"Pull up! Pull up!" came the shout over the comm channels as the Tribune's command center monitored the comm traffic.

Three X-wing fighters flew over the bow of Zier's flagship chasing a corralskipper. The invader fighter was soon reduced to space particles and the trio split up as more enemy ships dove down straight through their formation.

"They keep trying to split the wingman formations of the fighters hoping their superior numbers will overcome.." Tyscio mused to a bridge Lieutenant.

He turned to the weapon monitoring stations. "Keep our banks trained on those two heavies there.." he said pointing to specific coordinates on the flickering holographic projection of the battle.

"Move us in... " he ordered the helm.

The smaller Vinda Corporation ships were drawing the invader support ships away allowing the Caprician ISD's to focus on the enemy battleships.


"Sir! Enemy fighters broke through the skirmish screen to the port! The port!"

"Starfighter countermeasures.. .NOW!" Tyscio shouted and the rapid fire close range batteries began to blanket the approach to the Tribune with laser fire.

Invader warships exploded but not all.


"INCOMING!!"

Two corralskippers closed on the battered ISD and released a line of plasma along the countermeasure battery line sending several computer systems into shock and failure.

"Plug that gap! Plug that gap!" the Lieutenant was shouting as the Captain of the Tribune turned his attention to large battleships.

"At least we halted their advance to the shipyard.." he murmured.


*


Wing 203 (Brek Attack Wing) Ascoria


Jammer closed his S-foils as his ship suddenly broke free with a sudden burst of speed outrunning the incredibly fast corralskippers.


Yanking hard on the yoke, his fighter began to make a wide turn around opting to fly by the Scion.

"Any Wings in the area?" he clicked over his comm as his S-foils opened again slowing his speed substantially.

Literally, hanging in position for a split second, the fighter seemed to be able to adjust his direction and suddenly move down the x-axis taking aim at some enemy fighters flying under the large ISD.


"Wing 123 here.." came a grim response and Jammer saw another carbon-scored X-wing fly up taking a wingman position on his right.

"Lister?"

"Jammer, you're at the wrong ISD..." the pilot known as Lister grunted.

"Tell that to the damned invader that pushed me this far out.." he quipped back matching the slower speed of his wingman.

"As long as the @#%$ is dead.."


Jammer didn't respond as they both concentrated on avoiding an enemy hell bent on offing one of them.

Lister's shot rang true and Jammer thought he could hear the tiny yorik corral pieces strike against the outside of his ship as he flew through the dusty debris.

Their course positioned them facing the side of the flagship.


"Tribune is taking a hell of a beating.."


"Let's see if..--"


And that was when a powerful plasma beam lanced out from one of the invader battleships striking along the hull of the Tribune breaking up the durasteel plating tearing a large crease into the warship.


"Holy @#%$!"


*

"What in the of the drunk Clans was that?" Tyscio rasped out, slowly pulling himself up from the floor, spitting out blood.

He rubbed his eyes and turned to the Lieutenant (acting as his Second) ...or rather, where the Lieutenant was supposed to be.

His Second had been blown clear of that area as the brunt of an exploding computer consol erupted in front of him.

The holographic projection was offline and few people moved on the bridge.

"Status!" he managed to croak despite his dry throat.

"Shields... Shields gone... Main weapon batteries offline.. Oh @#%$.."

Tyscio turned as the failing computer systems registered a proximity warning and saw a corralskipper spinning wildly out of control right for the bridge.

Instinctively (though futile) his hand went for his empty holster where his sidearm was supposed to be.




*

"We're too far!" shouted Lister as their small scanners registered an out of control fighter intent on crashing into their flag's bridge.


"NO!!" Jammer shouted..


*


Tyscio Zier closed his eyes..



*


The explosion from the fighter rattled the plexiglass windows but they held firm.

Tyscio opened his eyes in time to see the particles of the fighter glance off the ship's hull.


"How?" he started to ask but a shadow fell over the plexiglass bridge window and he stared at the Caprician Loronar Strike Cruiser taking up a guard position in relation to the Tribune's bridge.

"The Avatar!!" one of the bridge crew exclaimed and Zier broke out into a tired grin. "Herridian, you old space dog! Damned glad to see you.. "


"Sir! The Avatar is moving off to face the enemy Battleship!"


