Bonadan

Kyoto-Station


"...Sir!...you'd better come and take a look at this!..."

Richter's already deeply worried face , seemed to drain of all colour as he stared in disbelief as the black expanse of space seemed to distort in front of his eyes...

He felt his stomach churn in horror as realised what it was...

"...CLOAKED SHIPS!...ALL SHIPS ENGAGE , LAUNCH ALL FIGHTERS!....RAISE PLANETARY DEFENSES!..."

There before their eyes , an entire CSA attack fleet de-cloaked ,and spearheading the attack , was a soul-destroying sight, an Eclipse-Class Star Destroyer ...it seemed the CSA had one last trick up their sleeve ...

As the communications were cut, gradually the invasion fleet picked up speed and started its attack upon Bonadan...

One by one First , Second, and the Home-guard fleet was recalled and sent into the fray to meet the CSA threat head-on....

The inhabitants of Bonadan were now once again fighting for their own survival...




Roonadan

unknown governmental complex



As the survivors of Fifth fleet fought bravely for their lives , a heart warming sight met their eyes , as third and fourth fleet exited hyperspace (albeit abruptly) , and almost at once overcame the CSA’s attack force , the slower, bigger ships moving in front of Fifth fleet’s remaining vessels to protect the battered and vunerable armada…

As suddenly as they had arrived the ships spilled out their accompanying fighters, which announced their arrival with a massive tirade of laserfire , many starting their attack runs on the CSA destroyers, many others swarming the skies of Roonadan with a flurry of missile bombardment…

On the surface , Kalatan watched in amusement as Miles bravely tried to defend against the Yuzzhan Vong’s parry of attacks, until a comms alert beckoned for his attention, his smile of amusement was soon wiped from his face….

“..WHAT!?… you’re all fired! the lot of you!…”

Pounding his fist upon the desk , Aramaya gathered up a drawful of important documents and money, as much as he could carry, shoving them into his briefcase, and as Yana watched on in puzzlement , her unasked questions were answered, as a huge deafening series of explosions rocked the Government compound. Everyone was thrown off onto their feet, including both, the oblivious Yuzzhan Vong warrior, and Miles…

The Vinda-Corp bombers had begun their attack runs…

As the explosions became louder, part of the roof began to cave in , and In the confusion , Yana could just makeout the figure of Kalatan as he escaped via another entryway, as if purely by instinct , the CSA Operative followed him.

Coughing at the dust kicked up from the rubble, Miles struggled to his feet and glanced around, and looked down as a gurgling sound caught his attention…there , sprawled out before him lay the Yuzzhan Vong warrior his legs twisted and smashed…. He let out a blood-curdling noise, the diplomat could not work out whether it was a final curse, or simply scream of agony…

Speared to the ground, the warrior was dumbly, uselessly trying to remove a huge piece of masonary that had fallen from the roof and embedded itself straight through the alien’s body and into the floor…. Miles stared at the horrific sight numbly, as if not being able to yet differentiate between relief or pity…


Further away , Yana continued her pursuit of the CSA Exo her speed and agility aquired from her training as a secret agent meant she caught up with the Exo easily, and as she shouted after him, it was clear all was not quite right with the CSA executive as he rested his back against the wall of the long tunnel they were both in. Yana frowned a little as the Exo began to cough and wheeze…

“…its over…give yourself up Aramaya…”

Standing before him, she almost fell sorry for him as he tried to speak through gasps of hoarse breaths, he whispered out to her imploringly…

“…help me…”

The CSA Operative stood there still, her eyes taking in the sight before her, he had become nothing more than a bitter, twisted, pathetic, wretched old man…

“…my children….. where are they?…”

Fumbling into his pockets Kalatan retrieved a small comms device and was about to use it until the agent slapped it from out of his hands, sending it bouncing away down the corridor…his eyes seethed hatred as his face became red, and he clutched his chest as if in great pain…he was having a heart attack….

