The Battle of Thila

[Rugs]

Here we go, folks. The Discussion thread is here[/url]. Let's get to it.[/i]

~~~~~~

It's quiet...

Nieraan gazed quietly at a small, round viewport that looked out from his modest, shared room aboard a cruiser. The familiar whirling blue of hyperspace was gone, replaced by a calm, star-speckled darkness.

In the distance, hanging small and alone in the midst of the dark, was a world.

Thila.

It was small, as far was worlds go. From here, in the yawning emptiness of space, it seemed insignificant. Worthless, in the scheme and hierarchy of the universe.

Yet it was there, down in the crags and stony scars on Thila's face, that men would soon be fighting, and men would soon be killing. All for a chunk of rock that, from afar, was less than impressive. But that was the way things worked. Nieraan didn't care. Nor did he, beyond a passing interest in the view as the Sith fleet lurched out of hyperspace, pay much attention to the world as the fleet approached it.

Soon the Sith would descend on Thilia as they had the other Republic worlds. And Thilia would fall. Men would die. Nieraan would kill, and men from the Republic would try to kill him. They'd be trying to protect their homes, their family, to protect the foundation of what made the life they'd grown used to living.

And they would die.

Nieraan didn't seem concerned as turned away from the window; it was just the way things would be.

Beyond his cabin's walls, he could feel the ship stirring to life. Battle stations were manned, strike craft were preparing to launch into space. Time was of the essence, and he needed to be off to reach the gunship that would be taking him and some of the others down to the surface.

He finished clasping on his slate-grey armor, ensuring that it was on securely. It was light, allowing full freedom of movement, with some protection in key areas to defend against a stray blaster shot or some shrapnel in the fray. A hand fell to his waist briefly, to be sure the his trio of lightsabers was there.

It was.

"That's everything," the Firrerreo muttered to himself, picking his helmet and facemask up from his bed. As he turned to leave, he paused for a moment, turning again to look out the tiny little window at the tiny little world awaiting him. For a half a moment his thoughts drifted to Danica, and he felt some strange feeling in his stomach.

He'd sent her a heavily-encrypted message before he left Korriban. She would know. Would she be worried about him?

No. No, none of that. He frowned slightly as he turned away and walked out into a corridor. Now's not the time for that nonsense.

After all, there was a war on.

~~~~~

For all its lack of grandeur from orbit, Thila tried its hardest to impress up close. As the landing craft roared toward the surface, they were created by an array of mountains that vainly reached like fat, jagged fingers toward the heavens. The fortress they were after was in some of them, built into some mountain range.

Nieraan sat, quietly waiting as they streaked down from sapce. Some strikes from above had thinned some of the aerial defenses to allow them a bit of a hole to slip through, but the path was narrow. One of their sister craft failed to thread the needle and he could hear them dying, could feel the spikes of dismay from the crew and passengers as they tumbled to the ground below.

"Luck of the draw," Nieraan muttered casually. He didn't have the time nor the will to worry about the unlucky sods. They'd be landing soon.

Jack was seated next to him, on his right. Nieraan paired well with the fellow in combat, despite the other Sith's apparent frailty. On the trip over, Nieraan had tried to convince him on the ride over to find himself some armor or at the very least wrap his chest in some foam padding out of a pillow.

Jack hadn't seem to appreciate Nieraan's advice.

"Your ribs," he remembered saying wryly, "don't moan at me if you get hurt again."

But for all Nieraan's jokes, Jack made a formidable compliment to his abilities. They'd made some plans, and if all went well, they'd wreak havoc.

There was another Sith in Nieraan's landing craft. He wasn't familiar with him, but knew his name was Jessoin. They'd chatted a bit, but he was still a bit of an enigma to Nieraan. Perhaps he'd prove useful as well.

He couldn't be any worse than that insufferable woman who'd been pulled from the battle at the last moment to be sent elsewhere.

The direction of the landing craft changed and it slowed slightly. The doors began to open with a quiet groan, and Nieraan saw the landing zone coming up beneath them. Black smoke curled in a few sparse areas of in the distance where fighters had crashed or early strikes had hit to try to weaken the fortress' defenses.

Before them, the Escalore mountains jutted up into the sky.

"Bout damn time," the Firrerreo said to no one in particular. He picked up his facemask and clasped it on securely to the rest of his helmet, turning his face into an emotionless veil of steel with three glowing eyes.

Perhaps that was fitting.

The landing craft touched down, and Nieraan was moving before the barked orders to get out came from the front. He stepped out onto the rocky ground and lit one of his blade in his hand, turning to Jack with a wry, toothy grin that was hidden by his mask.

"Well, Makura. Seems we've found ourselves in a war."

Fighting for a tiny, worthless little world...

[Dutch]

Jessoin had barely been able to contain his excitement when his Mistress had handed down his orders. He was to aid in the assault on Thila. For the first time since his fleeing of the Order, he would face down true Jedi. So pure and wise... and yet would fall in droves at the War Machine that was being turned towards them. Jess was one who normally preferred drama in the form of finding out with Felly really did carry Ilrind's baby, or if Ori was really marrying Dewl or his evil twin Rewl.

But there was something skin tingling to the sight of an entire fleet dropping out of hyperspace in unison then bearing down on the tiny planet ahead of them. His vivid green eyes stared with predatory glee as he stood at the bridge of the vessel he was on. He had insisted on being there as they arrived, the viewport a dazzling display of stars as one grew larger with each second. They would be at Thila quite soon... Jessoin could tell it was time by feeling more stirring within the Force, his fellow assault group having begun preparations.

He had already been long ready, his anticipation barely contained in the Force. His dueling leathers had been conditioned and reinforced, with bronzium highlights that were both protective where needed- and stylish. If one was to take a planet, they might as well do so while looking good, right? Jess turned his grinning visage to the captain and his smile widened.

"Time for the fun part, right Captain?"

Whispered Jessoin with barely contained glee. He turned away from the captain without waiting for an answer and with a quick pace, he moved to the lift and went down to the hangar, examining his finger nails as he waited the ride down.

Once in the hangar he made for the dropship that he saw the armored form of Nieraan enter- the very same one he was supposed to be in. Jessoin had only shared a few words with the Firrerreo, and he had to admit, the man was admirable. Strong, confident, and his presence in the Force was most powerful. His eyes flashed to their third member of the little party that had been assembled. Jack Makura.

Jessoin could not help but grin wickedly at Makura. Iniquitous' apprentice, and a man that truly fascinated the Zelosian. Quite powerful in the Force indeed, it's raw energies certainly blessed the smoking man. And yet, could be crushed as easily as a piece of porcelain. In all truth, had Jessoin not been assigned to the two men for this assault, he doubted Makura would be able to actively be apart of the Seige. Luckily, Jessoin was chosen for very specific reasons.

