'I had no idea the Yevethans had any kind of diplomatic relation to the Rogue Jedi Order or Jiren.' Captain Heirel muttered, looking at the holographic display showing the battle outside of the Chimaera II. Another Yevethan craft shuddered violently before winking off the map.

'Admiral Thrawn?' Spoke the Communications officer, a few meters away. 'Three Yevethan vessels are surrendering. The rest seem to be retreating...'

Thrawn nodded to the blue skinned officer, turning back to Heirel--the only human on the bridge. "That's just it, Captain; they don't." Thrawn smiled slightly, red eyes twinkling brilliantly. "We could have selected any planet in this half of the galaxy--any at all. Yet, we selected the capital of the Rogue Jedi Order for a reason; Jiren and his order possess and infamy and notoriety above and beyond most in the galaxy. The destruction of the Sugarcult, the surgical strike on the New Order's Eclipse Star Destroyer... everyone in the galaxy knows his name. Despise him or hate him, Ossus itself stands like a beacon in the galaxy, outshone only perhaps by Naboo or Coruscant--but neither of those was a practical military target."

Heirel nodded. 'I see... so, they flock to this place, although they can't win? Although they have no relation to Jiren?'

"Precisely. Like moths to a flame... Ossus will be the graveyard of billions, and the birthplace of a new Order. Sensors officer, how many Chiss capital vessels remain?"

'Of the nine hundred which came... eight hundred, sir. Twenty four Star Destroyers, including the Chimaera II, and various support craft.'

'Eight hundred?' Echoed Captain Heirel, looking down at Thrawn. 'Where did you... I was told only four hundred were coming to Ossus! The fleet numbers only five hundred vessels!'

"The Rogue Jedi scientists' prodding into the Unknown Regions has not gone unnoticed. Certain groups of the splintered Chiss Empire have joined us." Grand Admiral Thrawn smiled slightly, glancing at the tactical display. He depressed the open channel communications button, speaking quickly. "Corvettes Beta and Gamma, there is a Star Destroyer bearing down on your position. Beta, go to port, Gamma, go to starboard. Press your positions around to aft of the Star Destroyer and fire. Corvette Delta, gain three hundred meters altitude on the Star Destroyer and concentrate fire at it's bridge."

'Beta, acknowledged.'

'Gamma here, orders acknowledged.'

'Delta, yes, sir.'

The three blips representing the corvettes moved in accordance with Thrawn's commands, the Star Destroyer blinking in response to the fire brought to bear on it. Thirty seconds later, the craft's blip turned black, marking it as derelict. Then, it disappeared.

Thrawn chuckled, his eyes glancing toward Imperial drop ships heading towards Ossus. "And it will not just be the Rogue Jedi who fall this day..."

The starstreaks reverted into realspace as the Hapan Fleet entered the system that was once the sole sovreignty of the Rogue Jedi Order. No longer did it remain so, as Thrawn had caused some 'disruption' to the peace of the planet and its protectorate Order.

A total of 400 Hapan Ships entered the system, accounting for half of the Chiss force. Arrayed around the core of 64 Battle Dragons, this Fleet was more than enough to deal with most threats to Hapes.

Only this wasn't a threat to Hapes alone...

"Launch Fighters, charge weapons and sheilds and form up in a Wedge formation, we are going to smash through the Chiss to reach Ossus and lend any support we can."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> We had better not be too late.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"Viceroy!!!!!"

Jian winced as a huge piece of falling bulkhead slammed into him. A few moments later he awoke to see his XO and several other Yevethan soldiers trying to help him up. His arm was in an unusual cast and he couldn't feel the right side of his face.


Like it or not, they had been defeated.

"Give me a full report"

"Our forces have been smashed. And we are rapidly being destroyed...also...several of our ships are surrendering"

"Lock them in tractor beams and tow them out. Signal all forces..."

He sighed heavily, he knew this might happen the instant he saw Spret enter the Council chambers.

"....retreat"

"Understo- wait! we have new contacts entering the system....they have Hapan IFF signals"

Jian cursed.

"All forces, this is Viceory Jian Paret, retreat, I repeat: all forces, full retreat"

He turned to his XO.

"Full speed out of the system. Get me in contact with the lead Hapan vessel"

"Channel open"

As much as he hated it, Jian forced himself to speak basic.

