Inside the Construction Yard..




The Regent eyed the gathering forces as they marched into the massive structure. He could see their eyes yearning to get back out to where their friends were dying as the fighting seemed intensify for bit.


Friends that were buying the few precious moments of time they had left with their lives.


Friends dying because they knew no higher cause, because they had nothing left..


Because I ordered them too.


Leantre's aging eyes seemed to harden on that fact. A hardening born of experience.


Sentimentalism had no place in war.


Not if the goal was to come out alive in the end.


But was mere survival worth it?


"Sir, two squadrons of X-wings reported enemy reinforcements gathering!" The man turned from his comm station.

There is going to be another push." he stated flatly.


But Leantre only grunted.

"That would be the last of them. They have been gathering reserves while their advances pressed our defenses. Softening us up. And our fall back is just the signal they need to tell them that we are ready to crumble."


Leantre's advisor turned to him, his eyes darkening. "We ARE ready to crumble."


"Then let's take as many of them down with us as we can .. as we crumble!" Leantre snapped back.


The seventy year old man stood up and walked to the platform that overlooked an empty construction berth, many soldiers getting organized down below. Almost like ants milling around.


It should be Gomorran giving this speech..


"Soldiers!" he started, his voice being carried over the public address unit he had in his hand, his emotion coming out harshly as his throat was parched.

The milling stopped.


"The enemy has received more reinforcements and they will begin another push within the hour. Already, the enemy advance is pulling away to regroup."

There was chatter down below as the news sank in.


"But we will retreat no more!"


Bold words Leantre. But tell them the truth. They deserve it!


"Because... quite frankly. We can't."
Leantre spread his arms out.


"What you see around you is what we have left."

People turned to each other and then surveyed their yard-turned-fortress... seeing the hastily repaired machinery, the patched droids and equipment.. the massive medical ward and the moans of the wounded being heard over the deafening silence.


Leantre cleared his throat and the eyes drifted back to him.


"Our armoured corps has taken the brunt of their onslaughts and the corp numbers now have dwindled to nothing.

However the creatures the invaders were using to bombard us are also silent."


There was no cheering and quite frankly, Leantre expected none. It was just a fact that he was dispensing to a tired and exhausted crowd.


"When the last of the aliens return to their own camp, the rest of the defenders will come back into these walls to rest, get patched up and rearm one final time."


The old man gripped the railing hard.


"What faces us is the brunt of the entire alien invasion ground force."


The murmuring grew.


"They drew their numbers from what they 'conquered' so all could witness our death. Some sort of ceremonial end of sorts I suppose.

They outnumber our thousands by hundreds of thousands."


The murmuring grew louder. If hope dangled on a thread, the grip was slipping rapidly.


Leantre's eyes were stone and his voice flat. "Our fighter corps ... what is left of it has been authorized to use what little planet buster bombs we have left."


People began to chatter as that sunk in. Planet busters were the strongest weapons of mass destruction Capricians had short of atomics.


If push came to shove, Leantre, would you sterilze Capricia with Atomics?

"Everyone will be given innoculations for whatever radiation residue is left but even that will pale in comparison to whatever the invaders have remaining.

Our fighters will not be able to refuel or rearm! Their shots will have to count ... and a cruiser has taken up orbit over us... It's guns, in a few minutes, will rain down what damage it can before the enemy's own ships interfere.


And yet, the enemy will still have numbers! If any enemy has the luck of the devil, it's these @#%$!"


Images of the fall of the "Line" came in... his experiences with the lonely sniper from Scipio Clan. He remembered the meetings he, Gomorran and Herridian would have.. intellectual discussions over a hypothetical second invasion.


Even an old man is a fool sometimes..


His heart felt like lead but his eyes burned.


The old dance of experience and ability! We have had the experience beaten into us! And, dammit! We have the ability to stand one more time!



"Capricians..." his eyes scanned the uniforms of Vinda Corp employees. "Friends." he amended. "We make our own fates here. No one will EVER bend us!

We WILLl meet their charge!!...Every one of us who can stand, fight and pull a trigger!