The entire trip down, Jessoin looked from Neiraan to Makura with a bemused expression. This certainly would be a fun experiment. Renata had been training him quite well indeed, but this would be his first large scale assault. And naturally, his first time working with a team instead of with only himself or a partner. If any three of them didn't do their part, it was likely Makura would die. Jessoin laughed softly at that thought, of a large rock just falling on the man as Nieraan and Jess just looked at each other and shrugged. Jessoin's teeth shown in the dim light of the dropship as they got closer and closer to their destination.

He felt in the Force as some dropships didn't make it, but instead of grieving, Jess inhaled their dying emotions through the Force like sipping on an aged wine... simply delicious as they were snuffed from existence. Jessoin opened his palms and let a couple pulses of electricity out from them, nothing large enough to cause any electrical damage to the craft, but enough to toss an arc of purple lighting from hand to hand in idle waiting.

Jessoin's presence began to rise in the Force in excitement as the dropship landed. It was time. He drew in great amounts of the Force into his mind and body, storing the energy for later. His near-glowing green eyes flashed to Makura again with a wicked grin as he rose from his seat. Nieraan was the first out, and Jessoin stepped out after him. He was slightly taller than both Nieraan and Makura, Jessoin had never really noticed until now as he stood next to the Firrerreo. The Zelosian laughed at Nieraan's words, and looked to his left at the man before speaking.

"For there to be a war, both sides would need to be equal, friend. And they are so far from equal..."

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

((OOC---Alright I'll try t do the thread honor.))

Three days ago....Jedi Temple....Coruscant....

Dan had awoken like any other day...he had his breakfast, areal combat training, saber training.

But midway into his saber lessons, he had been summoned by the blades, the group of Jedi who fought in the war that he had recently joined.

They told him a battle was brewing, ready to spark, on the small planet of Thila, a planet that was valuable at least to the Republic and the order. But Thila had little defenses, and as Dan's first mission under the blades he would assist in it's defense.

So without any time being wasted, he set up his starfighter, packed his Armor and normal robes, along with only necessary supplies, into what little cargo room in his single Fighter, and left for Thila, wondering what the days would bring.


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Present...several hours ago....Thila...space...

The red starfighter had appeared almost out of no where, and from the looks of it had beet the Enemy to the punch if just barely.

The pilot spun the ship redirecting it to the planet surface.

Upon landing the Jedi emerged wearing his flight-suit, which would be next to useless in a fight, so he went around to the back of the fighter and removed the small crate that held his battle armor, then the commanding officer of the fort had a group of guards run out to meet him mainly to make double sure he wasn't one of the enemy's.

"State your name, rank, and purpose"

Dan spun around to see the small group holding guns to his head, he shifted the crate to his shoulder,

Dan Firestar, Jedi Knight sent from the temple to assist, i brought only some supplies, whats the situation?

With that he head of the group saluted, fallowed by each of the men,

I assure you that wont be nessisary...
"Come with us Sir...the commander wishes to speak with any reinforcements...i guess that means you too."

Dan nodded as he fallowed the men.
That's me...


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Current...

Dan had stood over a map for several hours now trying to make sure that all the narrow choke points to the fort where effectively cut off from the attacks.

Then the ground shacking blast was heard, the first to attack...

Here they come...and unfortunately this fells wrong, bad...

He left the bunker and went for the wall to help defend it from the, the first of the attacks, some of the units where outside the wall, still others where on the wall, and behind it ready for different stages.

Dan stood on the ready knowing that there would be a fight soon, and he felt like something bad was going to come his way.

We had better hope more reinforcements are coming, or at least the other walls are more fortified...

Alright...Use a more defensive pit strategy! Hide in the trees any where they can't see you when they turn that corner, we have the high ground use it!

Dan hoped he was giving the right orders and not sending several men to their deaths.

[Cain]

Jack gritted his teeth, wincing with the shot of pain that rode through his skull. Struggling to line up his Bloodstripe and lightsaber against the tremor in his hands, Jack took a long drag from his cigarette. The tobacco rushed into his lungs and hit his blood, however, as had become a distressing trend of late, Jack's drug of choice could do little to assuage the pain. Clenching the butt between his teeth, Jack stumbled slightly, grabbing his bunk to steady himself.

The pain was distracting enough that Jack almost didn't notice the shutter of the cruiser dropping out from hyperspace over Thilia. With a deep breath Jack picked himself back upright. The pain would only continue to intensify until he found a way to purge his mind, but for the time being he couldn't afford to worry about all that. An even more irritating situation now presented itself, and gazing down at his bunk Jack again found himself cursing the Dark Overlord. This was not the kind of "training" Jack desired or needed.

War. The very thought of the word twisted Jack's expression even further. The idea of stepping out into the carnage of battle made Jack cringe like no migraine could. It certainly wasn't for fear of death or injury. These were things Jack was very familiar with after all. War was for pawns. It was beneath him, as so many of the Sith's common vulgarities were.

The others around him seemed to relish the thought of such chaos. There was an almost tangible electricity in the room, a shared energy for the battle to come. The eroticised anticipation of war by his fellow Sith only disgusted Jack more.

With a scowl his glanced down at his bunk, upon which was his katana and the unfurled remains of the bandages that had been wrapped about his torso. Jack grabbed the blade, strapping the sheath to his back before throwing his jacket on over top.

---

As miserable as the cruiser had been, the landing craft was a hundred times worse. Being locked in a room with moronic, chest-beating Sith was enough to make Jack consider turning his lightsaber on his own temple. Now he was caged in an even smaller space with even more of them.

Nieraan was no help at all. He was just as blood-giddy as the rest.

Jack sat beside his Firrerreo comrade, arms folded across his chest with an unlit Bloodstripe between his lips. His expression was a combination of fatigue and irritation, as per usual. Jack's dull eyes slowly scanned the cozy confines of the drop ship, finally meeting those of the Zelosian seated across from him. The other Sith wore a cheeky grin as he stared right back at Jack.

"You got a problem, carrot stick?" Jack huffed, clearly in no mood to make new friends.

The ship rocked with turbo laser bursts ripping through the air around them, adding turbulence to an already bumpy descent. When the ship had finally landed, the others rose to meet the chaos that awaited just outside.

"Well, Makura. Seems we've found ourselves in a war."

Jack sighed, "As if I need reminding..."

[sparrow]

Zarene Yin sat hunched over on a small boulder at the edge of the clearing, her elbows resting on her knees, fingers folded in front of her. She wore a suit of grayish-black light armor, noticeably scuffed in several areas. She had lowered her faceplate earlier to help keep out the smoke and char smell that seemed to fill the air. Nearby, Byar stood leaning against a tree, the brown-haired man at the moment seemingly fascinated with his combat knife, turning the blade from one side to the other. Several other soldiers of varying ages and ranks lounged around nearby.