"What?" Tyscio's smile fell. "They'll be turned to paste! Get me communications!"

"Offline sir!"

"Get them, NOW!"


Zier watched with growing anxiety as the small strike cruiser moved forward closing the gap between them and the rather large alien warship.


"That ship fires it's main gun and it'll go right through the Avatar like paper and strike us dead on.." Zier murmured as damage control crew priorities were being delegated out.

"Herridian.. I hope you know what you're doing.."


"Get me Auxilary Power!!" he ordered.


"It'll be a few minutes, sir.."


"We don't have a few minutes!" he barked back.

On route to Bonadan...

A weary man, Miles lay resting with his eyes closed, head cushioned up closely against the headrest of his seat. The diplomat was in a somewhat disheartening mood; the events that had taken place having a lingering impact on his mind, leaving him less eager to talk.

Seclusion was what the diplomat was yearning, at least for the moment. The events of his journey came to consume Miles' mind and he silently wondered what he was supposed to do with it all. He didn't know whether to forget and move on or dwell on it all. His mind told him that it would be easier to forgive and forget, like it was the right thing to do. The more he thought about forgetting, the more it sounded good to him.

After all, he was going home alive, Yana too; something he was glad for and he was sure Yana felt the same way.

The diplomat was going home, but with a heavy burden; there were still some things that were left unrequited within his mind. His journey hadn't really ended; in truth, it was just beginning…

"Tell me, Tallien, coming against a planet with overwhelming forces proves what?"

The Yuuzhan Vong grinned, his shredded chin sending slivers of pain up and down his face.

"Sensing the failing of your vaunted 'will' already are you?"


"Don't be an ass, invader.... Would you accept a thousand Capricians against two of your warriors as proof of your 'Doctrine's' impotence?"


"You heretics might celebrate it as a victory for your 'will', Xanadal." Tallien pointed out.


"That does not make it true.." the prisoner gasped out as the invader twisted a creature attached to his skin a little more.


"This is what makes you..different, Xanadal. You respect truth over opinion."


"So just how will truth be served if you attack in overwhelming numbers?"


The Master Shaper chuckled. "For that is what this is really all about. The 'truth' of our beliefs."

Tallien walked over to the kneeling Caprician.

"Our warrior caste is not interested in truth for their truth is bound to the will of the God's."

"You are saying you do not believe in that will?"

"It is Doctrine, heretic. By nature, it is truth." The invader paused for a second, "but it is not the children of Yun Yuuzhan who need to be convinced."

"By showing the objective triumph of your Doctrine, you shatter our beliefs through reason by reducing our homage to our will simply a blind faith...


...brilliant."


That the Caprician could truly appreciate Tallien's work gave the invader pause.


"There is a device on your planet. A seed buried in what your people call the 'Well of Souls'. It is the final sacrificial pool to the Gods before our withdrawing from your planet.

This seed, once ignited, will give birth to what we call 'The Leveller of Empires.'

The warrior caste and the War Coordinator believe that this engineered weapon will reduce the population centers of your planet and scatter them."


"But.." Xanadal prompted.

"But the Leveller of Empires has another dimension of encoding written upon it.

If the warrior caste does not take the planet in a certain amount of time, the creatures will mutate and the disease overtake us."


"I don't understand..." the Caprician murmured.


"The truth about our beliefs is not found in overwhelming forces. For Doctrine to be believed, one must witness the living Will of the Gods.

For that, there must be sacrifice, even among the God's Children.

The Gods will answer the question. For me an affirmation and for you, a revelation."


"What happens if we win?" Xanadal asked.


Tallien looked at the Caprician as if surprised the Caprician would still open that up as a possibility.

Herridian breathed a sigh of relief as the Avatar destroyed the out-of-control corralskipper thus saving the bridge of the Tribune.


Which as seen better days, he thought, as his ship moved to provide protection for Tyscio Zier's flagship.


"We're sitting ducks!" someone shouted as the gargantuan invader vessel turned slightly as if bringing all it's guns to point at Herridian's science ship.


"Ducks do not sit.." he murmured as the computer was rattling off technical data.

"Helm, move us closer to that large ship." he ordered and the helmsman swallowed hard as he complied knowing that they were about to be vaporized in the next instant.

