialan threw himself clear of the shuttle as it continued hurtling and grinding to a halt, rolling across the ground and coming to a halt naturally instead of trying to force himself to stop sooner. Picking himself up, and dusting off his armor, a quick inventory was done. Armor and cloak, intact, weapons, intact, extra supplies, intact. He was lucky, then, the ground wasn't so hard that the impact would damage him or his gear. Those that had rode out the crash though, might not be so fortunate.

Rather than double back after the shuttle, letting the survivors sort themselves out, the Intelligence Agent moved through the woods, oddly calm compared to the raging assault that was occurring so close to them. Reaching the edge of the woods, he spotted Republic forces suffering a counter assault from a dark saber wielding force user. He moved fast, struck hard, but a quick analysis, at the cost of soldier's lives, was enough to puzzle him out for an initial assault. The attack was single minded, reveling in the slaughter, which meant he was focused on the obvious threats. Continuing to maintain his mental shroud, surface clouded with irrelevant thoughts and strong emotions matching the forces attacking and being attacked, he reached into a pouch and produced two sonic detonators. Normally, soldiers used Thermal, but against a force user? The sonic attack tended to disorientate and disrupt their abilities, making them easier targets. Rather than blindly pitch them, he cooked them and proceed to use an underhand toss, sending them rolling across the ground to come to a rest behind the advancing dark sider, detonating within a second of coming to a halt.

"Agent Vall in position, standing by to provide support. Engaging the Dark Sider, bait him into overextending and cut him off." Punctuating the orders he passed over encrypted commlink, Vemka had his sniper rifle, a BL-28, trained on the dark sider. Rather than fire right away, he braced his vibrostaff alongside him in case he needed it quickly, watching for an opening to fire rather than blindly opening fire and giving himself away yet. Frontline soldier's job was to fight and die, his was to pick off targets he could kill, or otherwise mark them for those that could. Vemka would fire whenever the dark sider wasn't facing him, aiming to harass and irritate the target further, rage could blind as well as it could fuel after all.

@Alias

Tannius strapped his gear on, looking around at the soldiers who would accompany him into battle. He could feel the pre-battle jitters in the air, but with him especially. This would be his first major conflict, he had heard about battle before. He would only have seconds to make decisions that could cost a life, seconds to make decisions that would uphold the jedi code. The orders to mount up came, and he sighed. He would be taking the last shuttle in, it was a relief but still. He wasn't ready for battle, and the thoughts that crossed his mind as he entered that steel coffin were less than satisfactory, he felt fear. "There is no emotion, only peace." He thought, as he climbed up the ramp, his commandos got settled and the jedi sat along with them.

When the shuttle finally left, he felt the tension grow. There wasn't even a sound, as they all did their last weapon checks not a word. Not until they entered the atmosphere. "30 seconds to landing." The pilot said, with that the team all stood seemingly at the same time. At this point time seemed to pass so much slower, Tannius was fidgeting now as they got closer. "5...4...3-" The pilot was cut off from their countdown, there was, a loud "Fwoom" And the shuttle lurched and started dropping. It hit the ground hard, throwing soldiers too and fro, Tannius himself slammed pretty hard against the side of the shuttle. He felt blood dripping down from his forehead, apparently he hit it harder than he thought. "Who's with me?" He shouted, everyone on his team checked in they were all still alive if a little shaken from their hard landing. "Someone open the ramp, or we are just waiting to get murdered." One of the soldiers shouted over the confusion. "I can't it's too damaged to open." The pilot shouted back. Tannius decided to make his own exit, he drew his saber and cut an exit and blew the hunk of metal away with a well placed force push. "Everyone out, come on!" He shouted, leaping out his impromptu exit first and into the chaos.

He instantly regretted his decision, the chaos around him was intense. Everywhere he looked were signs of battle. The dead, the dying. He felt that tinge of fear again, as a blaster bolt missed his head by mere inches while he was standing there dumbstruck. That kicked him into action, he covered his men as they exited deflecting blaster bolts with his saber. When everybody including the pilot were out, he pointed to the closest bit of cover not far away. "Go take cover!" He shouted, over the chaos. They ran their way across the field, blaster bolts from the enemy blazing a trail after them. One of his commando's got hit and fell hard. Tannius turned, despite the heavy fire and went back for them. He grabbed them and pulled them into cover. "We've got to push forward, gain some ground." He said, fear was intermingled with his voice. But that didn't stop him from leaving cover, and entering the battlefield.

As the ground shook and the mercs died, it mattered little to XC-13 just as it mattered little to the cult. Their only loyalty was money, as such they were even more expendable than the members of the cult, themselves. Rather than concern himself with the loss of life or defenses, the droid adjusted the setting on his sonic blaster to its maximum setting, checked that his flamethrower was functioning with a small burst, and readied his heavy blaster.

Once the bombing runs had ended, the rest of the cultists moved out into the ruins to repel the republic troops, and XC joined them. As he moved forward, toward the defensive fighting positions, he fired his blaster from his hip, more to suppress than to wound, as even a droid would have trouble being accurate with such a weapon without aiming and at such range. As he walked to the trenches blaster bolts whipped past his head, but XC was programmed not to know fear, of course he was also programmed to self-preserve, so he set up at the nearest trench, propping his blaster on the lip of trench and using that to help brace his aim.

XC could have chosen a target or a direction to fire, instead he chose to attack multiple republic groups. From a compartment in his abdomen, he produced a thermal detonator and 2 gas grenades. He lobbed the detonator into a cluster of confused looking commandos who appeared to be trying to rally. He then lobbed the two gas grenades at two larger groups, knowing they probably wouldn't kill but would probably disorient the troops with the cloud they created. Through the bodies he could catch glimpses of a red saber, but members of the cult could take care of themselves or they are dead weight. With that taken care of, he returned to his blaster, occasionally traversing across a group standing in the opening, but focusing his shots at the cover and over the heads of troops who'd found protection, to keep them getting brave.