Once more he pleaded , his voice barely audible above the echo’s of explosions that could be heard , even underground, and as he fell to the ground, Yana squatted down beside him and tilted her head to once side as she listened to the sounds…oblivious to the mans pleadings…

“…you hear that?… that is the end of the CSA…Ironic that it should be the last thing you hear...

…before you die…”

Gasping uncontrollably the Exo reached out as his face contorted in pain. Yana stood up and watched coldly as Aramaya crawled along the floor struggling to speak. The CSA Exo watched helplessly as Yana slowly walked away , her figure silouhetted in the dimly lit passageway as she made her way back to Miles….

Leaving Kalatan to wonder all alone, with his last dying breath how , with one almighty swing of fate's pendulum , it had all gone so wrong...





Bonadan




As the gigantic Star destroyer bought its huge hull to bear upon The Gotham Its Superlaser tore through the three thousand metre long ship like it was a toy, the resulting explosion showering enemy and friendly ships alike with debris.

The shockwave rocked the Station, and as the CSA IRD's swarmed the station with laserfire, it was clear it would not last long. Richter feeling the panic in the air, watched as Vinda-Corp's own Eclipse-Star Destroyer. the Negotiator intercepted the CSA equivilant, ship to ship. It was the last thing he would see from this bridge as he announced with a heavy heart the evacuation of Kyoto-Station...

Soon the heavens above Bonadan were raining escape pods and ships from the station, Richter , Kaneda and Natalya just a few of the thousands of people that had been evacuated....

Eventually giving away to the massive CSA firepower inflicted upon it, Kyoto-station's demise was announced in a huge explosion that lit up space itself....

Charging its own super-laser almost in reply, The Vinda-corp's Eclipse Star Destroyer, The negotiator lanced out towards the immense CSA vessel, and in a spectacular flash of light the laser struck against the gigantic ship , causing a chain reaction of explosions to erupting , at what seemed to be, everywhere…

And in a last act of defiance , the CSA Eclipse Star Destroyer steered its way into The Negotiator , unable to take the strain of such a huge force, the gigantic Vinda-Corp Eclipse-class Star destroyer's shields soon gave way, and in a grim pyrotechnic display of immense proportions ,both Eclipse Star Destroyers were no more...Their grim and horrific fate could be seen light years away….

Who knows how many were killed in this single act alone....



In the Many hours that followed , countless people lost their lives, friend and foe alike...

Third and Fourth fleet quickly overcame the CSA attack force in and around Roonadan, and started to secure the highly disorganised surface, along with the survivors of Fifth fleet...

The Khan , too damaged to limp home was listing badly, and had been sent to stay in Roonadan’s orbit …it seemed to hang there like a soldier at its last post, holding true to its last orders, keeping a tired but vigilant watch over the planet below it….

As the last vestigages of the CSA on Roonadan were overwhelmed and defeated…

On Bonadan the collective population breathed a sigh of relief as the CSA threat was also eliminated…

…but they had exacted a terrible price, Vinda-Corp’s entire fleet was decimated…

…and thousands dead…

The lucent

The Hood

The Empress

The Auriga

The Sadako

The Endeavour

One by one each ship fell, along with its CSA counter-part, until the CSA invasion became routed….

The CSA’s time was truly over….

Cuzzko


A figure appeared on the monitor.


He seemed rather young but for the lines around his dark eyes. At one time, Herridian would have sworn, the man once held mirth.


Perhaps in the very beginning..


The man was dressed in black with the hieroglyphs of the ancient Sith interwoven into the jade stones that ran the length of his robe.


His eyes raised, as if Herridian and his fellow scientists were standing before a vast audience of adorning throngs..


He spoke, his alien tongue fierce.


The translator soon began following the harsh voice. The speech was self aggrandizing and self centered..


“.. I have defeated the machination known as the Leveller. I have stood where no one else shall stand, defeating an enemy that lesser empires succumbed. And now?

Now..” the eyes narrowed.

“The war is carried to the enemy.


This galaxy will burn in my grasp.

This galaxy will tremble under my gaze.

And those that would destroy me:


Their people… will die.

Their planets… will die..

Their children … will die.

Their history.. will die.