Herridian moved his portly body off his command chair and stood as if his very gaze would rip the enemy ship from space.

"Science Lab 3 to Bridge. I've found the information you wanted.."

"Science Lab go ahead.." Herridian ordered walking closer to the view port.

"Marzullo Empire claims to have captured hundreds of the invaders but evidence shows only two."

"Two?"

"Yes, Sir. But that's not the crazy part. It seems that these two were .."

"Infected with the Leveller."

"Yes Sir!" the scientist said, surprised that Herridian could guess it so easily.


"I am beginning to understand these invaders more." he said by way of an explanation that explained nothing. "They are the most objective butchers I've ever heard of.

About the name?"


"Well sir, 'Leveller of Empires' was the Sith rendering and it has caught on in to pretty much encompass different viruses as well.

But other translations have rendered the title as something referring to a 'Decision' (of Gods) or an 'Equalizer' of Empires."


"Leveling the playing field, then."

"Something like that sir.."


"Strip away the facade... strip away the force... strip away our pretenses and all we have is the naked truth." Herridian murmured.

"Sir?"


"How long?"

And the scientist told him.


"So we need to find out if the invaders are infected or not. If not, then we've not seen the worst of the Leveller and it's worst will probably kill us all. If they have started to become infected, then the worst may be behind us as the virus mutates."


The enemy warship looked very big now.


"Move us closer.." he whispered, almost as if in a trance.

His exec opened his mouth to sound a rebuke but then thought better of it. It was not as if the enemy couldn't destroy them now. They had crossed the threshold.


Herridian took a final glance at his watch, trying to figure out spacial distances, rate of fire and the equations of energy through vacuum.

The Yuzzhan Vong ship's main plasma weapon began to glow.

"Send a data burst of our conversation, Comm."

"Aye.."

Tslah Vhess shouted defiance at the dusty air as the sounds of the infidel fighters receded into the distance.

//They thought they could smash us with their abominations!// he shouted.

//War Coordinator! Your arm!// an aide shouted in surprise and Tslah looked down.


His left arm had become badly burned as the ornamental markings all along it were melted away.

//It is a necessary sacrifice..// the War Coordinator merely said as he pulled himself up to survey the damage to his hordes of warriors.

Large gaps were blown into their ranks, each a warrior and Chazrach that couldn't be replaced so easily.

//We must regroup..// he murmured as his sense began to take hold. They'd just survived a rather bad rendition of bombardment from above.... but barely.

The still had some good numbers though the cries of the badly burned were scattered about unseen by the dirty haze.

They were disorganized and confused for the moment... and that is when the shouting of the Capricians was heard.


//My Lord! They come for us!// a voice licking it's lips in anticipation shouted.


Tslah smiled inspite of his injuries and his right hand grasped his amphistaff. //At last they are meeting us in honorable combat as warriors should!//


//ALL WARRIORS ADVANCE!!// He raised his voice, the creature embedded within his neck amplifying his voice.


And the remnants of the Yuuzhan Vong warriors and slaves moved forward into the dusty fog to meet destiny.

Tyscio Korban's voice was hoarse as he ran throught the foggy haze.


He heard the invader's shout and knew that they were coming to meet the Caprician charge.



It ends today!



He saw a dark shape in front of him...



His grip on his lightsaber tightened..


The shadow drew closer in quick, purposeful strides...


Tyscio opened his mouth to shout...


The creature broke out into full view through the haze and Tyscio swung, slicing the creature across the chest.

Another shadow moved in the background..

and then another..


...and another..




The two bodies crashed...

A distant future....



"This was where the last battle was fought.

This was where the Conquest of Capricia was decided."


The Teacher's eyes shifted to the faces of his audience.

"Never in all history has so little been measured by so much. That a single planet.. that a single united people fought tenaciously to the end."


"Did they win?"


The Teacher's eyes grew soft at the question and glanced at the landscape, different and yet familiar at the same time.


The Teacher looked at the child who had asked the question and replied, "Yes and no, son. Yes and no."





"Over there is where the famous "charge" happened, children. Come...let's go see..." the Teacher said, and the tall man was followed by an odd assortment of 20 children each scrambling to get to where the Teacher was heading first.


Old craters filled with grass and flowers littered the landscape as the teacher felt the years wash away and caught the sent of dusty fog in the air.