We will halt their advance or die trying!


We have no more resources... no more supplies for the wounded...

We have nothing left..."


The Regent sounded irritated but not defeated.

"Nothing left but .. us."


Leantre's Advisor walked up to him. "Sir. Fighters are entering Jak'Tol airspace."

Leantre nodded. "Bring the remainind defenders in."


As the rest of the soldiers fell back one last time, moving quickly and orderly..(surprising after the chaos of combat), large explosions were heard and the construction yard actually shook.


The Caprician fire from the sky would only last perhaps 15 minutes.. perhaps a little longer but the aliens would still come at them.

They would not come this far only to stumble at the end.



"Abolisher cruiser Penetrator firing!" and the building trembled as the turbolaser fire turned the ground to ash.

"Pray their targeting computers are working.." Leantre murmured, the irony of his comment resting alone in his mind.


Burn you alien devils! Burn!

Capricia

Inside the yard



Vinda, listened intently, and grimly to Leantre Vio's words, and his eyes scanned across the ranks of survivors left. There was a feeling of pride as he saw his own standing next to the Capricians.

...this is the moment it all counts....

...this is where history will judge us, and our deeds...

..it all comes down to this ...

...right here and now...

As Leantre finished speaking, Vinda turned to face his own men...

"..you heard the man... lets show these invaders who they're dealing with...

...first one to bag one of the uglies gets a bonus.."

The traces of a stubborn smile escaped from the Vinda-Corp figurehead's lips, and as if to reinforce his point, he loaded his blaster rifle...

As the men cheered and followed suit, Vinda's eyes settled on the tall figure of Achinta...and his smile disappeared quickly..

"...I'm glad you could join us Mr Vega....I don't suppose you'd mind filling me in on just where the FRELL! you've been?..."

The HRD walked up alongside him as he started barking his orders out to his men. The droid's quiet voice was barely audible above the noise of the men preparing and the air-strike going on outside...

"...we encountered a Yuzzhan Vong blockade, we got here as fast as we were able..."

The Corporate leader threw him a stern glare...

"...we?..."

Achinta nodded slowly and stood aside to reveal Scipio Arien standing behind him...

"...aha..."

(came Vinda's rather ominous response...)

Narrowing his eyes a little, Vinda threw Achinta a Blaster rifle...

"..well... now you are here...make yourself useful...

Vinda turned to face Scipio abruptly...

"...its good to see you safe Miss Arien....if you'll excuse me..."

With a slight bow of his head Vinda excused himself and wandered away muttering something uncomprehensible underneath his breath.

Roonadan




"...FREEZE!..."

Shouted the Captain of a squad of Vinda-Corp troops sweeping the Governmental compound. The command was directed at two darkened figures as they emerged from the smoking shell of the large Compound, where they had previously been held captive.

Coughing through the smoke, Yana's eyes focused on the troops and the Vinda-Corp logo emblazoned upon their tunics, before shouting back...

"...ITS OK!... WE'RE VC!..."

She turned to face the man who was limping beside her painfully, resting his weight against her...

"...This is Miles Johnson!...he needs medical assistance..."

As the Captain and a few of his troops circled closer, he recognised the Vinda-Corp Diplomat , and turned around and shouted to someone behind him...

"...we need a medic over here now!..."

As two troops took hold of Miles to relieve Yana, the Captain looked up towards the CSA inflitrator..

"...what happened here?..."

Yana turned to look over her shoulder, as if only just assessing the scene before her, then turned back to face the man...

"...justice...."






Moments later...


As Roonadan became secured, both Miles and Yana were escorted to a waiting shuttle to be taken back to Bonadan, and as the shuttles engines started up and it began to fly through the planets atmosphere Yana gazed out across the now early morning sky.

The sun broke the clouds, and filtered through the plexi-glass window. Its warm glow casted a deep orange hue over the shuttles passengers, including Miles...

The two seemed seemed to regard each other in silence for a while...

Perhaps Yana was too ashamed to speak...

Perhaps Miles had forgiven her...

Perhaps both were just glad to be alive...