General Quintus of the Dragon Fleet left our glorious empire’s borders to strike at these alien invaders two days ago. Tomorrow three more fleets follow.

To the first soldier that brings me an enemy leader’s head, I will give them absolute control over a planet; it’s natives spoils to work your whim on.”


The man drew closer.

“Now bring me their heads…”


The screen flickered and stopped.


The scientists all stood silent for a good long while. The fruit of their labors this …


“What an utter waste of time.” One spoke.

“Not once did he mention how it was defeated?”

“I don’t think it really was.” Herridian stated thoughtfully but tired beyond measure at the futility of their efforts. He looked at the others. “Otherwise, the Marzullo Empire would have been here to slit our throats for trespassing. Their empire crumbled. There would be no glorious retribution.”


“So another dead end.” The finality in one of the scientists’ voice declared the entire groups sentiment.

The task set before them a failure.


Herridian saw the look of defeat in everyone’s eyes. They had run out of ideas… run out of tests… run out of reliable data.

“We return to Capricia. Perhaps the medical facilities of the government will find something our tired minds missed. As we saw from the data, the Leveller is not fully virulent at first. We may yet have time.”

“To what end, Herridian? Look around! Capricia does not even have a fraction of the might this Sith empire boasted, and they are dead! They are all dead!”

“Give us a day, a week,… hell, give us ten years… the end will still be the same, Herridian! We will die if the Leveller has been released upon homeworld in force. We will die like these wretched Marzullos.”

“Then let us go home to die, Damen. Let's go home.” Herridian opened a channel to the Avatar.

Battle of the Yard...







The mists of the night that fell upon the province were suddenly clearing as the wind began to pick up across the plains.


The invaders had harrassed the front lines breaking it's resistance in several places.


The long range volleys had softened up the Caprician lines but not without cost. The massive mechanical AT-AT's had moved forward not only causing a surprising halt to the advancing hordes on the forward position of the construction yard but directed it's heavy guns to those large lumbering creatures bringing up the rear of the Yuuzhan Vong lines.


Creatures had begun to take flight swooping in and out of the Caprician positions attempting to catch the defenders unawares.

But these creatures, recently hatched, had neither the experience of the hunt nor the experience of how to deal with prey that fought back. Their instincts told them nothing but their hunger.


And that was when the Caprician fighters, a motley assortment of Incom X-wing fighters and other single pilot craft struck.

Their payloads cut huge gaps into the Yuuzhan Vong ranks before their villips could send out commands to the Corralskippers.


The dogfighting that began to speckle the once blue sky was truly a sight to behold.


The construction yard was completely surrounded and, though the invaders used the night to set up and despite the far reach of the Caprician counterstrikes taking place, the overall plan of the Yuuzhan Vong remained unchanged.


Overawe.


Overwhelm.


And destroy ... once and for all.



The defenders, tired from the sorties that Tslah Vhess threw against them with his slaves, looked across the scorched plains, a different smoke taking the place of the night mists. A smoke that stunk of burning flesh and wrecked machinery.


Truly, a "no man's land" beyond the Caprician forward positions.


Leantre Vio had not slept all night as the screams and shouts of his men and women were carried along the wind. The reports were not encouraging.


With the arial scouts overhead, his position was solidifying into a most terrifying nightmare.


"We will not be able to hold back a concentrated charge."


But what else can we do?




A shuttle had hazarded the arial fighting bringing reinforcements albeit small.


The banners on the wings bore the seal of Vinda Corporation.
The fact that they continued to fight a cause seemingly hopeless was almost unfathomable to the Caprician Regent.


The platform situated on the roof of the construction yard became the destination of the dropping shuttle. And out from the landing ramp strode a rather tall individual bearing no expression.

And immediately following was Scipio Arien, carrying an oversized rifle blaster.


"They are charging!!!!! They are charging !!!!"


The monitors confirmed the yells as enemy positions began to move on the yard from all sides.


There would not be another night to contemplate their fate.


The end would be decided this day.




It was going to turn vicious...