Looking up, she could see the first group of dropships breaking through the clouds and approaching the landing zone, their engines howling. She flashed a hand signal to Byar, who immediately slipped the knife back in its sheath and began to rouse the men.

Standing up, she lifted up her armor's faceplate as she approached the trio that stepped out of the door of the first dropship. "About time you got here," she said flatly.

She herself had arrive a few days earlier, with a few small squads of infantry and a single mobile AA gun which was currently at the other side of the clearing under a blanket of dried leaves. They had scouted the area, watching the enemy positions, counting the number of visible gun emplacements on each side of the fort, engaging in small firefights with Republic patrols, testing for weaknesses.

"They told me the main force was arriving today. They forgot to say who was commanding though. It's not you, is it, Onin?" she asked, addressing the man at the front of the three.

[Apillis]

While the soldiery spouted off their orders and rallying cries among the varying dropships to boost the morale and organization among themselves. Hervor within her designated dropship was silent as it came plummeting to Thila's mountainous lands. Utilizing her little palm size holo-comlink, it projected a small three-dimensional holographic map of the outside of the Republic base and its surrounding terrain--studying it closely. Thinking... strategizing. How is she going to bring down that base's walls without turning this campaign into a massive back and forth a ground force with no to little support from naval vessel artillery would severely struggle to be able to hold out within.

Though, on that little holographic map, she focused the projection on one wall... She arched a brow.

In the next instant a red light begun flashing, and it was announced the dropships were coming in to the designated landing coordinates. The moment they touched down, the soldiery, armored vehicles, various artillery units, and field specialists poured out of the ships. Each immediately going about their designated tasks planned out long before the dropships ever hit ground.

For Hervor this will be her second large scale battle in this war. And as the fighting escalated, the more she found herself entrenched within its bedlam. But she felt at home within it, after all, it was war that shaped the very foundation for what she later became. Going to war was as natural her as coming home for the day. She fell into it with ease--perhaps a bit too easily.

Walking out of her dropship as the vehicles and soldiery within it came rushing out of it to carry out their duties, while a few of the higher ranked officers followed behind her. With a nonchalance, her long-legged stride carried her toward a cliff's edge from which she had grand view of the Republic base and its surrounding landscape. Drawing back the hood of that old, tattered and battle-worn white Jedi Archivist's cloak of hers, she then removed the dark fanged mask covering the lower half of her face.

As she and the few high ranked officers stood looking on at the quite solid, well-fortified Republic base before them. Hervor stared at the wall she had focused upon in her little hand-held holo-comlink--but in it was right there in front her in the distance, "Orders, my Lord...?", humbly inquired one of the two colonels present.

She turned to him in response, "Gather your best demolitionists and engineers. I have mission for them. Divide them up into three groups. Demolitionists and engineers in equal number to each other per group... And make sure they have mining drills."

"Ugh, yes, as you command, my Lord.", responded the colonel a little taken aback by the specificity of the order. But swiftly acted upon her demand

"You have a plan, my Lord?", asked the other colonel with her.

A small smirk formed on Hervor's lips as she turned back to gazing upon that particular wall of the grand fortress, "Yes, where simple physics rules the day.", she then turned to the remaining colonel, "Gather your artillery units. The beginning of this battle is going to be a war of attrition largely ruled by artillery."

"By your command, my Lord.", responded the colonel immediately snapping into action.

"And the soldiers, my Lord...?", inquired a major.

Hervor's eyes narrowed a little, "Throwing bodies at that fortress would just be the summit of stupidity. A summit greater and higher than even what that base rests upon. The Republic will likely be quick to establish a no man's land for approaching the base. Likely with their own artillery fire and whatever else they have planned to rain down on our soldiers heads. Which is why I need the colonel's artillery units--to keep the Republic's own duckin'. Charging in now without a breach into the base will only get them all killed. So, we need to entrench them deeply with a measured advance. Albeit, not deep enough to where they can't pull back when needed. At least... until that wall is breached."

The major sighed heavily, "That... will not be easy, my Lord."

Hervor chuckled, "Physics supported by a bit of drive and will, and that wall will come down.", the major looked at her a bit puzzled.

The century old Sith Lord then took out her little hand held holo-comlink, using it to then contact three young Sith--Neiraan, Jessoin, and Makura--once in contact with all three, she uttered "Gentlemen. I have a task for you..."

*******

It had been several days since Six landed upon Thila out in the seclusion a far off distance away from the Republic base. Those several days being ahead of the main force was spent with her treading the mountainous terrain just trying to reach the base. She hid within a large rock formation with a nice view of what was going to be the battlefield. Where she plopped herself was in a spot where she estimated a Republic sniper would position themselves to snipe a target or two at the Sith LZ, where she a Republic sniper. After a day of waiting, she saw a small stirring movement from what she assumed to be a spotter by their positioning.

As a sniper herself, it appeared her estimation was correct. She had a very little in the way of armament on her, just a garrote wire, a k-bar, and a hold-out blaster pistol. She was in no uniform, just practical clothes for hiking and rocky and mountainous terrain. With so little and in nondescript attire, this was to make infiltration into the base itself easier. She had a plan for gaining entry, but... she needed a uniform. A sniper was the best choice to her, they are out in the boonies for a long time waiting for just the right shot, and are seldom known--even among their own peers. Once a sniper within the military herself, she knew what that life was like.

Stealthily she crept out of her little hiding spot, moving in on what she assumed to be a spotter. And her guess proved correct, it was a spotter with binoculars knelt down behind his sniper partner. As a special agent and former elite Sith military sniper, when Six did not want to be heard--her foots steps were astoundingly hushed.

The spotter staring through his binoculars, seeking the next target for the sniper--even when Six had her hold-out blaster pistol's barrel just a couple inches away from the back of his head, the spotter never knew it Six was so quiet. The shot alarmed the sniper as he saw his partner flop lifeless to the ground beside him. But before the sniper could truly react to understand what exactly in the hell just happened, Six's garrote wire was firmly around his neck--squeezing the life out of him. He wildly squirmed and flailed as he was being straggled, but it did him no good--for in the next moment he too flopped lifelessly to the ground beside his spotter.

Six did not want to shoot the sniper and risk getting some blood on the uniform. Might raise questions. The sniper and spotter both were a bit taller than her, so her uniform being a bit big for her will already raise enough questions. Even a spot of blood on a uniform is a bit too much of a red-flag tell-tale that could possibly blow their cover.

In any case, now with a Republic sniper uniform and sniper rifle, she was ready to make her move to accomplish her mission...

[Jace]

War.