...or perhaps words right at this moment, just didn't matter...

Tslah Vhess watched in fascination as his slaves were halted time and again. He had already personally executed ten underlings of the Intendent Caste bearing news not found to be among the slivers of wisdom found in the annals of the God's.


And those annals?


Counting and recounting of victories!


But where was the news of his victory?


He had gathered his warriors to reinforce the inept performance of the Chazrach slaves.


Of course, the Yun Harla played her games as their bioengineered virus began to mutate to attach itself to the Children of the Gods.

The Leveller had turned its attention to the Yuuzhan Vong and Tslah Vhess was more than ready to meet the challenge of blood the virus had demanded.

Again and again he had thrown his infected warriors at the infidels. A warrior's destiny was not to waste away and as the Leveller took hold, the warriors met their circumstances with all the seriousness and commitment to accepting the pain worthy of any following Yun Yuuzhan's Doctrine.

Not like the wretched enemy who cling to life, gasping for air to fill their dying lungs hoping to cheat the God's demand for sacrifice.


//War Coordinator. The infidels seek to hide their faces from our challenge.//


//The enemy has no where else to flee.// Vhess commented with contempt.


Truly, Yun Yammka smiled on his efforts and as he was about to raise the villip signal to array the approaching reinforcements for the final crushing of the Capricians, the infidel machines appeared overhead.


He quickly shot a hand out over a command villip for the
CorralSkippers.


The machines dropped small objects that tore up the earth as they hit.

The explosions threw up enemy bodies and debris alike as large holes opened in the masses.


//We must scatter, War---//


Tslah Vhess' sharp nails sliced across the younger Yuuzhan Vong's throat before he could utter his cowardice in full.

//Bring your furies!!// the War Coordinator seethed.


For he had come to realize that he would die upon this alien battlefield.


He ignored the small purple spots showing up on his heavily scarred calf muscle.


The gods will require the ultimate sacrifice for this victory.


As is their due..

Inside the Construction Yard….


Seth Vinda looked like a man out of his element. Scipio glanced briefly at her matted hair, her dirty personal armor, sweaty arms, and tired expression. A rifle blaster hung loosely off her shoulder, the barrel showing signs of scoring from repeated firings.

From mostly running back…


The leader of Vinda Corporation was angry and she didn’t blame him. Already his people had bled too much.


We all have.

And for what?

To constantly retreat?


Of course, when fighting a foe of vastly superior numbers you never ever met them head on… not until you were forced too..

But the retreating had taken it’s toll.

She had gotten caught up on the battles, the sacrifices her fellow Capricians made to make their stand.. their last stand from the looks of it.. possible.

The destruction of Antioch, their beloved Capital.

The fall of the major cities all across Capricia’s surface..

The destruction of the Line…

The smashing of Thessonia..

The fall of the Highlands..


How many more defeats could the Capricians face?

Only one more.., Scipio thought cynically.

Her eyes went up to Leantre, the old man who had the mantle of leadership pushed upon him.


It wasn’t supposed to be like this.


Gomorran wasn’t supposed to fall.


So much time wasted.


So many plans brought to nothing..


The aliens had come five years before and had brought them to the edge of defeat until they, quite inexplicably, left.

They were afraid of them.

And if Tyscio Korban was any indication, there was something to fear.

But what she knew not.

She remembered finding Gomorran Kay on the old space station of the Tenloss Crime Syndicate, now the Imperial Syndicate.

He had finally found the remains of his young son, Janus… stolen by thieves from the Memorial.

The Clans had talked him into returning to Capricia to rebuild our society. He was tired of the fighting between the Noble and Minor Houses. All the Clans were.

But we returned.

And so did the invaders.

And now the Clans were dead.

There was no coming back from this destruction.

Whatever remained of after this, Capricia would be different.

That thought scared Scipio more than she let on.

But perhaps, she thought, looking over at Tyscio Korban talking to the woman Jedi Master, perhaps… it will be alright.

Already rumors about the new Caprician were spreading.

She walked back to the Vinda Corp group, feeling strangely at home with them.