"A blanket fog of dust covered this whole area, Children." he said, gesturing over the field.


He came to a large rock and stopped, remembering the leaders kissing so long ago. He did not move toward the rock but stepped behind it feeling very much like Tyscio Korban of old.

"His saber rose into the air and when he yelled 'Charge'... the people, as one, moved behind him!"


He pointed to a distant hill..."And the enemy heard that shout and came rushing through the fog to meet the brave Capricians."

His finger began to trace the distant hill.. "You see how the hill circles around? They were the hand wrapping around the Caprician fist and if our brave ancesters could not punch through... the hand would close and they would all be dead.."


"Did they punch through?" a little boy asked.

"Yes... Did they punch through?" came a more adult voice that the Teacher recognized instantly.


"Children," he said proudly, "I would like you to meet Leia Selene Korban." and the children gaped at woman dressed in a white flight jacket, the Commonwealth symbol displayed on her shoulder in red. She had the dark brown hair of her lineage and an aristocratic bearing, thoough the Teacher detected a tinge of a roguish twinkle in her eye and suddenly felt nostalgic.

"You... My mommy says.. you were...were.. on.."

"Indeed," The Teacher supplied further, "You're supposed to be on Bonadan getting married in a week!"


Serene smiled sweetly, though it did not fool the Teacher one bit, "Executor Johnson hid me in his private shuttle."


"What would your fiance think?"


"He may be the boss but Mr. Johnson's just too good a diplomat I say. Besides... I wasn't going to miss the Jubilee."


"I swear, Selene, all the women in your line were as stubborn and independent..." And when the Teacher looked back at her taking his eyes off the children for a moment, he caught the tell-tale signs of his old charge and sighed. "But, Welcome Back.."


Selene hugged the Teacher and leaned against a nearby rock, the children gathering around her. "So... did they punch through, Teacher?" she suddenly asked, her voice full of questioning innocence.

How did it come to this?



Tyscio Korban struck the invader with as much strength as he could splitting the creature-armour across his chest. A strange color bloody shot out of the broken carapace staining both of the warriors.

As the Yuuzhan Vong fell backwards another claimed his place swinging his amphistaff down in a chopping motion.

Ducking and barely missing the swing, Tyscio spun around catching another creature's attack as he attempted to come at him from the side. As he spun, he kicked out causing the warrior who swung the amphistaff to stumble against the momentum of his swing.

A Caprician came crashing into the invader on Tyscio's side, both of them going down and he lost no time in coming back around bringing his saber up pointing it down. In a quick motion he brought both his hands down, the lightsaber blade piercing the warrior's skin grafts severing the arteries to his heart.

The blade flashed a brilliant blue that was distorted somewhat in the dusty fog of war.

His temples began to sweat as he willed himself forward pulling the blade from the body bringing it up once more to strike at another of the oncoming horde.




Is this my lot in life?



And suddenly, he was not on a battlefield on the Capricia of now but on the plains of a Capricia of yesterday.. running with his friends across the crystal lakes of Nestri, his perfect reflection running as fast his legs could carry him.


The sky so blue, the coolness of the wind brushing against his hair.

His father's friend, General "Uncle" Bane had returned and Tyscio was not going to miss it for the galaxy.

He remembered running up to the home of Noble House Korban, nearly sliding across the shimmering tile his mother had created.

"Your Majesty, there is unrest in the Outer Lands..." Bane had said.

"Unrest?" his father stared at Bane as if the man had grown a second head. "There hasn't been unrest in the galaxy for over twelve millenia!"

Tyscio slipped into the room unnoticed and moved to hide under an old table.

He saw the General bow his head in acknowledgement. "Nevertheless, there is unrest, my Prime."


"What sort of unrest?"

"Strange manifestations. Tales of groups of unschooled suddenly challenging the Law."


"If their grievances are legitament, then they have a right to be heard before the Hall of Voices."

"If they were looking for justice, then yes. But they do not want justice, my Prime."

"What do they want?"

"My Lord, in a word. Power."


And that was when his father exploded. Tyscio had never seen his father act in such a manner. "The Union will not stand for personal gain, General! Especially at the expense of it's people!

Take the Sentinels and bring the people justice."


"And the insurgents?"


"Bring them to me..."


And life returned to normal.... at least, for a time.