Jace Beleren, former Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, had not expected to find himself in the midst of a battle, at least not so soon. He had always known at some point that the fragile peace that had settled over the galaxy would eventually shatter. The Jedi Master had known that there would be those who would rush to the front lines with or without consent of the Order. Jace and a majority of the High Council had deemed it prudent to keep the Jedi out of the current war for the time being.There were other strategies to employ in combating the Sith menace then risking open war and yet here he was.

How had it come to this?

He had never actually been in a true pitched battle in his lifetime, not on this scale. That being said, he was far from inexperienced in matters of combat. Jace had fought the renewed Sith Order on more than one occasion in the last year or so. He had unknowingly encountered them on his fateful trip to Korriban, and then again on Subterrel. A large part of Jace's time as a Jedi had been hunting down darkside elements throughout the galaxy. No, he was not a stranger to all the things that accompanied battle and death. Killing others was not mean to be a natural experience and it often took a serious toll on the killer, not matter what the circumstances. As dangerous as it was for a normal person, it was exponentially so for that of a Jedi. Death on such a large scale made for a highly precarious situation when Force-users were involved. He only had to think back to the Jedi Civil War to know the horrors that may end up being a result of this war.

"Master Beleren," came a gruff voice from his side. The man paused before continuing to speak, noting that the Jedi's thoughts were not entirely in the present. Jace finally turned to look at the weathered but stocky Republic General.

"It seems the Sith's main force has arrived," the General eventually continued, motioning towards the holotable. Jace studied the projection of the various Sith forces landing along with Velsim. There the two stood, veterans of different battles yet veterans nonetheless. General Velsim was a legend in the Republic military; the man's exploits were well known to both sides of this war. Jace had worked alongside the General before the man had become a General. Velsim had a reputation for being hardheaded but the man was a meticulous planner and fair to those who worked hard. A figure who was undoubtedly important to the Republic war effort.

"Are you sure about this?" inquired the General after a few moments of silence. Jace raised a hand and politely waved off his old acquaintance's suggestion.

"General, I have no intention of usurping your authority. I have simply come to aid in the defense of Thila. Your understanding of this battlefield is greater than my own. As agreed, I will be directly in command of the Jedi here and other various elements but you are to remain overall commander."

They both knew how important the chain of command was in such a situation. Velsim was essentially in control of the general overall strategy and orders for the defense of the fortress. Jace was more or less going to be relaying that strategy from the ground. He would be doing the micromanaging of troops and altering orders based on the changing conditions of the battlefield. If they had any chance of holding this fortress then Jace could not simply sit back and hand out orders from a command room. The Jedi Master nodded to Velsim and then turned to the woman who stood off to left, and slightly behind him.

"Tahlia, walk with me," requested Jace of the other Jedi who had remained silent up until now.

Moving out from the darkness of the protected command center, the pair made their way down the various hallways until they eventually reached the large courtyard. Jace looked upon the numerous soldiers who moved with a confidence and discipline that could only be considered impressive despite the overwhelming Sith forces at their doorstep. Jace then turned to regard the other Jedi with him. The woman was younger than him by some years and had a rather striking appearance. Jedi were generally noticeable on the battlefield but Tahlia's bright orange hair would undoubtedly make her a target for many.

"The Sith are not so ignorant to attack this fortress head on without a plan," stated Jace admits the shuffling of troops so only the other Jedi could hear. "Even with their superior numbers, taking this fortress is near impossible. The Sith, if anything, are cunning; always keep that in mind. I have been over possible weaknesses with the General but the list is very short. There is little time left but I want you to find any potential vulnerabilities that the Sith could use to enter this fortress. We know far too little," and that makes me nervous thought the Jedi.

"Enlist any help you need, you have free reign in this matter. The battle will begin soon."

Letting out a deep breath, Jace continued to look upon the various soldiers bustling about. Every so often a few would salute or give him a nod of deference. In truth, the Jedi Master had not expected to be here and had only arrived just ahead of the Sith invasion forces. He had only just recovered from the wounds inflicted during his previous experience but Jace knew that the time for indecision was over. He was no longer Grandmaster, someone more suitable had taken up that mantle. It was time for Jace to do his part in this war despite his misgivings. Jace saw the hope in the eyes of the Republic soldiers when they looked at him, when they looked at any of the Jedi. He was here now, and he had his responsibility. Jace set off to check on the defenses once last time; the battle for Thila was about to begin.

[Dire Wolf]

Tahlia was as still and silent as a statue as Master Beleren and General Velsim conversed. Only her face was visible thanks to the battledress that obscured her skin and tattooed right side from view, and her wide-visored helm sat on a table just behind her. The Jedi's pistols were latched into holsters that clung to either thigh, personal defense blaster at the small of her back, and her rifle was propped up against the wall not terribly far away. Tali's short lightsaber was held within an attachment to one of her holsters. The woman looked like an unusually armored and extremely well armed republic officer at first glance.

One might think that the woman was paying attention to the conversation that took place before her, or even begin to prepare herself for the horrors of battle that were sure to come. Most of Tali's mental powers were devoted to trying to get a particularly catchy song out of her head. It had been stuck there for days.

Arrogance wasn't what caused her apathy towards important proceedings, nor was it ignorance towards the horrors of combat. Combat and death were no strangers to the woman, though she may have had a touch of arrogance in her. Tali couldn't die until Dantooine was liberated. It was just that simple. Those thoughts were far from her mind, however. She was too busy trying to figure out if the lead singer said "thrill" or "pill" in the vexing song embedded within her mind.

"Tahlia, walk with me."

"Yes, Master Beleren," she replied with a calm and collected tone. Each of her hands moved from behind her back and stretched out to nothing in particular as if she attempted to embrace a phantom. Her helmet and rifle picked themselves up of their own accord and flew into her grasp. The rifle was slung across her chest and the helmet was quickly pinned between an arm and a hip as she walked beside the former Grand Master.

The natural light of Thila's star was practically blinding after the pair stepped outside of the cavern that housed the command center and into a courtyard. This expansive area was filled with men who were about to fight, kill, and possibly die all within the next few hours. They handled it remarkably well. While most were checking their gear and counting out ammunition, some were taking the last few moments of quiet before the storm to contact loved ones that lived worlds away, or just grab some sleep before the battle. Master Beleren's voice drew her attention away from the intrepid soldiers of the Republic Army and back onto the task he had in store for her.

"There is little time left but I want you to find any potential vulnerabilities that the Sith could use to enter this fortress." So he wanted her to hastily find any weaknesses that the Sith could exploit and hopefully work to bulwark them indefinitely? Perfect. Bak'mral wasn't exactly a small fortress, and off hand she couldn't particularly think of any real weaknesses off hand.

"It will be done, Master Beleren." Tali had barely begun to speak before she spun around on her heel. Serious may not have been a good word to describe Tali most of the time, but she was a cold professional when it came to doing her job. The Jedi had barely gotten three steps before she slipped the helmet over her head.