*



The outside pounding was coming to an end and the defenders were anxious to see what awaited them on the outside.


Cries from the Medical Wards were unsettling as infection was quarantined.

Strangely enough, the defenders had quite a stock of medical supplies for most wounds the Yuuzhan Vong inflicted were fatal.

All infected by the Leveler of Empires were fated to die.

There was no cure.


*



Aboard the Blaze of Glory…


“Auxilary power has been restored.” The crackle of the communications panel relayed.


Adalric Cronus sat in his command chair silently observing the flashes of light where the Caprician Navy.. or what was left of it.. was battling with the invaders over the remaining shipyard.

Silent and still the Super Star Destroyer lurked amid the debris of wrecked ships, Caprician and invader alike.


“Sir, we have available power to the weapons, shields powering up to 30%, sublight engines at your command.”

“Hyperdrive?”

“Hyperdrive out. We will require repairs of a starbase.”

The irony struck Adalric as funny.

“Can’t leave even if we wanted too, Core?”

“We are fully stocked. We can depart at any time, Commander. We can be in the Outmarches by the end of the week. There is bound to be some shipping outside where we can find the necessary parts. Installation will be problematic but not impossible.”

Cronus sighed. “And everything was supposed to be easy after that annoying woman and her robot left..”

“Tactical analysis.”


“Projections show the odds in the alien’s favor. But the defense strategies seem to be working in reducing those numbers.”

“So it hangs in the balance does it?”

The Core computer of the Super Star Destroyer paused.

“It hangs in the balance.”

“..interesting..” Adalric murmured, turning to the flashes once more.


What if I wait to see who wins? Then I obliterate them and use this ship to conquer the remains?


“..very interesting indeed.”

The once Royal Retainer to House Korban gripped Tyscio by his shoulders, the simulacrum’s strength a match for anything the Caprician could respond to.

"We are lost, Tyscio! The mathematics of war say it! Our fallen shout it! The enemy knows it!"

Hespante’s eyes bored into his charge’s.


"What do you want me to do Hespante?! Just lay down and die?" came an irritated response as the young man threw down his empty weapon and rearmed another.

"There is still time, my Lord. Leave Capricia to it's fate. You've been through too much, have seen too much to fall to this.. this ..barbarian horde!


“To what end, Hespante?! Why?! Tell me, Retainer, what army shall we raise in the future to bring back the Union?!

Hespante, the Union is gone! Nothing will bring it back. Hiding from that fact has not…will not take away the loss…"

The Caprician grabbed the taller retainer and turned him around. "Live or die, Hespante, our fortunes are changed with action! Not hiding… not sleeping away on some forgotten planet as the years..the centuries.. the eons pass you by. Waiting until no one, not even you, know who you are anymore.”

Tyscio Korban’s voice became gentle.

“Our fortunes are changed with action.

So act!"

The Caprician swung a blaster over his shoulder and gave the ancient royal retainer a boyish grin before disappearing through a gaping hole in the structure….out into the fight that was coming..

The bombs had finished falling and Capricians were filing out seeing what they could reclaim of their territories.

"We are not indestructible, Tyscio." The retainer had whispered after the man and then he too gave one last final sigh and followed his Lord into the battle..


…ready also to test his mettle against the fortunes of fate and the ripples of chance.




*


Outside the dust had kicked up large clouds creating a fog that eyes could not penetrate.


“They are out there..” someone mumbled.

Alien voices in the distance could be heard.

The sounds were a mixture of anguished cries, anxious marching, and nervous, fanatic singing.


Light was beginning to break over the horizon but the sun could not be seen. The dusty mist only seemed to get brighter.

On Board the Avatar... Enroute to Capricia



"Outmarches will be reached in five minutes, Sir." the helmsman of the science vessel called as Herridian sat motionless in the command chair mulling over their quest and the mass amounts of data found in the ruins of the old Sith empire.

The things they've seen, the things they had found out unsettling his usual stoic manner.

They had intercepted a rogue transmission indicating the lethal characteristics of the Leveller of Empires.

Why had it not destroyed the Marzullo Empire completely?