"Thirty seconds! Force be with ya'!" Spouted the pilot of the dropship, the comms rasping with the rough static of the signal. The waist gunners had already begun laying into the LZ, bolts flying back and forth as the engines flared. Flak and other anti-air munitions were already bursting around them, the shrapnel pattering against the hull like rain on a metal roof, and the deck shuddered. "Ten!" A waist gunner fell to shrapnel, dragged to one of the cabin benches to be treated as a dim red light illuminated the cabin. The flak began to inch closer, more on target, and then a cacophony of explosions. A nearly direct hit as the dropship sunk further.

"Gunners cease fire!" Lukas, situated in the throng of commandos standing near the rear ramp and side doors, ordered to the uninjured waist gunner and the rear gunner, who cut their blaster fire promptly, and the red light turned green as the gear scraped stone and dirt. The ramp dropped and the cacophony of battle seeped in, a thermal detonator landing direct in the horde of ten commandos all flooding out of the dropship. Lukas dove to it, grasping the red flashing object and threw it, clearing the heads of all of his squadmates, and it sent shrapnel and heat flying as it exploded within the air, not ten feet from the dropship.

Lukas and his commandos had continued to pour outwards, and now the dropship was clear, making its ascent with ramp and doors still ajar and the engines emitting a thick grey smoke as green and blue blaster bolts flew from the waist gunner and rear gunner's positions. Lukas, now immersed among the fire which had now cut down two commandos fatally, found a thick stone of which to use as cover, and likewise the remaining seven other commandos had as well. They dared not return fire, yet still hugged the cover, before Lukas barked into the comms: "Second squad is in the AO and pinned at the LZ! Requesting immediate support!"

Colab with Heat

Lahana clutched her saber in her hands as she sat in a rumbling shuttle. This was going to be her first real battle as a jedi, but it wasn't her first time on the battlefield. She tapped her foot quickly on the floor of the vehicle as she thought about what she was about to do. She would be scolded for even considering this, but if she succeeded then it would be worth it. "Ideon Donnall..." She whispered the name to herself. The traitor behind this farce of an organization, she was going to kill him. That would prove that she was worth taking in, that this was where she belonged. She'd be accepted finally.

The side of the shuttle was opened as they prepared to land amidst blaster fire and explosions. The sound resonated inside of her like a bell struck by a cannon. She clenched her teeth, fighting the images of death and suffering crawling into her consciousness. None of that mattered, none of it mattered at all, she kept repeating to herself mentally. Before the shuttle touched down she stood up and jumped out prematurely. As she fell through the sky she aimed herself towards the temple. She knew Ideon was inside, she could feel it. At least she thought that's what this feeling was. A few blaster shots flew towards her from the ground, but at her height they had little chance of hitting her.

Lahana landed right on top of the temple, using the force to offset her descending velocity while at the same time blowing a hole in the roof. She fell through and landed inside. "Ideon Donnall!" She shouted, igniting her verdant saber as a piece of rubble as large as a jawa raised around her. She dashed towards the man, flinging the rubble ahead of her. She knew such an attack would be dealt with, so she followed with a fierce thrust of her lightsaber aimed at the man's chest.

As the real battle began, it lit the ruins ablaze with blaster fire and clashing lightsabers. Okussus' soldiers hollered as they sprinted forward, taking up defensive positions. The Force users on the cult's side entered the fray as well, man alighting their lightsabers with deadly intent. Ideon's eyes caught sight of one the more bold cultists taking on his former padawan. He almost laughed out loud, Vasha meant serious business, he could simply tell by how the Force flowed around her. It seemed she would not let anything stand between her and the Republic's mission. His eyes shifted rapidly as someone loudly tore a piece of old rubble from the ceiling, rocketing down behind it.

A female voice hollered his name and he blinked, staring at the Jedi who had just made a bold entrance. As she barreled towards him, he lifted his free hand and tossed the chunk of rubble to the side effortlessly. A few of his loyal soldiers stood behind him, pointing their blasters at the darting Jedi. He clenched his raised free hand, silently telling them to stop. He had it taken care of.

"You're quite bold, young Jedi," Ideon said with a smile as he blocked the jab, settling into a defensive Djem So stance. He parried the initial attack, then swung powerfully downwards, his lightsaber blade moving with fierce speed and he aimed to carve Lahana into two diagonal pieces. This aggressive Jedi was quite tall for a woman, a few centimeters taller than him but far more inexperienced.

Lahana let out an annoyed gasp as her strike was blocked, she tightened the hold on her weapon and prepared to attack once more, but her foe was already a blink of an eye away from bisecting her. She hastily swung her saber to block, then took a leap back. "Why are you smiling?" She said with disdain. "Don't you know what's happening out there? Because of you? I know you can feel it." She grit her teeth and sent a punch at him from four meters away, using her projected fighting to try and land a punch at his jaw.

"There is more going on in this world than you can possibly comprehend." Ideon stated vaguely as the Jedi shifted backwards, then punched towards him from a distance away. He reached out with the Force, quickly grasping onto the piece of rubble she had flung at him before. Then he pulled it towards where he was standing, trying to time it perfectly so Lahana would crash right into it. Then Ideon leaped upwards, doing a backwards flip in the air as he landed a distance away.

"Tsk." Lahana's punch was easily blocked, not surprising but still annoying. "Oh? And you can? Nothing could possibly justify the bloodshed you are causing!" Lahana rushed him once more, this time enhancing her speed with the force. She swung her saber horizontally to his right side. This attack would likely be blocked or parried, but that wasn't all. She quickly reached into her robes with her free left hand and ignited her other saber. She sliced upwards with the white saber speckled with black, going vertically.

"I personally have done nothing of the kind, my young Jedi. Perhaps the news you heard was inaccurate." Ideon stated clearly as she charged back towards him, intent on landing a blow on him.