Capricia

Construction yard - Jak'tol province



As wave after wave attacked , the roar of the invaders became louder as they attempted to break though again, and Vinda found himself caught up in the sea of people as they surged forward to meet the threat head on, despite being several lines back. Gradually he clambered back up to the roof of the construction yard, to get a better view of the situation...and as he did , sheer carnage came into view...

Every once or so a deafening explosion caused by long range bombardment would impact not so far away , kicking up dust and earth ...and in some cases , people, along with it...
Its sudden bright flash lighting up the darkened area, as well as Vinda's sunken features..

Vinda studied the scene through a pair of night-vision binoculars, his eyes narrowed as he gauged the lines , the Vong were atempting to smash a way through, if they did it would be disastrous.

For a moment he yearned for the comfort of home....

His eyes glided to the At-At's lumbering forward, rattling off laserfire seemingly everywhere, the sheer number of the aliens was disheartening in itself...numbers was definately on their side...

Vinda cursed as an explosion impacted closer than he was comfortable with sending dust and dirt cascading down over him...

"..son of a..."

Once more a distinctive sound drowned out the war-cries of the enemy as waves of fighters appeared overhead, both Caprician and Vinda-Corp ....a slight smile crept across his face as they continued their attack runs, strafing the aliens, and bombarding them with missiles...

Still the invaders came forward...

As he watched aliens advance grimly, Vinda chewed on the end of his Cigarra , their number were their biggest asset right at this moment...

...perhaps it could be exploited?...

The Vinda-Corp CEO's eyes searched around the battlefield, if an answer was to present itself... it had better do so quickly...

The Early Morning Hours..



Scipo's eyes widened in amazement at the carnage happening all around.


The blackness of night being pushed away by artificial lights both mechanical and biologically created revealing masses of people struggling in armed combat.

In some places, hand to hand.. in others blaster fire and the lethal creatures of the invaders.


She clicked the safety off her rifle blaster. The support fighters had cleared their landing pattern and the ground grunts made a spot for them to touch down but.. not for long.

The mere sight of the mechanical monstrosity set a new wave of anger and fierceness in their enemies.

The unloading of supplies was done record time the grunts being pushed back until soon the group had to fall back and leave the shuttle.

The Vinda Corp employees who had piloted the craft under Achinta Vega's watchful eye were moving the grunts along quickly...the reason for their haste lost the Caprician.

But rather than dwell on it she leveled her rifle and let lose the deadly light in the ranks of the approaching enemy.

Soon the invaders swarmed over the shuttle..

And out of the corner of her eye she saw Achinta pull some device out of nowhere.

Her eyebrow raised inquisitively at him as her focus turned to glance down the barrel of her rifle getting off a few more shots.

Turning back to Achinta, she saw in the android's expressionless face an aura of a smile.

He clicked something on the device and the shuttle exploded ripping a huge gap in the masses throwing Yuuzhan Vong and Chazrach back in chunks.


"You're handy." she quipped seriously and began plugging the forward invaders before their minds could break through the confusion the explosion had wrought in their little area of the battle.


She had no time to reflect how other areas were faring.

"Leia look out!!" Tyscio shouted over the roar of battle.

But of course, his voice was lost past a few yards. The forward positions were overwhelmed. If the defenders did not fall back, there would soon be too much property to defend with their diminishing numbers.

He spoke harshly into the comm unit, half surprised to find that it still worked. His body armor had taken a beating and was still having punishment inflicted up on.

Without it, the Capricians would have been cut to bits like so much butter before a knife.

But he had to get the attention of the defenders of the Judicator and quickly. Leia was here and there plugging the gaps that formed when one fell but even she couldn't do everything.

Tyscio barked out grid coordinates to a damaged AT-AT. Several plasma volleys had struck against the AT-AT's plating nearly knocking the machine.

The guns repositioned and began striking several meters ahead of the Caprician forward lines capturing the defender's attention.

"Fall back! All positions, fall back!"

Tyscio sliced at the head of a creature, sidestepping the staff that struck out at his neck. Sweat was pouring down his body as he fought to push back the mounting exhaustion.

A blaster rifle knocked the invader aside giving Tyscio the room he need to bury his lightsaber into the writhing body.