"Hapan ships, I am Viceroy Jian Paret of the Duskhan League, Grand Admiral Thrawn is commanding the Chiss forces. We have just been routed badly. I urge you to get out while you still can"


The Yevethan fleet made for space, with the entire Chiss remnant following.

'Two thousand civilians, sir.'

Gash pondered the figure for a moment. Only a tiny fraction of the total Orilcian population, of course... the Jedi Master shook his head. The Ossan defenders milled about the street where Arrix's fighters had been ambushed, preparing the civilians they'd recovered for transport.

"And the wounded? How ready are they to move?" He asked, nodding to N'iktal as the young man passed by, assisting a male, human member of the populace towards a stretcher.

'It's hard to estimate the wounded, Master Jiren... they're... we're...'

"All wounded. Yes, I understand. Get them as ready as you can; the Chiss will be back, and in far greater number. We must move." Gash said, signalling that no further discussion was warranted, or wanted. The soldier, a young human male, seemed to ignore the signal.

'Sir... some of the other commanders... we...'

"Speak freely, commander."

'...we've checked the city perimeter. It's blocked off, completely, by a line of siege craft and legions of soldiers. They could--'

"I know. It is puzzling, isn't it? Apparently, the perimeter held more effectively then we'd discerned. Or so I assume."

The officer seemed surprised that Jiren knew. 'Then...?'

"I don't know, Commander." Gash closed his eyes for a second, taking a calming breath and seeking out through the Force. "The Force offers no guidance. The Dark Side is rife wherever the Empire goes... something is afoot. The Dark Side is always deceptive."

The soldier looked skeptic. 'Yes, sir.'

"Prepare the soldiers to move. We march in five standard minutes. Bring as much equipment as you can, but civilians take higher priority. What you can't bring, destroy."

'Yes, Admiral.'

The collumn of Ossan soldiers marched out of the street at a haggared, solemn pace. The civilians recovered from the bunker marched behind them, or were carried on stretchers, and anyone who could use an arm carried a weapon--even those civilians. In this, their darkest hour, with nothing left to lose, there was no such thing as non-combat personelle.

They came ten minutes hence, out of a conjoining road to the right at an intersection, running like demons from the smokey, grey blackness of ash which enshrouded Orilcia. What seemed to be a little over a hundred fearsome, skeletal warriors, brandishing inner-wrist claws and blaster weapons made their way into the midst of the Ossans.

Gash shouted to the sea of five thousand gathered Ossans to cease their fire before it began, using the Force to send one rock hurling into the path of a prematurely-fired blaster bolt, intercepting it before it could strike one of the Yevethans. One decorated officer, adorned with more scars on his hard, exoskeleton-like skin than most of the other soldiers, marched towards Gash and Arrix, while the rest of the small army stayed stationed about twenty meters from the Ossan force.

"Look like anyone we know?" Gash whispered to Arrix. The other Rogue Jedi shrugged.

'None that I know.'

'They're Yevethans, sir,' Spoke up a nearby officer, in an equally hushed tone.

"Yevethans?" Gash said, less to anyone than to himself. "Aren't they supposed to be xenophobic on an almost Vong-like scale?"

The commanding Yevethan stopped in front of Gash and Arrix, and spoke in a peculiar dialect. 'Ghra jia majsts Jiren, no unkee la nakka.'

Gash looked puzzled, and glanced about. Of all the thousands surrounding him, he doubted even one knew the dialect of the Yevethans... so few had even encountered the species. Then, one droid--a Cobra Omega-model Battledroid, one of those assigned to OsSec duty, stepped forward.

'I can translate, sir.'

"I thought OsSec had turned on us?" Gash said aloud, again, to no-one in particular. The Yevethan looked confused.

'Many of the... living components,' The droid said with disgust that would have been odd for any droid by the Cobra Omega models, 'Of OsSec have turned their backs on the Rogue Jedi Order. I have been loyal to you, Master Jiren, since I was constructed by D31 on Ziost. I was recently converted to an Omega model, but I retain my loyalty to my Sovereign.'

Gash raised an eyebrow. "Good speech. Now, what was our friend saying?"

The droid glanced at the Yevethan. 'He says that he and the Yevethan soldiers are here to help.'

Gash studied the Yevethan for a moment, the commander returning a stoney glare. "They seem well intentioned enough, and we'll need all the help we can get. Tell him we're marching to a spot a few thousand meters off from the Parliament Palace to acquire a long-range communications system."

The droid did so. The Yevethan responded in his croaking language, and the droid translated, 'He concurs.'