The transmission from Itala, if it was Itala Marzullo, the leader of that Sith Nation could be believed, they HAD defeated the virus while retaining enough of their war machines to carry the battle against the Yuuzhan Vong.


But their Empire had already been too smashed for them to recover. Their great war making industries collapsed.

The Sith were not engineers. The Sith were not doctors, academicians, scientists or economists. Those functions were handled by those the Sith dominated.


Herridian's eyes flashed as understanding began to trickle in.

The virus wiped out the slaves and infrastructure of this empire. They retained enough resources to gamble on the conquest of another world to replenish...

Herridian slapped his hand on the side of his chair.

...they must have failed!


"So the virus did destroy them but only indirectly... indirectly!" Herridian whispered to himself knowing that he had found the key.


"A virus like this is only as lethal as it is designed to be."

The Leveller of Empires was designed!

"So why wasn't the death rate 100%?"

"Does... no.. would an engineered virus mutate THAT much?"

He felt the sublight engines of the Avatar engaging as the ship crossed the hyperspacial terminus entering real space within the Outmarches.


"Call up the Sith's data on the enemy." He ordered to the science station.

"Sir?"

"Data on the invaders. I want to see if the Sith had any and I want to know the exact translation of the virus name."


"Aye."


"10 minutes to Caprician System border." another bridge operator called out.


"Sweet Clannus Prime!" came a shocked remark. "Look!"


Herridian's head snapped up to the screen he had largely been ignoring only to see a veritable graveyard of starships, all in thousands of pieces.


"This is bad.." one scientist murmured, almost to himself.


And Herridian suddenly began to think about his son and daughter back on Capricia.

"Please, oh please.. Clannus let them be safe!"

...Flash......


The two children ran through the green pastures without a care in the world. The girl chasing the boy, the boy running after the girl..


childhood friends.



...Flash......


Scipio stepped outside the Construction Yard as a very sharp scent took hold of her sense of smell. The mixture of chemicals inherent to the 'planet buster' bombs was very evident in the wind.


All around a light dust fog covered everything.


The leader to Clan Scipio could barely see two feet in front of her.

The ground was broken, in some places the sand within the topsoil having turned to glass and a very very fine grain which added to the fog.


Nothing but the wind could be heard, the alien chants having been silenced.


But she did not think they would be for long.



...Flash......


The girl and the boy both looked intently at their respective computer screens.

Scipio had him!

She just knew it!

Her computer showed the forces of her opponent surrounded.

Her careful planning had paid off!

Gomorran would rue the day he went up against Scipio in a game of Dikkett.


She entered her final commands as she saw her opponent suddenly realize his predictament.

It won't help you!


Scipio's lips curled in a good imitation of a sadistic smile as her eyes moved up to glance at her opponent.


He looked intent....too intent... and then, his eyebrows rose and lopsided grin of his own appeared.

He began entering his own commands almost carelessly.


The game resumed showing the outcome, inevitable in Scipio's mind.


The flanks moved forward toward the "base", the front position holding.


Until, that is, all of Gomorran's pieces exited the "base" in a straight run at the forward position.

The base itself was built in such a way that the flanks would have to pull back to move around it to come ot the aid of the forward flanks.


So it's a race!

Her flanks would have to breach the walls, enter the compound (now empty) and capture Gomorran's Flag before her front line collapsed leaving her flag exposed.

Scipio's flag was positioned behind the forward line whereas Gomorran's (it seemed) was leaving with all his pieces.


Scipio frowned. That went against all rules of war she had come to learn.

You don't expose the flag!

But there it was, plain as day leaving the compound with the rest of the pieces set against her forward line. If one of her forward line pieces could capture it then she would win.

The idea had merits since her flanking pieces no longer were in a position to capture the flag.

She began to pull them back.

Perhaps she could smash the rear of Gomorran's charge while he was engaged with her front line?


Gomorran's charging pieces shifted positions and he put his strongest pieces up front.


Scipio's eyes widened as she tried to move the ends of the line toward the center to provide a second line of reinforcement.


Gomorran's pieces struck like a sledgehammer to glass and her forward line shattered.