Air hissed like a serpent as the environmental seals engaged and merged with the underlay beneath her clothes. After a few moments a basic heads up display winked on and gently hovered in the two bottom corners of her vision. Each soldier was wreathed in a faint blue outline and the officers in green. Enemy soldiers would be outlined in a brilliant red if they had an IFF transponder, and nothing if they didn't. The helmet was constructed in such a way to offer her maximum visibility at the cost of protection.

Tali moved with the extreme precision and drive one would expect to see from a Jedi. It was completely contrary to the casual stride she carried a few moments before. Eyes seemed to slide past her towards Jace while she walked with him before, but now she could almost sense the glances sent her way. The presence she exuded was one that called for as much. When she wanted it to, anyways.

Her first stop was a surprisingly large communications center, which was tunneled out of the side of the main cavern's mouth. After having her clearance checked half a dozen times she was granted access to the hub, and then allowed to connect the small computing device on the bottom of her forearm to one of the comm units. This allowed her to easily give orders to any platoon. This was immensely faster than going through the regular chain of command. Tali could also set it to any channel, or all channels if she so chose.

After that little chore was done the woman pushed herself away from the communications table. The trek to the command center wasn't a long one, but it was separated by various security checks and other annoyances that were hardly necessary in the fortress of Bak'mral. Once inside she planted her hands on the table that had a hologram of the base and the area of operations sprouting from it and began to search...

[Foxfire]

Honog was lagging behind in the cumbersome supply container drop ship which were heavily stuffed with explosives and drilling equipment. Heavy worker droids were strapped to the outside of the containers. Touching down far enough from Hervor's flag that it would not be a bother. He was left to his command of the mindless droids and the heavy lifting.

Once the tug fliers lifted off with out the containers Honog activated the drones and they went to work unloading the equipment. He watched as the drones tugged and lifted most of the items on hand only a few items did he move himself since of their very explosive nature. Since the battle of Ordo he has became use to the thought and working of war. So his manners and talketiveness was no longer there, he worked and listened with out words spoken.

The mission was not one of a super-secretness so he could talk but just didn't feel the neeed any longer. The other sith talked and talked often so 'why should he' would be his thoughts. Work was all that he needed and only the droids were not hindered in their work because of Honog's dark nature or feel in the force.

Once done Honog moved over to Hervor and stood in silence waiting in the shadows to make a Jedi bleed. He had gilled and gutted many a republic soilder but yet to have his blade taste jedi flesh. His force sig was and had been shielded and hidden. So that others would not be hindered and so the Jedi on the planet would not be able to count the full numbers and knowing him as a full and dangerous threat. Honog listened to Hervor call for three other sith who would have just landed as well.

[kermit]

Well... time to go.

Argon had done it and joined the Blades. He had decided that the Sith had to be stopped. It was a hard decision, but the one he had made.

He got on a small ship full of Jedi.

This will be horrid and complicated.

He took this fact in stride.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ship came out of hyperspace. There was surprisingly little resistance--he suspected that he got there before the Sith. He called to the pilot.

"Bring the ship down to the planet!"
"Yes, sir!"

Then he went into the room with the rest of the Jedi and got ready. One younger Jedi spoke to him.

"You think we can win this?"
"Possibly."
"That doesn't sound very confident."
"It's not."

And the conversation ended.

[timtank]

Klon had arrived on the planet only ten hours before the word got out that the Sith attack had started. He came with a supply ship carrying weapons, first-aid kits, and food. The Jedi master was with two knight level heals and their padawans, along with 16 troopers and a captain. Not only was this force small it was the last supply and fortification run. No other groups were set to arrive for a very long time at this point... So the whole time something in the force was telling the Kiffar master that this would prove no place for his young padawan so he let him stay behind...

The jedi had arrived at the base, some Jedi had been their longer then him, some arriving slowly on their own. Klon felt as if anything could go wrong and with the Sith anything would go wrong. Klon had joined the blades simply to provide aid to the troopers, so he would do little more than heal and possibly information gathering since that is his specialty. So after a few hours he would simply be patrolling the base to determine if the turrets were on line, and the defenses steady.

Although it would not be long before the Sith's attack started and Klon took position at the back awaiting orders from those above him, while taking his lightsaber in hand and standing back. He hopped loses wouldn't be great here, but this is war and he was right in the middle this time...

[Cassy]

Cassy arrived through the hangers of Bak'mral not an hour ago; as soon as she landed and her cockpit slid open too her Jedi Hammer Head, she felt the environment like a scene that had just begun. Tension, awareness, thick swaths of pilots moved here.

Cassy wondered for a moment if they would all make it; if everyone would be alright when this was all over. An eerie thought that she was being naive confirmed it; as a ladder slapped onto the side of her ship. A mechanic, a chief; motioned for her too get down. She obliged with a nod; removing her helmet and shaking her hair out of by habit.

She stepped down the ladder, and hopped onto the floor with a spin to face him.

"You going to be using this thing when the battle begins?" he asked as he ran his fingers over the burgundy red and white hull of the Jedi craft. Cassy smirked; removing her flight gear and stomping into her full on robes; throwing her overcloak on and zipping her black body suit underneath almost too to the top.

"Maybe so, I've gotta meet with the head honcho here first...." Cassy's mind wandered too Grand Master Beleren; she'd seen him around the temple a few times as she blossomed into a woman back on Coruscant. She sighed at the feeling she felt; intimidation or the desire too impress? She couldn't decide which it was, but she got aggravated with herself for feeling it.

Once she was fully changed; she asked the Chief too put her flight suit into her Fighter once his repairs were complete. With a final pat on his shoulder, she was off in a sway of her black cloak, her brown locks at a curl at her shoulders. Green eyes scanned the fortress as she made her way through it.

Several Republic checkpoints; she hated these. The troops, some of them obnoxiously greeted the attractive 22 year old; which resulted in a roll of her eyes with her exclaiming that they had jobs too do. Most of them responded with something along the lines of "just trying to cut the tension", as they eventually would let her pass.

Soon enough she found her way through a large hallway that broke into a large chamber. Republic troops starkly stood all around the room as she pressed through it; her eyes wandered too a man whom she assumed to be the General she'd heard about. He definitely fit the bill of the image she'd seen describing the man who'd assist the Grand Master in defending this fortress. Or was the Grand Master assisting him? Such matters filled her thoughts as she took in the environment; crossing the large; circular room to it's center. She knew he wasn't officially the Grand Master anymore; however the title stuck too her, regardless of if you sat in the chair or not.

She looked for Master Beleren, awaiting his return until she did see him out through the windows of the command center down below. She watched him from above; he seemed to be checking on the defenses of the entire place. She wondered if he'd return, and herself wondered if her skills as a fighter pilot would be best served or her skills as a Jedi Knight.