He turned to the shooter only to see Mathias' grisled, unkept and dirty mug grinning back at him.

"Sweet Clannus Prime! You're still alive?" shouted Tyscio as he tried to cover the retreating defenders.


"Figured I better hang around until someone started giving orders that made sense!" the old man barked back, unloading his weapons fire at another creature.

"Don't die yet! We've got to get these kids to cover!"

"Our ranks are thinning alright!" the old soldier agreed, looking over to see Leia bringing the foremost line back.

"With less ground to protect, our ranks will soon seem like they were reinforced."

"If we don't die of exhaustion!" snapped Mathias back.

"There is that.." murmured Tyscio, grabbing a wounded soldier, pulling him back.

The AT-AT continued to lay down covering fire but the falling back of the Capricians began to create more of a frenzy in the attackers.


"All positions are falling back!" a soldier with a comm unit linked to Command yelled as he joined the movement.

Maximize their lessening numbers by not having them defend so much ground. Tactics.

But what happens when they can no longer move back. Being surrounded was not an ideal position to defend from.

Field Medics came and relieved the injured from Tyscio and as he stepped over an alien body, he noticed gray and red blotches all over their bioarmor.


What the frell is that?



The construction yard loomed overhead. The farther in the defenders retreated, the closer to the yard the invaders got. Soon they would be defending all sides of the yard until the walls were breached.


We won't survive a seige. I hope the Regent realizes that.


The gaps plugged and others came up to relieave Tyscio's position. He moved to the outside of the construction yard wall and collapsed against it wanting to find some small seconds of rest.

The advance had once again been halted and the overall alien aggression seemed to lessen though the fervor in their eyes didn't.


Tyscio hurt all over.

A Jedi Master collapsed against the wall, sliding down into a sitting position next to Tyscio.


"These things are not stopping.." Tyscio spoke, finding his lips parched and his mouth dry.

Leia didn't say anything at first, just content to sit there leaning slightly against him, listening to her heartbeat slow down as she attempted to calm her adrenaline.

The Caprician boy had died. A blood vessel burst inside his brain causing a hemorrhage that Tallien could not stop, nor would he given the boy’s infidel nature.

And yet the young one was on the road to indoctrination. The grafts… the creatures were taking hold.


The Master Shaper looked down at the body, his eyes refusing to believe the frustrating of his plans. His mind refused to believe that Xanadal’s force of will would halt the force of Tallien’s Doctrine.

He then looked around the wrecked remains that had once been his proud Religious Command Ship. Somewhere, in the distance were the remains of the Vinda Corporation’s flagship but knowing that brought little comfort.

It began so well…

The cutting off of the pathetic little system, the destruction of the outermost colony, Minos. The destruction of the closest colony to Capricia, Tirus.

The assault on the midcolony world of Providence.

There! That had been the turning point of sorts. Even when the Yuuzhan Vong trained their entire arsenal against Capricia Proper, these pathetic creatures fought back.

They thought they could stand against the fury of gods.


..and yet,


yet they were.


He knew that Tslah Vhess was off attempting to destroy the last remaining bastion of organized resistance.


But even if he won. Even if every single one of those defenders were gutted and thrown to the carrion eaters, there would still be elements …. Small pockets of fighting continuing against us.

Tallien’s eyes burned.

//We should have destroyed this world. It was a mistake to think we could mold them into doctrine. They are too… inferior.// He whispered to shadows.


“You underestimated us Tallien.” Intruded a voice old and familiar. “You felt our abilities beyond our comprehension.”

“THEY WERE BEYOND YOUR COMPREHESION!!” Tallien Yzan shouted into the empty room. “YOU DIED NOT KNOWING YOU EVEN HAD THESE ABILITIES!”

“Not consciously perhaps,” the voice retorted. “So, let me guess, five years ago you attacked a nondescript world and on the verge of defeating it utterly, you noticed strange telekinetic abilities cropping up and so pulled back in fear.

IN FEAR, Tallien!

And so, five years later you come back, after having convinced the War Master finally of a danger posed.”