The woman was quite aggressive fo a Jedi, it almost seemed she had a personal grudge of some sort against him. That was not the Jedi way, but the idea of it intrigued him as he quickly smacked away her first attack, then noticed the second lightsaber emerge from within her robes and ignite. He was suprised to see her reveal another weapon, but he had faced opponents in the past that had chosen to use wield two lightsabers. Ideon rapidly manuervered his own weapon and blocked the second attack. In the defensive form he had taken he continued to backpedal slowly, keeping his stance sturdy. The former Jedi Master then decided to test Lahana's defenses as he swung his lightsaber at her, slashing right, and left back at forth at a blazingly quick speed. His weapon twirled and danced as he expertly swung it, darting and hitting rapidly from different angles with each alternating blow.

Lahana should have expected this to be a challenge, she was facing a former jedi master after all. Even as she struggled to deflect his attacks she wouldn't regret coming here. She'd killed so many innocent people in the past, her master told her to put it all behind her but how could she? Did she even deserve to a peaceful, happy life? No, she didn't, not yet.

Gripping her sabers she began to rapidly form a barrier, swinging them until the green and white were a blur around her. Instead of backing away, she stepped forward, intending to slice her foe apart as if he were in a blender.

Ideon had continued his powerful, rapid swings as he tried to break through her defenses. Just when he thought he was going to break through she went into her own offensive, whipping her own dual lightsabers at an intense speed. He blinked in surprise at the action, then launched himself backwards with the Force, creating a safe distance. Then he rose his free hand upwards quickly, the fingers tensing as a blue aura shimmered on his palm. He felt the pure power flow through his arm, then launch out his fingertips in the form of chaotic Force lightning. The electric stream shimmered and crackled as it flowed dead straight towards Lahana, Ideon hoping to give her to shock her right out of her offensive trance.

Lahana stopped her barrage as Ideon jumped away, just as she was about to press the attack once more the man shot lightning from his hand. Startled, Lahana was unable to dodge or block the attack as it arced towards her. She'd heard of force lightning before, but she'd never seen it in person. For Ideon to be using such a power, he really had fallen far.

She let out a breathless gasp as the current hit her, causing her to stagger on her feet. The pain was intense, but she'd felt worse, much worse. Mustering up her strength she raised her lightsabers into the path of the lightning, causing the attack to be directed into them. She pushed forward, rushing towards him until she was close enough to send a kick towards his stomach.

Ideon kept up the storm of lightning, it arcing from fingers with furiosity and hitting Lahana hard. Just as he thought the fight would end and the Jedi would crumble into a heap she started toresist, raising her lightsabers and blocking his Force assault. As soon as she closed the distance and got some momentum she kicked hard towards him, he started to backpedal but felt the boot strike his gut, causing him to slide backwards with a gasp. He didn't expect the young Jedi to actually land a blow, that surprised him. Beginning to get annoyed at his young opponent he held his lightsaber horizonatally, over his head, then dashed at her with nearly blinding speed.

He slammed hard towards her, battering and switching hands as he channeled the Way of the Vornskr, more commonly known as Juyo, his most used form. Ideon could recall using it against Sith in the war all those years ago, he had even seen those wicked Sith use the form themselves. He adapted his own style and ways with it after encountering Sith warriors proficent in Juyo. His lightsaber seemed to move effortlessly with grace and fury as he hammered Lahana with no predictable pattern to his strikes.

Lahana narrowed her eyes as she noticed Ideon's form change. She raised her sabers to prepare for his attack, but she wasn't quite as ready as she thought. The blows came hard and in a seemingly erratic pattern. She began to back up as she struggled to defend herself. Had she made a mistake? Was she going to die here? Beating this man in a duel no longer seemed possible. Should she escape? She doubted they'd allow that to happen, between Ideon and his mercenaries ready to open fire on her, she'd be dead before she even made it to the entrance. "Dammit!" She used the force to push herself backwards, and then quickly put away her weapons. She extended both of her hands to her sides and let out a force wave, rocking the foundation of the building. She pushed herself to keep it up until the entire place began to crumble.

Ideon broke out of his attacking stride as Lahana retreated. As she turned off her lightabers and pushed herself backwards the building around them started to crumble. Then it fell apart, old rock and brick crashing down between the two of them, ending their duel. The fight was finished, Ideon stared at the Jedi as the rocks fell, then moved away as the battle around them continued.

Broad leaves rustled in the wind, a cool breeze coming down from the mountains to sweep gently into the valley below. Among the leaves the shadows moved ever so subtly. Careful steps avoided thicker brush and foliage on the ground, a path forming and disappearing from the ruins to a spot giving a perfect vantage point. That was where a hazy mirage formed, blurring until it dissipated and what it was obscuring was revealed. Absolution crouched low in the darkness, a metallic hand feeling the muddy ground beneath her and taking stock of how stable it would be for her.

It proved satisfactory, a clear route showing on her navigational HUD as she looked to either side. Thunderclaps above signaled the atmospheric entry of starships, and that meant she would need to expedite her preparations. The same hand that pressed into the damp earth started to lightly smear clumps across her chassis. Rust red might not be among the most obvious of colors, but it certainly wasn't a natural one when against the green backing of the jungle. More troublesome were the bare durasteel segments, those would definitely catch light and expose her position. All in all it took as long as it did for the Republic to soften the Cult's defenses.

She watched one of the other sniper positions go up in flames, the mercenaries within likely dying immediately, though a figure flailing to a messy end on the ruins below gave some grim satisfaction.

"Statement: Heh. Stupid tossers."

Just barely an hour before they had contested her idea of proper positioning, claiming that since the ruins were the likely target of any assault, then they should post up in them. She had left them to their bricks and towers, with only the cursory advisory given to the Sith leaders. The job was to defend the ruins, not die in them, and she didn't fancy getting bombed into scrap.