Tyscio jumped over a falling Caprician shoving his lightsaber into the face of an invader intent on the other Caprician's death.

The surprised scream was silenced as the saber cut the flesh along the neck severing the creature's throat.

His eyes glanced into the haze as he tried to gauge how many enemies there were an from what quarter they would spring from...






"Come Tyscio.." he father beckoned to him as he moved closer to the plexiglass window of the Commonwealth Union of World's honorship, Celestial Wonder.

With a mixture of awe he watched as elements of the ship seemed to appear and disappear, it's curving structure a thing of pure beauty over engineering.

But as amazing as the ship was, Tyscio glanced down at his home planet in all it's splendor, the orbiting crystals shining brightly in the sunlight.

He noticed as one crystal shimmered and then slowly began to glow....the outline of a vessel beginning to appear.

His eyes began to trace the outline, his mind trying to create the image of the intact ship before it appeared...


..and within the minute, the large transport from Elroodia appeared.

"Look father.." he started when suddenly...


..quite inexplicably..



.. the transport exploded....



shattering the crystal into millions of shards..


Black, dagger-like ships suddenly appeared at other crystal points firing small blue pulse weapons which looked harmless enough until they struck something..

Another civilian ship was torn to bits like shredding with just one hit and the fighters began to train their weapons at the planet.

"Cease transport!" his father called, loudly despite the protest of his Retainer Hespante.


The Celestial Wonder remained in Capricia space and began the long task of defending the world against the maddness that seemed to have begun to claim them all...


Why did no one sense the fog? Why did no one see the haze before their futures? The darkness over the ridge?






More and more shadows jumped through the dusty fog and Tyscio turned to meet them but other Capricians were there too. A man and a woman each holding blaster rifles aimed at the shadows, their fingers pressing tightly against the triggers throwing out large pulses of light of their own.

And then light was answered in kind as objects darted out of the haze straight for the man and the woman..

Razorbugs!

The man tried to duck and the creature sliced through his eye while another hit the woman squarely in the neck.

She fell down backwards her hands dropping the blaster instantly.




Brandt!!!!



He had begun to grow up in a Union at war. The enemy was, strangely, themselves. Former citizens, former legislators, respectable men and women... it just made no sense.

The madness began to spread from the Outer Lands and into the Cornerworld Collective.


It was serious business for the Union was built upon the four cornerstone worlds.. foundation worlds that had seen peace longer than history, legend and myth even remembered.

Even the mighty colossal construct Brindheir, residence of the future Clannus Primes, did not boast such age.

And now leading the fight against the Union was their vaunted General Bane. Tyscio didn't understand the concept of betrayal but he knew it's sting.

His only sister had died on Capricia.

"Emergence complete..." the strong voice sounded throughout the ship.


Even with war, the clean technology of the Union kept the people insulated from the rumors.


Tyscio, a teenager looked out into a space with no star.... for it had been covered over centuries ago.


The construct was the diameter of an entire solar system, the outside looking like rock in some places, like steel in others, and water in still others. The imagery was unsettling but one thing was evident, it was not a natural construct.

The ship passed through a large barrier and Tyscio found himself staring at a sun shining brightly down upon the largest living area he ever seen. All existing within a sphere.


"Remarkable isn't it?" his father came up behind him.


"Brindheir.." Tyscio murmured. The seat of power for the Commonwealth Union of Worlds and where the cause of the "madness" must surely be found. The Union's prominent minds lived there.


And indeed a cause was found..


An infestation called the Nephys.


An infestation of energy that would soon become known as the "force".




Am I destined to fight this forever?



"Tyscio we must leave NOW!!" Hespante shouted as people were running everywhere, the black dagger ships of General Bane showering the brilliant Coruscantes sky will blue pulses.


"but.. but.. " Tyscio felt a certain wrongness to his situation as he was hustled into the flyer. "Father.."


"He'll meet us later.." the retainer answered quickly not giving the boy the time to think.


The Second Cornerstone World had fallen... the first, a planet known only as Brayden having been utterly destroyed.



Was there no end to the madness?



Tyscio felt the ground angling upward and he pushed himself to continue until he reached a summit point, several other people at his side as they pushed higher and higher..




Did we overreach our grasp?