And so, with little more fanfare, the Yevethans and Ossan defenders marched off.

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Ossus<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Whereever Thrawn has been, his flair for victory seems not to have diminished..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


General Kaine watched as the massive machines of the Empire boarded the ramps of the Imperial dropships and military barges.

"Sir!" came a Major running up.

"Advance ground teams report landing area secured."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> The nervous, almost fanatical aura that gripped his crew, his soldiers annoyed the General. Gone these years and merely the holoprojection of him has culled the most devote Imperial to his side.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

And yet, little by little, those doubts were put to rest as something spoke out to Kaine...


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Results!<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> The bloody Chiss was winning!<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

Were he to merely stand back and allow the Empire's most famous of Admiral's work while he, they sat back and merely..watched?


On the heels of Thrawn's breaking of the enemy fleets and orbital defenses, Kaine moved decisively to action.

"Prepare the 256th!"

And so here he was, boarding the Command Detachment to oversee the conquest of Ossus.

Three full legions of soldiers would land within the hour.


..and land they did.


****


The man was shouting something incoherently as he ran toward the Imperials.

It was a sight that would have otherwise proved humorous simply by the utter obsurdity of it all.

Kaine raised a pistol and shot the civilian between his eyes.

"Excellent shot, General."

Kaine merely grunted and held on, as the mobile armoured speeder moved slowly forward, flanked by AT-ST's.

Imperial soldiers had branched out in a five point "star" pattern as individual company routes had the detachment giving off the appearance as a tentacled monster.

Kaine halted, in the forward "tentacle" position, as the Imperials came to a strangely architectured building.

"Jedi.." Kaine whispered in contempt.

"Pull that building down!"

"Sir, scans report that there are.."

"Now, soldier. We are not here to liberate some misguided fools. We are here to destroy that which has sought to destroy us since Yavin."


The man stood a bit straighter and saluted smartly.

"As you command, sir."

The AT-ST's opened fire on the Jedi Temple bringing it down rather quickly. So loud was the crash that it drowned out all screams that might have been heard.

"Destroy all temples you see, Major. These fools will see that their damned religion provides no haven for the weak."



"And if one of these damned fools happens to be a Jedi?" an amused voice came out.

Simon turned to the Inquisitor who accompanied him. "If Palpatine proved anything, it was that Jedi were not indestructable. Trade Federation droids showed him that."

"If the records are to be believed."

"True," Kaine commented.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> So much Imperial history was lost with the fall of Coruscant.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"But I've yet to see anyone outrun, let alone out live those.." The General pointed up and the Inquisitor's eyes followed the direction of his finger.

TIE Fighters and Bombers suddenly screamed overhead.


"An often overlooked fact, is that Imperial Legions come standard with Tactical Combat Wings for air protection/support."


"Your military manuals are of no concern to me." the Inquisitory intoned rather blandly.


"And your arrogance is of no concern to me." Kaine retorted dryly before turning his attention to his force's position.


"Legion's 2 and 3 are located here, on our flanks." he started, as he transmitted data to his company commanders.

"We need to find out how Ossus' military is deployed. Especially with Thrawn hitting their main complexes."

He forwarded more orders.

"Let's see how thinly they are spread."


The Imperial contingent continued onward, moving to the city that served as the planet's main media center.


<!--EZCODE CENTER START--><!--EZCODE CENTER END-->

General Tellien held firm to the handrail as the Tachyon shuddered violently. Again. The ship, making it's way through a brutal slog of a battle, opened fire on a smaller, Corvette-style craft, presumably of Chiss design. It dodged flagrantly, twisting and curving around, just as a second Corvette slashed overtop of it and rushed towards the Tachyon, turbolasers blazing.

Tellien sighed slightly, looking over at his Communications officer as he garnered his attention. "Yes, Commander?"

'General, we have a shuttle coming up on scanners...' Began the officer, unsure. 'It's from the ground.'

Tellien blinked. "The ground? How did anything get out of there... the Imperials have Orilcia locked up."

'I'm not sure, sir. We're reading an incoming transmission.'

"Forward it to my command chair's holoprojector."

'Yes, sir.'

As Tellien swept into his command seat, a small hologram errupted from the arm of the chair. It was a peculiarly handsome, middle aged human... Musaile. "Senator Musaile. This is an unexpected pleasure. How did you manage to escape from Orilcia?"

The hologram grimaced, a gesture Tellien could not help but feel to be false. 'This shuttle is modified with advanced weapons... we barely made it out... got lucky, I suppose.'