Landers were coming in now, and as she laid back against the incline, she steadied the long-rifle and sighted in on them. Republic troopers. The shape of their armor was unmistakable, as were the varied Jedi that led the charge among them.

"Notation: Setting target priority of enemy combatants. Jedi commanders expected to be most significant threat. Republic officers essential to leadership role on the battlefield… Hold notation."

The battle had truly begun now, with the Sith in the ruins and their mercenary cohorts disgorging to meet the assault. Her scope panned across the lower levels, watching the defense from the trench. Another droid was there, some kind of battle-droid model that she only glanced across before heading out. A few shots placed down on the front lines might be beneficial towards preserving the Cult's advantage of numbers, though she continued to recon the battle first anyways. Up top it seemed there was a more significant issue. A togruta Jedi had landed among the other sniper position in the ruins, killing the group before they were even aware of the threat. Cultist acolytes were already on their way, and she knew they would be quite remiss if she stole their kill.

"Resigned sigh." A distinctly metallic sigh followed, only the slightest hint of her synthesized voice within it.

"Notation: Target priority Republic officers and commandos. Beginning execution of targets."

Going silent, she dimmed the orange glow of her eyes, now all but invisible against the jungle earth to her back and the camouflage she draped across herself. The rifle slowly moved according to her light guidance, metal hands wrapped around the wooden stock and the scope sweeping across the battlefield. Frontline targets would have to do for now. One hand reached up and pulled the bolt back, a solid slugthrower round sliding in once it was open. With quiet precision, she slowly closed it once more and readied her finger on the trigger. There. A man without a helmet was behind the Republic lines issuing commands into a headset. The rifle let out a cough as the trigger was pulled, firing the bullet across the distance between the mountainside and the battle below. She didn't wait for confirmation of kill, getting up and engaging her stealth field as she quickly started navigated the brush to move to her second position.

The rearmost shuttle’s soldiers shifted anxiously in their seats as the pilot navigated them through the atmosphere. It weaved carefully above the trees, falling farther and farther away from the others, before peeling off towards the west. Its momentum gradually slowed until it stopped completely and hovered behind a mountain of trees and natural rock. Every soldier inside exchanged glances, then moved their gazes to a feminine, robed figure near the cockpit who kept still. They listened as the explosions in the distance went off and their comm channel blared with tactical information. Most of the dropships made their landing. Others were less fortunate.

“What are we doing?” One soldier found the nerve to ask. “We should be fighting too, not just sitting here. I thought Jedi were supposed to be brave! We’re just sitting back here like cowards— “

The robed figure turned to face him, so quickly in fact that he nearly jumped in surprise. Dark, strong eyes met his beneath the shadow of the hood, until finally she pulled it back and exposed her face for the first time. The soldiers sat in their seats a little taller, while those that stood straightened their backs as much as they were able.

“Cowards?”Anari repeated, eyes narrowing. “What about this decision—my decision—makes us cowards?” His lip quivered to respond, but she beat him to it. “We will aid our people another way.”

“And what way is that?” he asked with a huff. “If Master Taal knew about this—“

“If Master Taal saw more paths than a direct one, maybe a dozen more men and women would be alive right now.”

Silence fell over the soldier in question. They could all hear the reports of dropships not making the drop or being shot down in the process. The thought that it could have been them that died before even having a chance to face the enemy rose, but none spoke a word. The reports grew more intense and the sounds of fighting escalated. Only when she was certain that there was no more argument did Anari turn around to face the pilots ahead of her.

“It’s time. Press forward and keep behind as many mountains as you can. Cover is key.”

The pilots complied and returned power to the engines, keeping low and doing just as instructed. A wide berth was given to the enemy stronghold until they were nearing the rear. The engines dulled as they made their approach. Anari focused her attention on points of entry even as the loss of life spiked with each passing second. She spotted just what they needed: a cavern, likely an escape route for Okussus, and hopefully an entry point for their own traps to be set.

“There, a possible entry point,” Anari pointed towards the mouth of it, leading outwards into the open wilderness of Ashal. “Take us as low as you can and pull back until I contact you again.”

“Yes, sir.” The pilots began their descent, hovering just several feet from the grassy grounds below. The soldiers within the shuttle ended their final weapons check while Anari opened the door with her own hand. She jumped down and landed with a crouch before the ship landed, and once it did the other soldiers joined her; armed with rifles and pistols, their heavy weapons were few, but their grenades and personal shielding units just might even the odds if things go awry.

The shuttle took off again once the last soldier left and peeled off, maintaining discretion in both speed and height to keep to Anari’s strategy. Once it was safely away, the soldiers looked to the Jedi for leadership. She looked forward again to the mouth of the cavern and began to hustle, her men and women keeping pace, hoping to make the trouble of this flank mean something.

The dropship was deathly quiet as they left the launch bay and the men sitting inside were bathed in red light. They had all listened to the bombing run over the comms and knew that they were walking into heavy fighting. None of them were strangers to harsh conditions as they were all veterans of the Jedi-Sith war "30 seconds till the LZ." The call came over the intercom as the shuttle rocked from an external force as it continued its decent towards the fighting. The team had been hand picked by Justus for their knowledge in heavy weapons and with six out of the ten man squad carrying rotary cannons and missile launchers.

The men were getting up from their seats and preparing for the door to be opened as the gunners sprayed fire out into the raging battle. Suddenly there was an explosion from the front of the shuttle causing it to first list and than plummeted to the ground as the cockpit was now missing. The shuttle crashed into one of the courtyards throwing the soldiers inside against any surface that provided resistance, this resulted in several broken bones among the troops. "Damage report." The commanding officer called out as he groaned and pulled himself off a weapons rack checking himself for any damage.