She waited in the command center; wordless except for exchanging nods with the General, whom now she could clearly make out. She'd wait for Master Beleren to return too the command center; when he did, she'd figure out which role she'd be taking in this battle. In the air? Or on the ground.

[Rugs]

"Don't sound so down, Jack," Nieraan teased as the Sith trio left their dropship behind. A jovial humor colored his words, even through the subtle distortion his armor's mask lent his voice. "The skies are clear and the sun's shining." If his face were exposed he would've looked over at his fellow with a stupid grin on his face; instead, Jack got a hardy, too-hard slap on the back. "Cheer up, eh?"

Around them, soldiers were gathering and forming up as empty dropships blasted back up into the sky. Something exploded in the sky above, a few miles away from them, thought Nieraan couldn't see, nor did he care what it was.

He determined, as they strolled forward to meet some of the troops that were already down on the ground, that there was no immediate threat to them, and so he deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it back to his waist. At about the same time, Jess made at a quip to him, and Nieraan smirked slightly beneath his emotionless mask.

"Yes, Jessoin, we may find that's true before this is all done." Though the thought seemed a little disappointing to Nieraan; a struggle was confirmation. What will we learn about ourselves if we just roll over another Republic world?

Time would tell.

As they approached the group of other soldiers, they were approached in turn by a masked figure, who turned out to be none other than Zarene. "Figures you'd already be here," Nieraan muttered as she removed her mask to address them.

"They told me the main force was arriving today. They forgot to say who was commanding though. It's not you, is it, Onin?"

Nieraan folded his arms and snorted at the notion. "Come on now, Yin. You think they'd put me in charge of somethin' like this?" Nieraan doubted some of the Lords trusted him to do more than simple grunt work, let alone lead a small group of soldiers. Heading up an invasion was so far beyond where he fell that he couldn't even fathom it.

"No, I'm just another grunt like the rest of us," he said, downplaying his own position, but not really concerned. "Hervor's the one in charge, wherever the old hag is."

He shrugged slightly and shifted his weight from one leg to the other, glancing aside to watch as their men started moving weapons and equipment into position, to set up a forward post for them to operate from. Then his attention returned to Zarene.

"So, I'm guessin' you've been here for a while. What've yo-"

A shrill beeping in his helmet cut him off. The sound made him cringe in annoyance, but it was from someone important; the code that flashed across his vision indicated Hervor. Like she knew I was talkin' about her.

"Speak'a the devil..." he muttered, holding up a hand to Zarene.

He answered Hervor's call. "Yeah?"

[Dutch]

Jessoin could not help but grin widely as Zarene revealed herself to his group. He had only known his fellow apprentice a short time, both had little in common with one another besides serving Lady Renata. He stepped to stand directly next to Nieraan and bowed his head respectfully towards Zarene. His actions spoke of respect, but the glint in his eye whispered murder to Zarene, despite his pleasant smile and words:

"Ah, the wilted flower... so good to see you again Z."

His eyes would watch Nieraan as he spoke to Zarene, with the occasional dart to Jack or a trooper moving nearby. Despite the combat not having started, his posture was one of poise. Tense, as if ready to burst, Jessoin could feel the Force energies within his body roiling in protest. He pushed it down, refined it further, and kept it stored for when the fun began.

A ringing from his belt would snap Jessoin from his momentary reverie. He blinked once and saw as Nieraan held his hand up to Zarene. Clearly he had received a call, and as Jess removed his holocomunicator from his belt he realized he was being raised by the same person. His thumb answered the call and a tiny Hervor stood in his palm. Jessoin bowed his head in respect.

"What do you wish of me, my lady?"

He asked in an almost hushed tone. His averted eyes would gleam in excitement, a call from the head of this entire operation? What delightful little exercise would he participate in this time? Only the woman within his hand knew, and Jessoin awaited patiently for her to share her wisdom.

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

The troops where few but they had the high ground and plenty of cover, But Dan also knew they wouldn't be seeing much action today, only protecting on weak portion of the wall. He turned back to the wall and one of the troops grabbed his arm with a look of fear in his face, "Sir?!...Are you not sticking here?" Dan shook his head as he pulled from the troop and hopped onto a larger stone, Not this time, i have my own orders to receive...But don't die and you'll get your day to work with a Jedi someday. Dan looked at the man as he got a nod and almost a smile from the man. Dan hopped to the wall and bounced off giving himself a bit of momentum and twisting to bounce off a tree again repeating the step and landing on the top of the wall, and he jumped down now on the inside of the fort where he began his March to his Superior to get his own orders.

Master Beleren the former grand master, was standing almost waiting for someone when Dan noticed another Jedi about 30 feet away heading for the same target, it wasn't tell he was closer that he noticed that the Jedi was a She. She made it to Master Jace Beleren just before Dan did. He gave a quick bow as he arrived and asked, Sorry I'm late master, had to drop some kids off somewhere. He now hoped that the former grand master wasn't one of the many Jedi who disliked humor. What are my orders?

[sparrow]

(( sorry about the wait. let's get this moving again ))

"Come on now, Yin. You think they'd put me in charge of somethin' like this?"

Zarene's eyebrow arched upward slightly. "Considering the brilliant minds they've put in charge before," she said flatly, "I wouldn't be surprised."

"So... Hervor then. As long as it's not a repeat of Ordo..." she muttered as she ignored Jessoin Zarander's greeting, the only outward indication that she had heard him at all being a momentary twitch in her cheek. She couldn't see why Renata favored him the way she did. Smug bastard.

"I wouldn't gloat about the battle until it's over, Zarander. Have you had a chance to count the troops, and the guns? At least two jedi transports arrived just yesterday. I think there's someone with council-level strength in there." She couldn't be sure, not without seeing. But she was sure she had felt... something when that ship had passed. "Not so unequal as you think."

She lowered the faceplate of her helmet as she turned around towards Byar and his soldiers. "Tell the rest of the boys to get ready. We're moving out soon."

[Apillis]

Once all three responded to her contacting them, she projected each of their holographic images upon the little hand-held holo-comlink in her hand. She smiled a little, but just as speak the major with her informed her, "My Lord, the communications team has finished creating a secure channel with the Republic base. May I ask what this is about?"

Hervor arched a brow with an amused smile, "To demand their surrender, of course. I'll take care of it in a moment."

"R...right.", said the major, and with a humble bow of his head, he took his leave.

Hervor then looked to the three holographic images of the three young men cradled in the palm of her left hand, "Obviously I don't expect the Jedi to surrender, but it's always fun to demand the surrender of those you're about to put under heel.

"Now. The task I need you three to do is not an easy one, hence why I am contacting you three to complete it. Which is to bring down--", she then switched holographic images to that of a lay out of the base, and in turn transmitted the same to each of their communicators. The broad side of the wall facing the front lines in the holographic lay out on their communicators flashed red as Hervor went on to say, "--this wall. Naturally I don't expect you to do it on your own, nor without a method. I'm sending you each a team of engineers and demolitions experts with mining drills... and a lot of explosives."