"Indeed." Said Tellien, somewhat relieved to see the senator alive. He had no doubt that he'd escaped from Ossus in a less-than-honest fashion, possibly deny transport to others or using innocent craft as cover. But it was better than nothing...

'I'm coming aboard, General. I have important information in my possession about the location of the Imperial troops which have breached the Chiss perimeter around Orilcia.'

Tellien blinked dubiously. "Aren't they all Imperials, Senator?"

'Not necessarily...'

The five thousands soldiers and civilians marched into the clearing fearlessly, blasters raised and ready. On a shouted order from Gash, the sea of men and women lit with a barrage of blasterfire, pouring into the gathered enemy troops around the prefab installation.

It was a town of twenty-foot, prefabricated structures, surrounding a single, tall tower, conspicuously untouched by concussion missile fire.

A transmissions tower.

The 'base', as it were, was surrounded by a legion of well equipped, blue-skinned soldiers, with numerous vehicles (ranging from battle speeders to AT-STs) parked around. More rushed from the shelters as the Ossans came within range.

And with a massive erruption, the heavy blasters mounted around the base in a circular perimeter began to fire on the Ossans.

The clearing, formed by the destruction of several skyscrapers, was about 200 meters in diameter. A large enough area for the Ossans to spread comfortably across to engage the enemy. Gash, Arrix, and the Yevethan commander stood approximately at the midpoint of the small army, Arrix and Gash having already activated their lightsabers to deflect incoming bolts.

Around them, the massive energy blasts of the AT-STs exploded as they met the ground--or Ossan soldiers--spreading smoke, dirt, and chaos.

"Forward!" Gash yelled, amplifying his voice over the din of laserfire with the Force. "Close that distance! Yevethans, get as close as you can!"

"Asgreshj!!!" (Forward)

The Yevetha surged forward, ignoring the blasterfire being poured into their ranks. They were armed with unusual weapons. Yevethan Blasters were a unique weapon, they looked like a standard blaster rifle but instead of red bolts it was a bluish-greenish color. One thing different from Yevethan blasters and regular blasters what that the Yevethan design didn't have a 'STUN' setting. When a Yevethan warrior shot, he shot to kill.


General Agant, commander-in-chief of the Yevethan forces, pulled his blaster and began firing. He watched as his soldiers closed the large space. He grinned at the two Jedi beside him.

"Gregou se noi'cha ka!" (Today is a good day to die)

The Yevetha hit the Chiss defenders full force. Once they came into hand-to-hand combat range they stoped using blasters and began killing the Chiss with their bare hands and wrist-claws.

"Fire!" Gash shouted, spinning his lightsaber around and intercepting a laser blast glancing in from the right. The fragment of energy struck the blue blade, sizzling away and striking a Chiss about a hundred meters off in the chest. The killing had become reflex... almost unimportant. The Ossan line of soldiers had struck the sea of Chiss fighters, errupting in a bloody, close-quarters combat.

Laser blasts ricocheted in the cramped army of soldiers, as Gash and Arrix worked their way forward. A blue-skinned Chiss rushed towards Gash, spraying an accurate beam of blaster bolts--until the Jedi Master calmly sliced the man from neck to armpit, spraying blood from the wound too severe to be cauterized by the lightsaber.

The Yevethans were conducting similarly bloody work on the Chiss armada, rushing along the streets lining the cleared-out pit to flank the blue-skinned warriors. There was no doubt that the Ossans were taking casualties, but Gash was too lost in the battle to care about anything but reaching the communications tower.

Another warrior fell to Gash's blade, just as that subtle warning bell sounded in the back of his Jedi senses... that warning, of danger. Gash ducked, kicking Arrix's feet out from underneath him simultaneously. Taking cover amongst both friend and foe--

Just as a massive disruptor cannon raked the battlefield. The green beam laced with plasma energy sliced across the field in blasts, exploding, sending rock and dirt through the air even as it vaporized both Chiss and Ossan warriors. Corpses with the acrid stench of cauterized flesh fell about the two Jedi. Gash crawled on hands and knees, even as the corpses continued to fall.

"What the frell is that!?" Gash shouted over the screech of the disruptor blast. "Some kind of Exo-suit... but Imperial Rules of Engagement prevent the use of disruptor beams on unarmored targets!"