"Pilots and side gunners are dead, Sir. We also lost three of our own in the crash." One of the commandos called back over the sounds of fighting as the rest of the men huddled with their weapons waiting for orders. Justus mulled over his choices for a moment as he still had no idea where they had landed and where the rest of the Republic forces where located. The first objective would have to be regrouping and fighting back to their own lines. There were tons of reports on the fighting coming in on the comms and several reports of other transports being shot down while they were on their approaches. "Alright the plan is to secure our own beachhead at our current location until we can regroup with our other forces. Use the shuttle as our stronghold and fire out at the enemy from our fortified position. Report any heavy weapons that you spot and if we get a chance, get a missile on their armor."

During the time it took the squad to regroup and figure out a plan, several mercenaries had been sneaking up to the ship to see in any of the soldiers had survived the crash. They were met with a rude awakening as fire erupted from the ship in the direction of the entrenched cultists and soldiers for hire. The commandos had cut holes in the side of the shuttle to create firing slots to position the blaster cannons to make sure they could bring enough firepower to bear to pacify the resistance. "This is Sergeant Justus Garza, we are trapped in the lower half of the temple and are in need of assistance right away." The commanding officer prayed that someone would come to their rescue before they were eventually overrun.

Nomar's squad went wide and was to respond as needed with the call coming in from an ally being the signal to drop in. He stared at the battle unfolding and took the time to calm his nerves and connect to the force better. His master always did the same before a fight and he kept this tradition with him. He wished his master was still there, she would be a big help here...

He look over the small squad of commandos and felt a little more reassured. But... Something felt off and he couldn't place it. "Pilot, keep us wide and out of it all till we are called in."

'Aye sir." The pilot said back to the jedi knight.

The small squad seemed well equipped. Assault weapons, gear for reacon, a heavy gunner, a sniper, and a battle medic. The group stayed silent in the dropship until a call came over the Coms.

"Second squad is in the AO and pinned at the LZ! Requesting immediate support!"

Nomar responded into his com. "This is response squad, on way to back you up second squad."

The dropship flew swiftly to the position of the pinned down squad and dropped behind the assaulting force. Blaster fire started raging in the small area of the jungle. Soon the twin purple blades Nomar made himself ignited and started fighting as well. Taking a defensive form as he charged forward and swiftly switch to a swift offense when close enough. The opening needed for the second squad to get back in the action.

The battle raged, what should have been a invasion had turned into a meat grinder, Republic troops were being shot down left and right, transports littering the area in blazes of twisted metal, and bodies. The troops that were on the ground remained stuck behind cover, looking out to fire every so often at the cultist troops. An immediate call would go out for troops on the ground to fall back to the ‘Bone yard’ it was a mile away and had an easily defensible perimeter, the rest of the transports were already being redirected to the site. Immediately troops would begin to fall back, moving from the ruins as they could squad by squad taking defensive positions along the perimeter to provide cover fire for anyone yet to leave.

Morale was high amongst the Okussus forces as they held the line, entrenched in their defenses against the Republic’s attack. The Force users amongst the defenders had made their presence known as did the elite soldiers in the cult. In the courtyard the battle had turned into a slow crawl for the Republic. Okussus mercenaries stayed behind cover as they kept constant blaster fire on the encroaching enemy forces. The ruins were already littered with scattered corpses from soldiers on each side. The number of dead attackers clearly outnumbering the perished defenders.

“Keep forcing them back! Push them out of the ruins, keep giving those Republic dogs hell! Then pursue them and push them off this world.” Ideon screamed over the sounds of combat, the Okussus commanders throughout the ruin relaying the orders.

As the Republic went into retreat, the cult’s forces continued to slam forward, chasing after them with intent. Okussus troopers spread out through the ruins, some moving upwards and taking higher vantage points as they pursued.

---

As the battle raged Vasha stared at the loss of life, feeling every death as it came, her heart hurt at the violence taking place here, but it had been something she had seen before in the wars past. “Everyone fall back…” She said into the comms and gave a deep sigh. “We fell into their trap, fall back to the Boneyard.” Turning Vasha could feel the presence of Ideon, he was fighting with another Jedi. Shaking her head Vasha leapt from her position down to a platform below, it was on the same level as Ideon, she knew that the Jedi fighting against her former Master could not win alone, unfortunately as she sought to interject herself into the fight she was assailed by a pair of Cult Disciples, for several minutes their lightsabers clashed before one was kicked away missing his hands, and the other fell to the ground without his head.

Vasha took in a deep breath and felt for Ideon’s presence once more, unfortunately the duel had ended and she was not sure if the Jedi battling him had gotten away, but his presence was close just on the other side of the ruin’s wall. Her lightsaber came to life and slashed the wall in several places cutting cleaning through it, her hand stretching out and hitting the stone with a blast of the force and sending the chunks right at her former master as she stepped through the new doorway she had made.

As the Republic troops fell back and fled, Ideon prepared to follow his soldiers as they gave chase. He paused in stride, several of the Okussus troopers around him also stopping as they wondered what had caused their leader to pause suddenly. He felt a presence he had not felt in a long time, one that immediately drew his attention as it came closer. One that was far more powerful then when he had last encountered them. He turned back to where the rubble had came down and clenched his lightsaber tightly. The stone was torn away and the opening was recreated, there stood his former padawan, fearless as always.

“I knew you would come, Vasha. Just couldn’t resist seeing what had become of me, why I had disappeared without a trace. You’ve grown stronger, wiser, but now we stand on opposing sides in another battle.” Ideon stated, resisting showing much emotion to encountering his ex apprentice. Internally he felt a wide mixture of feelings, but knew what he needed to do.

“You should leave this world, you and the rest of the Republic. You should have never come here, it will only end in more pain and destruction.” He added, giving her a chance to retreat and get away though he knew deep down she would never do even consider such a thing.

Vasha stared at Ideon for a long moment before looking at the troops around him, her posture would move to a more relaxed one as she disengaged her saber, and held out a hand. “Ideon it isn’t too late for you to stop this, you can come back with me, the council can forgive you.” Vasha would take some steps closer slowly closing the distance between them. Sincerity was in her voice she truly sought Ideon’s redemption.