Keying in another command into her communicator the flashing red highlight of the holographic wall image shifted to the bluff face just below it, splitting into two red flashing marks upon the holographic image, "These two points is where you will strike from. The bluff under the wall--drill into it, plant the explosives, and blow it out to cause the wall's own weight to make it crumble away, enabling the main force to charge through. Two of your teams will have to strike at the same spot, I leave that to your discretion. Just one of the explosives payloads each of you are being sent is enough to see the job done to bring down a section of the wall large enough for the main force to drive through. Therefore, only one of you needs to succeed.", she then smiled, "But wouldn't it be glorious if you all succeeded? Albeit, it's unlikely to be that easy."

She took a trice to think if there was anything else she wanted to add, "Ah yes...", she recalled, "While I have stipulated to our main force no prisoners under the rank of captain, otherwise they are to be executed immediately. I leave such judgments to your discretion as well. But, a friendly word of advice from one who has lived on the battlefield for a long... long time. Don't bother. You have enough on your plate as is.", as she keyed in the command of her hand-held holo-comlink to contact Zarene Yin about a semi-related issue, she then asked the three young Sith, "Any questions?"

When Hervor noticed Zarene responding to her comlink, Hervor brought up Zarene's holographic image beisde the three young men, "Ah, Zarene, I have a different, yet related task that is equally as important as the task of the three young men's here. I understand you have been reconnoitering the area ahead of the main force. What I need is a back door into that base. The task of your three peers is important for the main force's entry. But the moment the Jedi realize everything is crumbling around them. They will work to evacuate the VIPs, and that includes our dear Republic general whose throat we want in our grasp. We need a method to cut off their evacuation plans. It wouldn't surprise me if there are weapons caches in the area. If there are, for this kind of terrain, how the Republic soldiers get to them is likely via tunnel work. Tunnels that lead into the base. Take another one of our elite recon units, aside from the one you have. See if you can locate such weapon's caches or something similar--anything. Taking the base isn't enough, we need that general to make the Republic's defeat truly complete. Whatever aid you need to make it happen, I will provide. Keep in contact with me.", she then uttered to the three young men in turn, "That last bit goes for you three as well."

((I'll add Six's stuffs in the next round of posting. XD))
((Edit: Fixed typos. Likely more missed though <.<))

[Kiserius]

Ylenic was no stranger to conflict, even if he spent the majority of his life trying to prevent, or avoid it, at all costs. Of course he had fought in conflicts and wars: even as a Jedi Diplomat gifted with powers the average being would consider the province of a god, he could not always shift the path of fate to avoid bloodshed. Men had fought, died, and killed under his command, all for the purposes of achieving if not total tranquility, then at least a stop to the bloodshed. Yet, those wars, those bitter conflicts of martial skill and grim determination had always been the result of his failures, a reward the universe granted him for inability , something against his will. Now, he would fight a battle of his own volition, not for the presumptuous goal of achieving galactic harmony and peace, for he was too much a veteran of the affairs of mortals to hope for that, but rather to make sure that maybe, just maybe, the galaxy might return to the delicate balance of chaos and order which had just enough tension to keep it alive, but not enough to kill it.

The flight there from his posting on Coruscant had been quick, and it had been frantic. Stuffed into a small corvette with a few green rifle platoons meant to provide last minute reinforcements, it had initially been cramped, smelly, and full of fear. Ylenic had, rather unconsciously, brought along several datapads worth of minor diplomatic issues to resolve on the way there. Seeing a way to kill two birds with one stone, he had simply started acting as he normally did, setting himself up amidst the platoons and getting to work. The sight of a Jedi calmly, yet swiftly, going about his life as if nothing had happened had a profound effect upon the soldiers. If the Jedi, who knew he was going into battle, treated it as part of his daily life, then it could not be too bad , could it?

They began to ask him questions about battle, what it felt like, how he felt about the entire conflict, and he answered, always calm, always honest, and always with a smile. He did not lie to them and pretend that it would be a cake walk, as some of the recruiters had done, yet did not scare them with horror stories of battle like many war novels had. He did not exhort them to die honorably for the Republic, but rather to do their best to survive and win so that they could one day return home and enjoy dinner with their friends and family without having to fear anything. He did not make the Sith into some sort of unstoppable, evil juggernaut that the media had recently been portraying them as, rather, he simply said they were mortal, much like him, but following a much different, flawed philosophy, and that while they may have special powers, they could still very well be killed. Rather, he presented it as something that simply had to be done so that everyone could get back on with their daily lives.

Of course, he had not simply just talked to the men. He had very carefully, but lightly, influenced them telepathically. Encouraging a recollection of a peaceful memory here, a kind lover here, a drinking party with the fellow troops there, a funny prank on a drill instructor there. All of those just seemed to rise to the forefronts of their mind when they saw the odd little Caamasi Jedi dressed in his yin-yang robes, answering questions while blazing through datapad after datapad of issues. Though the rest of the ride was still cramped and smelly, the sense of nervousness and fear had diminished, and in some cases had vanished.

He had arrived only a few hours before the Sith assault, coming down in a group of dropships with “his” rifle platoons. Though he had meant to report to the command room with the other Jedi as soon as possible, he felt the reluctance and renewed fear of the new recruits, and did not have the heart to coldheartedly abandon them now that he was in the rocky, drab fortress that was now a buzz of activity. He stayed among them for a few more hours, putting his work aside and making sure to meet the eyes of every soldier and new officer he met. That seemed to help, and, when he absolutely had to go, he made sure to, ever so slightly, strengthen the sense of brotherhood and camaraderie between the newbies and the veteran platoons forming up next to them, so that the veterans would not see the green soldiers as liabilities, but rather friends that just needed a little more assistance.

Hurrying to the conference room, he was afraid that he would be late. He had been advised to meet up with the former Grandmaster of the Order, someone by the name of Jace Beleren. He had never met the man, did not know much about him, and could barely recognize him in the holos. The Jedi Diplomats were too busy considering the politics outside of the Order these days than to pay too much attention to what was going on within it.

Upon entering what appeared to be the center of operations, he glanced around. Republic soldiers stood at attention, calm and confident in stark contrast to the attitude of “his” gaggle of greenhorns not too long before. Two female Jedi Knights also occupied the room, one glancing out of the windows of the command center, next to the hardy, weathered General Velsim, who was evidently one of the finest generals that the Republic had ever had the pleasure of having, though Ylenic freely admitted he did not know much more about the man, nor did he wish to intrude upon his private thoughts to find out more. Another, one with fiery red-orange hair, seemed engrossed in the holographic depiction of the base on the table before her.