The medium pieces moved forward rolling up split ends as the core of his pieces continued through the line unhindered straight for her flag.

She cried out in alarm, pushing her flanking pieces hard to catch up suddenly slamming against the rear of Gomorran's charge elminating many of his weaker pieces.


It was no good.


Gomorran's pieces moved into position cutting off her flag.


With all the huff of a sore loser she signaled the game's end and her flag fell.


She looked up at him and he grinned.

"I had you.." she murmured angrily.


"When all else fails, jump. And ride the winds of chance. You might be surprised where they lead you."

"Oh, so now you're an insufferable armchair philosopher?"

"I won."

"My rear guard would have diced all your pieces into meat!"


"I won."

Gomorran's grin was insufferable.



...Flash......


She turned seeing everyone that could walk pouring out of the yard, each carrying their odd assortment of weapons (both energy and mechanical).


Vinda Corp people were grim. Hell, they were all grim.




...Flash......



Aboard Gomorran's Flagship - Circa: First Invasion


"Gomorran! Our last fighter wing has been destroyed!" Scipio brushed a lock of her blonde hair out of her eyes as sweat dripped from her forehead.

Damage reports were coming over the computers faster than her eyes could process.

"Fire!" Gomorran shouted, bending over moving a body of another bridge office out of the way of an consol on fire.

"Weapons..off-line!" another officer shouted.


Scipio's eyes watered as she saw a viewscreen of Capricia under bombardment by scores of these alien monsters.


"We are lost." she heard him murmure as the alien fired again at the planet.


Scipio's eyes scanned the consol for any good news.

"Engines still online." she gritted out as the ship shook violently again.

"Run?" he asked behind him, his eyes locked with the horror on the viewscreen.


"Jump!" she said, snapping out the memory, her eyes widening in surprise.

Gomorran turned. "What?"


"Ride the winds of chance..." she said, tears suddenly starting to stream down her cheeks.

Gomorran seemed to stare at nothing and then a ghost of grin appeared.

"I won..."


"ENGINEROOM!" He barked out over the intercom.


"Here, Sir! Barely!"


"Get me ramming speed!" he shouted.


"Aye!"




...Flash......



Alien voices were suddenly heard coming a distance from inside the dusty fog.

Even with the wind, this fog would remain and only the Clannus Prime would know how many of those alien devils burned in the bombs and bombardment.

"So act!"


That's what he had said.


Brave words, Tyscio!


The dirty fog was not clearing nor did it look like it would be soon.


As he turned back, he saw Seth Vinda exiting with his corporate entourage. He also saw quite a few people gathering around him.

He glanced at Hespante's figure towering above the others and the Retainer just shrugged.


The alien shouts in the distance seemed to be going at a regular rhythm now.


"They're organizing.." came Mathias' grunt and Tyscio stared down at the gruff old man they had picked up on the planet Providence.


The alien pitch reached a crescendo and suddenly tappered into a climax that seemed to envelope the wind.


"Charging.." murmured Tyscio.


"They are a ways off... and Clannus knows how uneven the terrain separating us is." Mathias grunted in acknowledgement.


The crowd of Capricians and Vinda Corp employees had grown and Tyscio stepped up on a plot of unearthed rock that set him higher than everyone else.


"Egad!" Mathias mumbled angrily.


So much so that Tyscio grinned. "No, Mathias. Not another speech."


"Thank the makers! You, Homeworld boys are great orators but you need to know when to shut up and just fight!"

Leia suddenly barked out an involuntary laugh causing Tyscio to swing his gaze toward her.

He had remembered in the back of his mind that this woman before him was royalty of sorts.

This dirty, full of grime and sludge yet holding herself as regal as she could ... royalty!

This Jedi Master....


..fighter...


..friend...


Royal pain in the ass...


Her eyes seemed to flash a moment as his mind voiced the thought... as if she knew his thoughts.


And, you know what.. .she probably does..


Tyscio ran a hand through his own dirty hair and looked out at the soldiers, fellow citizens of Capricia... all bearing the appearance of having grown up in the slums of the poorest neighborhood.. never mind some were from Noble Houses.