Ideon stayed silent as he thought over her words, he was not surprised by what the forgiveness she was offering. He knew the council’s ways though, they would believe he had become a Sith or something accursed like that. They did not know the truth, nor would they truly understand it. He glanced at his former apprentice’s extended hand, and how she had deactivated her lightsaber, she trusted him. Part of him wanted to take her hand, and end all this. Go back to Coruscant and live his old life again. But a larger part of him would not do that, as inner confliction hit him, the former Jedi master shook his head.

“I’m sorry Vasha, but I cannot go with you. The council would never understand, they only see their old ways. I have discovered something greater than the Order, greater than the Republic. I cannot leave now, but you can. I give you my word, my soldiers and I will let you leave this world in peace, then return to Republic space safely.” Ideon said, still holding his lit lightsaber, though he did not want to have to use against her. He hoped she would heed his words and leave.

Giving a sight Vasha would drop her hand to her side, and raise her hand up to her ear. “Continue the retreat I am going after Ideon.” She ignited her saber and spun it several times before moving into her defensive stance. “I cannot leave, what you are doing here, I know it won’t be constrained to this place, I can feel it, feel the ambition, the threat your cult causes. This part of wild space is not your purpose…”

It was then that Vasha would suddenly lash out with her hand once more the force being called to her, and sending the rubble up once more smashing into the troopers surrounding Ideon and removing them from possibly interfering in the combat to come. “You are coming back to Coruscant, one way or the other Ideon.”

“I don’t want to have to kill you Vasha, but I cannot let you stop what I have started here. Its purpose is greater than either of us.” Ideon said with a long blink, then took a duelist’s stance, his lightsaber lowered as he stared down his former padawan, now opponent. Then he motioned with his free hand, picking up and flinging several pieces of rubble at Vasha. Trying to catch her off guard as he rocketed them one after another at her.

Each of the piece of rubble was met by the burning slash of Vasha’s lightsaber blade, cutting them out of the air before she finally moved forward in a blurring dash straight at Ideon, her movements were quick and fluid, her lightsaber spinning, slashing, and stabbing, none of it was meant to hit, but it was to keep Ideon on his toes, all the while Vasha watched. Looking for an opening any opening. “Then share it with the council Ideon! Share with us what you have learned so we can stop it together! Your purpose is the only reason we are fighting now!”

“I cannot do that Vasha. The Jedi would damn it, they would never understand.” Ideon said as he countered her initial slash, blocking it with ease. He kept rapidly moving his weapon as he stopped her other rapid flurries, knowing how she fought. Though she had gotten much better, moving with a blazing speed which reminded him of himself. He hit back, with rapid stabs and pokes, not showing almost any physical strain as he dueled her, showing off his talent in the contention form.

Vasha had been waiting for him to return her attacks, to try and strike her back. She dodged and darted, and as a stab came towards her she completely disengaged her lightsaber as the two blacks clashed, her body shifting to the side, her body bending and kicking a foot up from behind looping around her former Master’s arm to try and strike into Ideon’s chin. “You do not know till you try!”

“I know the council too well, Vasha.” He stated calmly. Then Ideon moved his head back, narrowly avoiding the swift kick. He felt the Force flow through his other hand, then pushed outwards at her, attempting to send her into the wall on the side of the courtyard.

Vasha went wide eyed as the force slammed into her and sent her spiraling through the air into the wall before dropping onto her hands and knees with a groan. Slowly she pushed herself up and blinked several times reigniting her saber as she stared at Ideon. “They’ve changed as we’ve changed…” She reached out with the force as well once more sending chunks of stone at Ideon.

“The council has been in their old ways ever since the Order was formed. Fighting for a Republic that is rift with corruption and deceit.” Ideon replied as he waved his lightsaber as each piece of stone came his way, slicing and dicing them effortlessly.

The interior of the cavern held vehicles of all sizes; from one-seated bikes to multi-seated landspeeders, there was a distinct lack of room for anything else within. Anari could feel the disappointment of a few people at her flank. She heard the relaxing of their weapons in hand as they scanned the area, but the minority among them trusted her senses enough to know that the area held no true danger. The only threat to the small infiltration unit were the explosive charges set along the walls leading to the inner ruins ahead and above. If Anari wasn't worried, then neither were they.

“This isn’t much for a raid,” a female soldier spoke up, resting her rifle against a shoulder. “Think this place was for fleeing?”

“Or running supplies,” said another member of the unit. He peered inside one of the more worn speeders. “They’re real junkers. Looks like something only a Jawa would sell. Is this what we’re here for?”

No response came. This caused each soldier around the cavern to look over at Anari. She faced the entryway to the ruins, but didn’t make a sound. Her holocommunicator blared with a combination of blaster fire, calls for assistance, mentions of those who were wounded and trapped across the battlefield, and horrifying reports cut short. Like on the shuttle, the sounds deafened all outside noise and distractions. Those who searched through the speeders continued to do so, but kept their comments to themselves. The others stood and listened with a firmer grasp on their weaponry.

The order to retreat was heard, but the sigh that followed filled Anari with disgust only made worse by the shift in blame that followed seconds later. She shuddered with frustration before turning to the stunned and depressed gazes of her unit, expression serious.

“Before Vasha gave the order, a Sergeant Garza called for assistance in the lower part of the temple. It’s too late to do what I came for, but we can still let that Sergeant and some of his men see tomorrow,” Anari spoke firmly. “Do not overstay your welcome. Do not be heroes. Suppress the enemy and give our people time to escape. Follow the nearest sound of battle. You'll find them ahead. Be quick!”

Anari walked briskly to the entryway they entered from. She caught the last transmission of Vasha risking everything before she placed the communicator near her lips. “Sergeant Garza, my team will cover you from within the temple. A shuttle is on its way. Prepare to evacuate.”