Then the voice became sarcastically pensive, “Or was there ever a danger?”

“Perhaps your fear needed to be masked over in the name of Doctrine?”

“There was a danger. If these infidels came to fully realize a telekinetic ability outside the strictures of the force they would be a danger to our galactic domination.”

“If!!??” the voice grew indignant. “If? You attacked a world on an ‘If’?”


And then the voice laughed. “How can you take a galaxy when you cannot take a pitiful world?”


“Because…”

“Of this so-called ability?” the voice purred. “Show me the documented proof that this ability has played any part in your inability to conquer this planet!”

“The planet IS conquered Xanadal! Even you must admit that.”

“Then why do you encounter resistance?”

“Because your people are fools. Because they cling to hopes even as their security burns to ash all around them.”

The voice of Xanadal laughed.

“Your psychology is truly alien, Tallien.”

Tallien’s deep-set eyes narrowed, the harshness darkness intruding as the last of the bioluminescent creatures was dying.

Somehow, in the face of this taunt, the doubts Tallien seemed to consider vanished into nothingness. He left the body of the boy behind, discared like so much refuse that was this pitiful world.

He stepped out into the Caprician dawn. Where ever the fighting was taking place, dawn would come in a few hours.

As he stepped out he realized he suddenly held no fear of this world and he knew why.


“The Conquest of Capricia is over.” He stated simply. “The last of the heretics are being burned. Soon this entire world will burn as an example to all that defy Doctrine. Let those pockets of resistance come. Let them try to fight against the inevitable.

We have won.”


“Tallien, you truly are an idiot.”

“You think the war is not over?”

“No… Tallien. YOUR war is over. YOUR Conquest of Capricia has ended. Look around at the wreckage. Look around at the fires buring in Antioch, over the horizon. Look at the wreckage of the ship that valiantly tried to destroy you.


Look at the wasted spoils of YOUR Conquest.

Look at the empty victory of YOUR Conquest.”


Xanadal’s voice chuckled in a wry amusement that seemed to irk the Yuuzhan Vong Master Shaper.


A sharp pain manifested itself inside Tallien’s skull and the warrior turned priest divorced it from his consciousness.

Before Xanadal’s voice totally faded from his mind, he heard the Caprician’s parting warning.




“…but OUR Conquest is just beginning.”

Capricia

Jak'tol province - Construction yard



Vinda watched with a stoney glare as the defenders were left no other option but to fallback, begrudgingly , Vinda had issued the order for his troops to do the same.

He was now faced with a difficult dilemma...

The time for evacuation , ..was now...

Stay and fight, or leave.

There would be no second chances, if evacuation was to be done then it needed to be now, leaving it until later, would not be an option.

The real test of commitment was just beginning.

His face darkened as he posed himself a question...

...could you in all good conscience , just walk away?...


A huge explosion some distance away caught his attention, mainly due to the amount of Chazarach soldiers it appeared to destroy...
Raising his binoculars up to his face to get a better view, he almost dropped them as he caught a glimpse of a small contingent of troops fighting their way to the yard...one person stood taller than the rest, his white hair making him stand out further....

...Achinta!...

"...well its about bloody time..." Vinda muttered to himself, as he squinted his eyes slightly , trying to keep his hands steady...

...and ...Ambassador Arien


Turning to one of the officers beside him, the CEO pointed in their direction...

"...get some covering fire over there!...I want those people here safe and intact, and bring me the tall guy...."

His next thought he elected to keep private...

...so I can strangle him myself...

Capricia Space


The Vinda Corporation’s vessels entered the fray flanking an alien fleet intent on the destruction of the Caprician Shipyards.

“Let the VC ships roll them into us! All guns fire!!” Tyscio Zier shouted, as the scanners blared out warnings of incoming plasma fire.

Due to the alien dovin basils, it took much more firepower than usual to crack a yorik corral ship apart…but break apart they did.



But not without cost.


Despite the manic firing of the Capricians the invaders did advance and soon the Ferendi Yard was in range.