"Tyscio...the Royal Family was executed." Hespante sadly said to a stone faced Tyscio as the War Captains of the Union stood nearby. His two older brothers.. his mother... and his father.. the Clannus Prime.

A name made meaningless as the peace that had held for so long had become.

"My Lord?" a Captain said, breaking the silence. "Bane may hold Capricia, but he has not made that his stronghold."


"Where is it?" Tyscio said flatly.


"Here, Sir."


"Then that is where we strike!" he said rather too forcefully.

"Is that wise?" Hespante commented. "Our resources are stretched thin. Brindheir may yet.."

"Brindheir destroyed their transport collection crystals! They feared Bane reaching it and so said, 'Damn the galaxy!'."


Tyscio's eyes were nearing tears as the injustice of his own people's actions struck against his conscious.


"Your reach is overextended..."


"Hespante.. I don't care!"



Hespante was right!



The last remaining forces of the Union clashed against General Bane and Tyscio was captured. The old General was not the same, an element of the force having driven sanity from his mind. He injected Tyscio with midichlorians in an attempt to sway the heir Prime to his cause, Tyscio's fiance looking on (having succumbed to the dark energies the force put out already).


But only for a time..

For she was the one who helped him escape as Hespante drove the remnants of the Union forces into the stronghold destroying Bane's powerbase and ultimately, Bane himself.

Tyscio's fiance died from injuries sustained during his escape and at the end ...


the galaxy was in anarchy...


So onto the sleeping planet he was put.. a world that would eventually be called Almania..


And here I am..using the very instruments of the power that drove the Union and his world to ashes.


The irony was not lost to him as he swung the saber across the skull of a Chazrach warrior sending bone, blood and brain flying.


Throughout the eons, new elements of the force became apparent. Elements not destructive and elements deserving of a chance at life.


He reached the crest of the slight incline and saw that the wind was beginning to separate the haze ....and who should Tyscio see walking through it but the largest Yuuzhan Vong he'd ever seen, one arm seeming immobile, clutching an ornate amphistaff.


The invader's eyes were two deep black pools of hate as Tyscio raised his saber, feeling his strength beginning to ebb.

He'd been fighting all night and now his adrenaline was running down.


The alien pointed his staff at Tsycio and before he could think, the warrior was upon him.

The port began to glow brightly...


"They are going to shoot!" a Lieutenant to Herridian's side exclaimed and the portly leader of Clan Herridan grabbed onto nearby rails.

"This is going to be close!!" he yelled taking one last look at his flickering and overwhelmed battle analysis computer projection.


The massive invader ship filled the entire view screen when quiet suddenly, it lurched hard to port.

"VEER US OFF!! VEER US OFF!!" Herridian suddenly shouted to the helm officer and the alien ship vanished from the screen as the tiny Strike Cruiser moved like it had a purpose.

A stream of plasma shot out at the area the Avatar had just vacated not a moment too soon.

"That was a blind shot!" the scanning officer murmured, looking up. "Why-?"

The tactical screen brought the image of the invader ship up on another monitor and it looked like the mighty ship was going through some large convulsions internally.


"LOOK!" shouted someone and as the Avater swung around they caught the full view of what the invader ship's aft quarter was going through..

Explosions ripped along the yorik corral hull, creating fissures of gasses at odd places.


"THERE!" pointed Herridian and the crew cheered.

Aboard the Blaze of Glory...


"Target the lower engine sections and fire!" spat out Adalric Cronus, disgusted at the alien warship's interest in the little Caprician vessel in front of it.

So interested in it they failed to notice the Super Star Destroyer come out from behind Capricia getting targeting locks all up and down it's dorsal superstructure.

"Missile tubes twenty to forty, wide shot dispersal, fire!" he yelled as he felt the slight vibration of projectiles being launched at the mother of alien warships.

"CORE, I scan the shipyard's location. I want to make damn sure no one bothers it until we are finished."

"COMPLIANCE."

It's a beautiful thing when they just obey rather than question...


And then, as if the mere sight of the Yuuzhan Vong warship annoyed him, "Port banks, target fifty turbolasers at ventral section. Let's gut this fish.."


The arsenal of the SSD pounded away at the enemy ship's carapace until large chunks began breaking away.

"Crack their shell and draw them out with a spoon!" he ordered with relish.

He was in his element.