She switched channels to her personal shuttle, buzzing the two pilots that were left idle nearby.

“This is Shuttle Voractyl. Ready for extraction?”

“Negative. There’s been a change of plans. Warm up your laser cannons and reach Sergeant Garza’s position. Lower half of the temple ruins. He’ll likely have the only unit left alive in proximity. My men will move to cover them but I need you to be prepared for anything.”

“Understood, but what about you?”

“I’ll find another way to our fallback position. If you can extract my unit then do so, but Garza and his men take priority.”

“Roger that Master Jedi. We’re on the move,” the pilot replied before communication was cut.

The approaching hum of her shuttle’s engines assured her that getting Garza’s men out would be hasty. Glancing over her shoulder, the backs of her unit disappeared around a corner at the far end of the hallway. The glare of light against their backs hinted that their shields were active and ready to spare them the suffering of any stray blaster round. They weren’t here for direct combat, not at first, but they should be just enough of a threat to send the mercenaries that surrounded Garza scattering.

That only left her.

Stowing away her communicator, Anari closed her eyes and focused on her surroundings; the speeder bikes closest to the entrance wobbled and soon rose into the air, carefully being guided outside. As this happened, the explosives set against the cavern exits were delicately severed from the rocks they were attached to. The majority were placed within the largest vehicles the cavern held, while others were scattered on the ground beneath them…



Anari’s unit was determined to save Justus, but felt far more vulnerable to any and all dangers without her to lead them personally. They didn’t ask why she chose to stay behind. They placed trust in her, far more than any of them openly admitted. So when she asked them to move ahead to the closest sound of fighting that they could, they rushed through the ruins with faith that the thrill of impending victory would distract any and all remaining forces that remained within the temple and slowly pushed outward to drive their people back.

The sound of blaster fire drew closer. They readied their rifles, double checked their shields were active, and then found a suitable overlook just above the location of interest. Anari was right. Taking aim at the mercenaries still ignorant of their presence, the unit opened fire. The heads of multiple enemies bounced forward before they dropped dead against the cover they relied on, but it wasn’t long before they became aware that they were flanked. Some soon returned fire at them, to which the unit ducked behind their superior cover and made ample use of higher ground.

The roar of the shuttle that dropped them off deafened the sounds of their fighting. Green blasts flew from the mounted laser cannons, sending rock and limp bodies flying. Those that remained sought better cover, or simply knew when to give up.

Shuttle Varactyl opened its doors and set itself down between Garza and what little of the men that attacked him remained. Anari’s unit began to move lower with haste, looking to meet up with the others and aid them in getting aboard.

Franceska Havale

---

She put down the smoking launcher, having shot down another transport ship with disturbing accuracy thanks to that odd woman's meditations.

"Was that it?" There was a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Was that the might of the Republic?

She listened to the commanders passing the orders to pursue, before shrugging and picking up a high powered rifle from the weapons cached on that sunken tower. Franceska had no intention of actually going to pursue, but at the very least she could look like she was doing something. Having been here longer than the enemy had, she knew of a relatively hidden tower deeper in, not at all that tall, but having enough vegetation and height to be considered a good spot for a sniper nest. Or a place where she could look like she's doing something.

"I'm going." was all she said to the two dark Jedi as she gave a mighty leap, clearing the muddy waters without trouble. Indeed her jump was perhaps a bit too strong, passing clear across the shoreline and near the ruins itself. Seeing as the enemy seemed to be in full retreat, she simply walked leisurely towards her destination, ignoring the urgency of the mercs moving about around her.

Zetsu and Piercing

---

Keenan didn’t know the full extent of his injuries, he could feel a sharp pain in his chest and and a severe ache in his arm, but regardless of them he couldn’t exactly keep laying around in a battlefield. He pushed himself up to standing and used his staff to steady himself, putting it away shortly after so he could get over the rubble to the stairs.

With one hand clutched to his chest he briefly gazed out over the field to see the republic on the run. However, he had little interest in the battle and turned back to the ruins intent on finding either his target again or Ideon. Instead he was faced with a jedi as she was coming out of the entrance. With the suddenness of her appearance Keenan’s reaction was to drop into a defensive stance, armored hand forward and his unlit saber in the other.

As Lahana ran out of the temple she heard the commander order the troops to fall back. She was confused for a moment, not understanding why they were running, but then she saw the scene around her. The Republic was losing. She bit her lip in irritation and continued running, only to run into a dark jedi. "Sith scum, get out of my way!" She ignited her two sabers and swung them down towards his head.

Keenan was a bit surprised by the Jedi's reckless approach. As her sabers came down toward his head he raised his arm, her sabers would short out on his gauntlet, at the same time he pointed the hilt of his own saber at her chest and ignited the blade, intent on impaling her with that simple act.

Lahana turned off her sabers and swiftly put them away as she noticed them impact the dark jedi's gauntlets. She'd heard of lightsaber resistant material before, if she weren't in the middle of combat she'd wonder where he got such a rare material. But as she'd learned a long time ago, distractions on the battlefield were a recipe for disaster. Her eyes followed her foe's movements, she noticed him point his saber towards her. Right before it ignited and impaled her she bent backwards, then placing her hands on the ground and executing a backwards somersault. She kicked at her opponent's hand holding his saber as she flipped back to her feet.

She needed to get away, as much as she wanted to vent her frustration at failing to kill Ideon she'd either be killed or captured if she stayed. Being locked in a cage again was not an option. Using the force she sprinted off towards the Republic fallback point. She hoped the dark jedi would not follow.

The jedi's kick knocked Keenan's hand away and allowed her to get out of his range before he could strike and make her escape. He didn't even try to pursue her, only looking in the direction she ran for a moment and then turning back to the ruin. Seeing the rubble blocking the entrance he quickly took off to find a side route around.