“GET BETWEEN THEM!!! GET BETWEEN THEM!!” A Captain of an ISD was heard shouting over the comm. channels. The damaged warship did begin to position itself in front of the yard. But before it could retarget it’s weapons the Yuuzhan Vong warships in range all fired at the construction yard.

The fact that the Caprician ISD was inbetween was immaterial. The plasma volleys struck through the warship’s shields like they were tissue paper, causing a chain reaction explosion that could not be halted. The main engine core blew.

Tyscio Zier grimly watched the display for a brief second before turning to his own commands.

“Sir! The Scion’s debris is striking the invaders!”

“What?” Zier turned back in time to witness the large chunks of durasteel strike against the outside hulls of several large enemy ships. Yorik Corral seemed to break off the main ship like scales shedding.


The explosion, causing momentary confusion on several invader ships, left them blind as they closed the distance toward the yard.


Five enemy ships, not stopping, ripped through the yard shattering not only the yorik exostructure the invader ships but the durasteel superstructure of the yard. Decompression explosions began to take place all over the yard as the enemy vessels, injured began to tumble uncontrollably.

“Attitude control seems to be lost.”

“Get one of the cruisers to the yard .. check for survivor--” a brilliant light flashed.


At that moment, the shipyard exploded sending debris in all directions.

“Belay that order. We will stop the enemy at the last yard. All engines best speed to the Kayalous Yard.”


Damaged as they were, the Caprician ships changed vectors to intercept the remaining Yuuzhan Vong vessels.


“We are almost evenly matched now…” Zier muttered looking at a tactical map of the planet and surrounding space.”

“Leantre is holding up in Jak’ Tol…” he mused to himself out loud. Turning to a Lieutenant, “If we send a Cruiser to bombard the enemy lines relieving Leantre a bit, the enemy will respond by redirecting their assets.”

“They may just send fighters.”

“Not if the Fighter Corps on the planet protect the cruiser. Then, depending on how much damage the cruiser does, the enemy will have to split somebody off to finish it.”


“Trick is..” commented the Lieutenant, “..finding a Cruiser.”

Before Zier could comment on it the Tactical Analysis Consol signaled new arrivals coming into range, their heading indicating coming from the shipyard.

“What the hell are those?” one Ensign blurted out.

But, Tyscio turned to the communications office quickly rattling off orders for the reinforcements from the yard. “Apparently our boys were working nonstop while we were getting the stuffing pounded out of us.”

The Lieutenant grinned, “Bless their little worker hands..”


“Incoming Transmission, Sir.”


“On screen!”

“Fleet Commander Zier, this is Morreau of the Abolisher Cruiser Penetrator. The ship is not as operational as it looks like from the outside since we had to put her together rather quickly but it looked like you guys could use some help.”

“More than you know, Morreau. I would be obliged if you could reinforce the location I am sending to your Nav. Computer?”

“We have them. Will comply, Penetrator out.”


Tyscio’s eyes burned with an intensity he hadn’t felt since the bloody battle began.


“We actually have a chance to pull something off here.” He murmured. Then to his gunners, “Target the big boys. Take their strength down..”










Jak’Tol Province




One by one the lines fell back, the deaths of the defenders creating a gap that inevitably needed to be filled…

..only to have more die.


Leantre turned his eyes away from the battles raging on the monitors and noted the halls of the Construction Yard filled with the sick, the wounded and the dying.


Medical supplies were in running short so the Medical Corps had to go “low tech” with many of their temporary solutions and “patch jobs”.

There was no where to go.


“If they confine us inside the walls we are dead, Seargent.” Leantre spoke as the lines were reforming after falling back, their numbers suddenly more effective with less ground to cover.

And yet his eyes noted a hesitation on the enemy’s part. The fighting was taking it’s toll on the aliens as well.

There was an opportunity to exploit and he had only one chance to do it.

He handed an aide a datapad. “Recall these divisions into the Yard. Have the line fall back a bit more to compensate but I need these divisions inside the construction yard in a half hour. Can you do it, son?”

“Yes, Sir!” the boy saluted smartly and ran off.