'I don't think we're dealing with the Empire,' Replied a droid, as he crawled to meet Gash and Arrix. Above them, Chiss soldiers were panicking, avoiding or tripping over the Jedi. The droid fired at them as they passed, dropping one, then another, then another.

"What--" Gash stopped as a disruptor beam passed ten meters to the right, slaughtering troops and exploding. "What makes you say that!?"

'I have observed the way the Darktrooper Suit pilot uses his suit. He does so with more efficiency than any pilot in my records... from what I have seen, he has yet to suffer any form of damage.'

What?! "That's impossible! No one could do that without the Force--" Gash stopped, realizing what he was saying. His eyes opened wide, as he stood.

"Arrix, droid, keep fighting! Organize the troops!" He shouted. "I'll fight the Exo-suit!"

And he leapt off, bounding ten meters in the air and effortlessly gliding over the battle towards his target...

The stiff-postured Chiss officer approached Thrawn slowly, unsure, and certainly nervous. 'Admiral?'

"Yes, Ensign Renoe?" Replied the Chiss, without missing a beat--or even turning around to see the young officer. He continued to stare out the viewport, at the space battle unfolding around them.

'It would seem that your prediction on Jiren's target was correct. He has launched an unorganized assault on the transmitter array, using forces comprised of Ossan defensive forces, renegade OsSec droids, Yevethans, and... civilians.'

"Civilians?" Thrawn repeated, smiling slightly. "I would have thought Jiren would have better... taste."

'Yes, sir. Also, Captain Xex Tirion requested that I tell you that Imperial forces are in position, though I can't say I'm sure why--you've already been given the report on Imperial movements...'

"Yes, Ensign, I know. Tirion is to be commended for his informative nature.'

Renoe raised an eyebrow, unsure if Thrawn was serious or sarcastic. 'Sir?'

"Oh, I am very serious, Ensign Renoe. He's given me an invaluable bit of information. Order Captain Tirion to allow the rebels to have the transmitter array."

Renoe nodded, and exitted the bridge. Captain Heirel, off to Thrawn's left, glanced down at the Chiss Admiral. 'Is that really wise, sir? Jiren will undoubtedly order the Rogue forces to retreat.'

"I am well aware of that, Captain. But one must make careful use of all resources--including psychology, especially in a multifaceted plan such as mine. We have strong contacts within the Rogue Jedi Parliament, who will be useful tools--destroying their fleet will negate their loyalty as a tool, and it will take some time to establish similar political liasons within our other targets. Also, allowing Jiren to contact the Rogue Jedi forces will permit us to see just how loyal to him they are--an important element of their psychology." Thrawn smiled slightly. "And, it will allow me a chance to speak with our esteemed Jedi Master."

'Yes, sir.'

"And, we'd best get to swift work on our plan for the Imperials. Order the Malcontent into atmospheric orbit around Ossus, and to prepare to establish a geocentric lock on Orilcia on command. On a separate channel, contact General Simon Kaine and order him to relocate the vast majority of his troops back to the Ossan Parliament Palace."

'If I may ask, sir, why?'

"Well, obviously, Captain, that will be Jiren's next target. The longer we can hold both the Imperials and the Rogue Jedi there, the better. Killing two birds with one stone."

The elegant and powerful ships of the Hapan Fleet moved quickly and quietly into the wedge formation. In the middle of the wedge were hundreds of troop transports, filled with assault vehicles and soldiers. At the tip of the spear was the 63 Battle Dragons of the Cluster, their twin hulls gleeming powerfully in light from the nearest star. Forming up in packs of 3s and 4s were Nova Class Cruisers. Along all these ships were Lancer Cruisers and Miy'Til fighters, protecting against Chiss star fighters. The fleet formed up, they moved off towards the beleaguered planet and its defenders.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> What are the Chiss doing? They are so out of place to prevent our reaching the planet. Those fleeing Yevethan ships had dragged the Chiss out of position.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"Lieutenant, have a communique sent to Ossus telling them we are here to help."

Turning to his comboard, he noticed the Yevethan message.

"Sorry to crash your party, but were are here to save the planet..."

They were halfway from their jump point and the planet when the Chiss fleet recognised thier presence. The Fleet moved into a swipe formation to take out the Hapans, and the Cluster Fleet turned to meet them. A number of Fighter Squadrons and Lancer Frigates broke off the protect the Hapan transports as they sped towards the planet. The calculations showed no chiss craft could reach them, but it paid to make sure.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Comeon Thrawn, lets dance...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->