Both seemed to be occupied in their own respective searches, at least from what he could sense without prying so much as to be rude, so Ylenic quietly occupied a small metal seat about an equal distance away from both of them, took out another datapad, and began typing quietly. Paperwork cared not about battle, only deadlines.

[Jace]

The Jedi Master nodded as he watched Tahlia walk off to attend to the business that he had just assigned her. He did not know much about the woman but he could tell that she had a solid head on her shoulders. This battle was going to rest on experienced Jedi such as her if the Republic was to see this battle to the end. Jace almost laughed despite himself. Tahlia was not even a Master yet she was one of the most experienced Jedi currently present. He was not taking away from her skill but rather considering how it put their current situation in context. There were many dependable Jedi on Thila but Jace couldn't help but think that they would still be too few. It would be up to them and the wily old general to see them to victory or at least not total defeat.

Jace could not afford such thoughts and quickly shook them off. Satisfied that the troops were in order, he handed back towards the command room. The Sith would make their way to the fortress' walls soon enough. He also had little doubt that they had some plan in mind. The Jedi Master knew that they would not just be throwing normal soldiers at the Republic's walls. Jace could sense them even with the great distance between them. An unmistakable presence which he had encountered far too frequently as of late. Memories of Korriban and Subterrel threatened to derail his train of thought.

Upon entering the command center, Jace found that a number of other Jedi had already arrived. They had no doubt come to get orders for the upcoming battle. The Jedi Master should not have been surprised that the other Jedi deferred to him. He had honestly come to Thila on an uncharacteristic whim. Jace was still not sure where his place was in the Order now but the Force had guided him here. The Jedi Master had to take responsibility now that he was here. He looked around the room and studied the faces that looked back at him. Jace looked towards Velsim and saw the the general was deep in conversation with his commanders. This would no doubt be the standard form of command from here on out.

He remained silent for a few moments before finally giving his orders.

"The battle is almost upon us and soon there will be much to be done," he began before continuing,"Knight Novos, Knight Firestar; I want you two on the flanks. The Sith are likely to throw a majority of their strength at the walls but I'm sure they'll have brought equipment to bring it down. Prevent it as best you can. Master Driviz, I would like you to hold our center."

Pausing for a moment, he finally turned to the Caamasi Jedi.

"Knight A'Kla, I believe it would be best if you worked in a support capacity. Coordinate from here or reinforce whichever sector needs the most help. I leave it up to your discretion."

A few moments of study was all that Jace needed to know that these Jedi were ready for the battle ahead, or as ready as they could be.

"There are fine soldiers here but they will still look to you. Remember your responsibilities as Jedi and do not lose yourself in this war. Above all, do not underestimate the Sith. They will know that their numbers alone are not enough to win this battle. Be vigilant but never despair for there is hope. The General and myself will coordinate our efforts for as long as possible. I may have given you all orders but trust in your own discretion and ultimately the Force. May the Force be with you all."

There was no longer any time left and Jace had given the best orders he could with the time he had. In truth he was a bit unsettled by his given commands despite their necessity. Jace had ordered two relatively young Jedi to essentially take command of the fortress' flanks. They would gain valuable experience if they made it through this battle but it was experience that they should not have been forced to gain. Jace did not have the luxury of blaming everything on the Sith as so many politicians did. Many men would not leave Thila alive and the responsibility remained with Jace and General Velsim.

"What do you think, General?" inquired the Jedi Master after most of the other Jedi had left to attend to their duties.

"Too many damn heroes in this war," he muttered loud enough for only Jace to hear. The Jedi's thoughts more or less echoed in the other man's sentiments. They stood there, veterans of far too many battles. The general had a look in his eyes which said that he was preparing himself to lose many men. It was a burden of command which he had dealt with for many years but that did not make it any easier. The command center began to empty until only essential personnel remained. Jace would remain here to coordinate the efforts of the Jedi but in truth he would probably better serve by being on the front lines. He knew it would not matter either way. It would most likely not be long before he was forced into the fray. Jace could only hope that Tahlia would prevent any possible intrusions and that the other Jedi were successful in their duties.

[timtank]

Klon had little choice but to wait for the commanding Jedi's orders relating to his position and he soon had the information he desired. The Kiffar master was to hold the center, the last line in the event that something goes wrong it seems... Their was something dreadful about this day, he could sense it ever since he arrived. The aura of death, fear, blood lust and madness was thick in the air. These brave men and women were on their last legs and worried do to the lack of reinforcements.

They all knew the rivers were to flow red with blood this night, so some seemed lost in their fear while others appeared ready to throw life away in this battle. Klon's plan for the up coming fight was simple... Kill as many of them as possible before retreat was to be called for this fort was likely to fall if not to the sith's vast numbers, to their brutal cunning. Klon simply wanted to get as many of these brave souls home as possible. Although Klon and the other Jedi knew all to well that handling the more elite members of the Sith order would fall to them.

Conflict, so sad that combat is the only form of communication known to the barbaric invaders known as the Sith order. So merciless and sick, it is saddening to image that some of those beast once served the Jedi and the Republic. Master Driviz was once a rather effective leader along with investigator, this conflict would only work to flex his mental muscles.

Like the other jedi Klon departed to take charge of his forces. They seemed in high spirits, while some appeared on edge as well, yet the Kiffar Jedi master Driviz would take charge nun the less. Not long after Klon halts he is approached by a armored man, the captain of the squad before him. "Commander" the soldier says with a salute only to get a hand wave from the ready Jedi who proceeds forward and says "At ease friend, on this battle ground we shale stand as equals... Gather the men for the strategy to be worked into a quick meeting."

The man solutes once more and gathers all warriors within his ranks to gather and take up arms for the battle will start shortly. Master Jedi Klon Driviz took his time to pace the area and turn to the forces and speak his plan of action. " Hello my friends, and brave heroes of the Republic. Today we take up arms against are age long enemy, the Sith empire... We stand without reinforcements against their massive army, yet we will still battle them to the very end; for, we must cleanse the world of the Sith peace by peace, even if we can't crush them here we can at the very least lead them to cut their numbers. Stand together and protect each other no matter what.

Adjusting his voice he spoke once more this time in a more mellow focused tone. " First we need supplies, the kind of weapons we can use to gain quick tactical advantage. They will likely come for use with a full on frontal assault tactic. So I need the barricades set up, then gather rifles and semi auto and auto alike. We will need as much fire power as possible, gather grenades as well, a few smoke bombs but explosives would do best, gather a few remote sentries and post them right behind the barricades. Then we need a squad of heavies and flame throwers hidden at the sides ready to ambush. The rest of you will keep up a steady stream of blaster bolts. Are we clear?" Says the Jedi as the men scramble to gather what was asked of him. Klon could only hope the others were prepared for the massive loses they were to suffer this day...