“Vinda Corp, Judicator Crew, Tyscio Korban’s Command…” an Advisor looked up. “These aren’t minor divisions you are pulling from the fray.”

“I need them.” Leantre ground out as if convincing him that the losses incurred by this move would be justifiable to his conscious.



*



“They want us to WHAT?” Mathias shouted at the runner.

“You have your orders, pull back into the yard NOW!” The runner shouted back before running off to, his data pad triangulating the positions of other divisions.”

Tyscio Korban and Leia Organa Solo were pulling themselves up from the wall to organize their respective people as the fighting sort of diminished as the Yuuzhan Vong moved back to also regroup. Those caught alone (either Caprician or Yuuzhan Vong) were not left to live for very long.

Already Vinda Corp personnel were being pulled from the front lines being replaced by Caprician regulars (though no less weary).


Tyscio looked out at the battlefield.

“There is going to be another major push before the dawn comes. They moved the line back significantly and they won’t want to lose the momentum of the attack.”

“One more good push could finish us if that old goat of a Regent is pulling significant numbers from the lines.” Mathias quipped.

“He is up to something…” Then Tysico’s eyes narrowed. “He better be up to something because I fear you are right. One more good push like the last one and this attack will be the one that breaks us.”

“Sweet Clannus Prime, Jedi, I bet those blasted aliens never expected us to cling to life as desperately as canker.”


Tyscio glanced over as the VC reinforcements with Scipio Arien had been protected as they melded into the VC line and moved as they pulled back.

“Mr. Vinda must be hedging his bets right now.”

“How long till dawn?”

“2 hours tops.”

“How long till their next wave?”

“An hour and a half. Tops.”

“Then those damned flying bugs wake up.”

“Hopefully we will have the fighter corps watching our back then.”

“Hopefully.. if we are still alive.”

“Hopefully.”

Jak 'Tol





The simulacrum's eyes scanned the carnage and destruction as the mental mathematics tallied up to a figure that he did not like.

Not one bit.


To fall back and close gaps was understandable...

And there were gaps.

Oh, there were gaps a super star destroyer could be pulled through.


On the surface, the alien momentum had been checked. But only for the moment.


The alien commander was shrewd.


Throwing his garbage at the Capricians ...


His foot kicked out at a dead alien body, noticing the discoloration that decorated its body. Something no one else seemed to take notice of.


Their virus has mutated., his mind said, the evidence shouting out as loud as his bright green garments, so oddly out of place on the darkened battlefield.

A sight to behold if he could be beheld. Unfortunately, he could not quite take shape to be seen by the enemy.. hell, by anybody.


A Union simulacrum was only as strong as his keeper's mind and right now, Tyscio Korban had a great many things on his.


There was too much the boy did not remember.

There was so much he was remembering and at the wrong moments.


Right in the middle of some barbaric war that their old home was embroiled in!


But the Capricia of now was not their home. It hadn't been for eons.

Hespante sighed. So much time had passed.


Too much.


Nobody remembered. Nyphys was in everything... split into two factions.. Light and Dark.


"Bane was right after all.." he murmured.


The Nyphys was the true victor.


The force gripped this galaxy as if it had spawned here.


And on it's heals these aliens... also from somewhere else.


We've been asleep for far too long. Civilization has rotted away..



No. That was not quite true.


His civilization had rotted away.


Only Tyscio and he remained. Both of them, one of a kind but even Tyscio was tainted with this force.


As he slept, the midichlorian infestation had taken root.


Hespante even now experienced trouble drawing his strength from the savr'en, the mind-power.

If the force took over completely, he might even cease to exist.. except for perhaps whatever awareness he held inside the mind of Tyscio.


The implant was still there. And judging by the level of technology that had grown up around him, it would likely never be removed.


Unless these alien butchers lopped off the boy's head, cracked his skull open and used the implant as a decorative piece on their trophy necklace..


Hespante shuddered.


He thought himself near Tyscio, the general falling back making the simulacrum grumble inside Tyscio's mind.

"Fall back..

Fall back..

You think these Capricians would know no other direction!" he snapped.