Tannius and his squad didn't even really have time to push forward, the combat going on all around them was too intense for any kind of major push. The jedi was beginning to lose his nerve at the carnage around him. Blaster bolts flew overhead or impacted the wall they were hiding behind, troopers from other squads went down, his comm was full of voices calling for reinforcements. The situation seemed hopeless, and apparently the commander thought so. The order to retreat was given, but Tannius made no call for a fall back instead the battle seemingly getting to him freezing him up.

It was one of his troopers who shook him out of it, quite literally. "What are your orders, sir?" The voice asked, panic had filled the troopers voice. Not only was their commander freezing up, but it was a jedi no less. "Fighting retreat, try to buy as much time as we can." Tannius said, he tried to hide the fear behind thoughts of the code, and for the most part it worked he seemed steady to the other troopers. He pointed out the next batch of cover behind some wreckage and the group moved. Stopping every few feet to give the encroaching cultists a barrage of heavy fire.

When they made it to their second set of cover, a cultist charged. Crimson saber in his hand he made a beeline for Tannius as fast as the force would carry him, so fast that Tannius barely had time to put up a defense yellow saber, and red crossed making a shower of sparks. "I'm going to take your head, republic slave." The cultist said, a grin appearing on his face. Tannius said nothing instead going on the defensive as the cultist hit him with a flurry of quick strikes. "You have your orders, keep falling back!" Tannius shouted, over the din of his own combat. This was only the second time he had fought a sith, and it showed he was slowly losing ground. The cultist got cocky though, and started inflicting shallow wounds with the edge of his saber first on Tannius' cheek, then upon his knuckle. On his next Shiim strike, the jedi saw his opening and took it. He went for Tannius' eye, the jedi deflected the strike, and went in with a lunge impaling the cultist through the stomach, and finally a finishing blow to the neck severing the head from his shoulders.

The jedi stood there for a moment. Shaking from both adrenaline, and fear. Not able to move, until the blaster bolts started impacting around him. He kicked it into high gear and joined his squad. When they finally got clear of the combat the group gave a sigh of relief. With the exception of Tannius. The jedi collapsed to his knees exhausted and threw up the events finally hitting him. This elicited a few nervous laughs from the soldiers in the squad. When the jedi's stomach was empty he gave the order to move to the boneyard, his thoughts swimming with everything that just happened.

XC-13 surveyed the battlefield as the republic retreated and the cult pursued. The bodies of cultists and republic troopers littered the field, as well as the husks of crashed transports, many still smoking. That was of little consequence though, as the droid was more focused on surveying the surviving enemies. There seemed to be something going on by one of the transports, a single figure looking to recover someone or something. XC classified that as potentially important, but ultimately pointless if the rest of the task force was crushed. Past the field of corpses and smoking husks, XC could see the retreating Republic forces and the pursuing cultists. That would make the retreating task force and its' commanders the droid's priority.

With a target set, XC set out at a run to catch up to, and keep pace with, the retreating forces. XC could try and shoot the republic forces as it pursued, but that would mean it may also shoot friendlies, and while the cultists were expendable, they were also useful as fighters and fodder. Ultimately the droid was resigned to follow until the republic turned to fight back.

From her vantage point high in one of the many trees overlooking the ruins, Absolution watched the Republic retreat through the scope of her rifle. It seemed that as much as they didn't want the cult to continue their operations on this world, they weren't quite willing to die for it. She wasn't sure if that weakness was particular to the Republic or organics as a whole. Bracing the long rifle along the branch she was also resting on, she drew a bead on yet another officer leading their landing forces. With a trigger pull she marked the eighth kill on this operation, engaging stealth as she made her way down the tree. A few cursory blaster bolts found the upper boughs, setting it alight behind her. Her presence had been noticed by some of the keener eyes among the enemy's forces, one sharpshooter in particular shifting from their coverage of the ruins to try and end the threat she posed.

A threat that was no longer in play, she thought, moving through the brush and towards the ruins where she would see about scavenging the fallen of the battle. More than a few troopers lay dead on the outskirts, her metal feet finding the stone surface between them and stopping at each as she perused their belongings. Blaster rifle clips were plentiful, but she had enough of those back on her ship, choosing only the ones that were full. The rifles themselves were of little concern, finding few that caught her eye. It was a shame that the sith and dark jedi of the cult had such a love for disabling the weapons of the enemy she thought, crouching over a commando with their chest a scorched ruin and their rifle in two pieces to either side of the body. At least the helmet was in good condition, the seals opening with a press of her fingers against the chin-release.

She turned it over in her hands briefly, wiping away the blood that flecked the respirator and unspooling a cable from her arm to link up to it. Optics were intact, that was better than expected. More to her interest, she found that she could easily connect them to her own, pulling up a brief interface that let her see through the helmet. Absolution indulged in a moment of vanity, turning it around to face herself and let out a sound of disgust as she saw the vegetation coating her chassis.

"Disgusted remark: My paint is ruined, I'll have to get a fresh coat when this job is over, and there will be pieces of green stuck in my joint for weeks!"

Without further comment she disabled the link and hooked the helmet to her waist, the magnetic clasp on the back keeping it secured firmly. Her looting continued for a few moments longer, finding a couple thermal detonators and a rather nice looking blaster pistol as well as another helmet with a red stripe down the center denoting rank. That always perplexed her about the Republic, why make it so obvious who is in command? Granted, it made her job of picking them off so much easier, but life expectancy would sky rocket in their ranks if they stopped advertising them.

Her musing would continue later, as she was once more inside the ruins and among the other mercenaries of the cult. A few gave her strange looks, it being unclear if it was because of the makeshift ghillie suit or the trophies she had collected. Perhaps it could have been that she was an assassin droid walking around freely and under her own orders? No matter, she had done her job and was looking towards the next phase of the operation. For now she was going to take advantage of the short respite while others pursued the Republic forces.