"No speeches.." he said.


He looked down and held out a hand to Leia. She grasped it firmly and he pulled her up.

Holding her steady on the rock his eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed the direction the shouting aliens were coming from.

"Shall we tempt the winds of fate?" he asked, still looking out.


Leia grunted. "I've fought the odds before and won."


Tsycio slowly turned his head back to her a grin forming on his lips. He pulled out his lightsaber hilt and touched hers, the metal clicking off a noise at the contact.


"Well... " he murmured and drifted off.


"Well what?" she asked impatiently. "We'd bet--"


He had moved in cutting off what she was about to say, his lips touching hers with all the abandon and passion of a person jumping off of the Crystal Falls.


Mathias grinned as her instinctive pushing abruptly stopped.


Laughter was suddenly heard in some quarters as the two people held each other locked in their embrace heedless of the mass of soldiers.


Tyscio pulled away both of them slightly gasping for breath.


"My lady.." he said, bowing dramatically.


She honestly didn't know whether to show indignation or ... or.. something else. She settled for a compromise.

"After what you just attempted, the aliens should be a walk in the park for you."


"And, I'd just as soon attempt it again, Princess." he quipped back.


He ignited his lightsaber, the bright blue glow raised above his head.


"You showed them what they fight for better than any speech would." Mathias said before the soldier's shouts boomed out matching anything the aliens could throw at them.


Tyscio and Leia stepped down and moved in front of the crowd of soldiers, both sabers lit.

The shout died down in fervor of activity as the Capricians seemed to break into smaller groups.


Tyscio's blue saber still was aimed into the sky and when it seemed the anxiety of the moment would suddenly spin out of control, the blade fell down in a foward motion...


....the age old command to spur on action..



"CHARGE!!!"

Scipio glanced at the Caprician Tyscio Korban as he moved up the rock the bombs had dislodged from the earth.


He looked tired.


Heck, they all did but Tyscio seemed to have an air about him of being older than he actually looked.


But one couldn't tell it by his actions.


No, his actions made him seem young.


As if innocence and corruption itself were at war within him.


Scipio remembered Gomorran and wondered what the fallen Regent would do in their situation.


They were hanging on by a thread and they didn't even know it's length.


And then the Caprician kissed the Jedi Master, much to the Jedi Master's surprise and... delight?


The blonde Clan leader smirked as the men and women soldiers of Capricia began to shout words of encouragement... hell, as they began to laugh, cry and kiss each other.


Tyscio's head moved back and the way his hair caught the wind as he looked over back in the general direction of the enemy she saw, at that moment, Gomorran's insufferable grin.


Is it just Caprician men? she wondered sardonically but then laughed at herself...


.. for in her heart, she felt the same way.


She began to push her way through the soldiers moving her small frame around to the Vinda Corp soldiers..


..right up to Seth Vinda and Achinta, his ever faithful bodyguard.


"Come here you big lug.." she growled in mock anger to herself, her petite figure a stark contrast to the solid machine before her.

She stopped a moment to stare at the large man, and coming to a conclusion she mumbled, "What the hell.."

She reached up grabbing Achinta's collars and pulled his head down and gave him the best kiss her parched lips could give... under the circumstances of course, Scipio dear, under the circumstances....


Let him smoke a transistor over that!


She released the rather strong bodyguard her blue eyes grinning at the confused look on the machine.


The blue lightsaber of Tyscio Korban rose straight in the air.


She reached a hand into her battered battlesuit and pulled out a Cigarra. Tossing it to Seth Vinda who at that moment just stood there staring, she quipped, "Imperial Syndicate's Ambassadorial suites were well stocked... unfortunately, I never developed a taste for the things."


The Caprician crowd was raising a war cry of their own.


Taking another look at Achinta, she traced a finger along his angular features tears forming in her eyes.

"Time to ride the winds of chance one more time..."


The shout rang out ....


She hefted her weapon and turned to join the mass charge into the dust fog set against an enemy that was surely charging for them.


..one last time?