Vance landed heavily on the ground in a crouch, his lightsaber flashing and buzzing as he sliced the deadly blade through one of the tanks treads. The vehicle was instantly stopped, unable to continue on any path, let alone try to escape. Standing, Vance reversed his grip on his weapon, as he began running around the side of the tank, stabbing the azure blade deep, before trailing it from front to rear; in his wake, he left a long molten trail of melted metal and armor...

He could even hear the screams from inside, as those who had been on the outer edge of the inside compartment were slashed by the lightsaber as well.

Deactivating the weapon, Vance reached out with his hands. Narrowing his eyes, he concentrated and allowed the force to channel through him, empowering him; and with a groan, the tank shuttered, the sound of ripping metal filling the air. With a clenching of his gloved hands, Vance's hold on the top of the tank tightened, as he willed the roof housing to pull free... and it did so.

Throwing the section of armor away, Vance leapt forward, his lightsaber snap-hissing to life. Landing within the group of tank crew, Vance's blade flashed and hummed, the acrid smell of burnt flesh and ozone filling his nostrils; and within a short few moments, Vance stood within the shell of what was once the enemies largest vehicle, a small smile on his lips.

Shiryou, where are you? Vance called, sending out his presence to attempt to locate the other Sith. We shall join our brothers inside the complex... meet me there. And turning, Vance jumped out of the hollowed out tank, sprinting toward the compound entrance; just as he saw a group of Sith entering through the same passage, courtesy of a lightsaber, he intended to use...

We seem to be pushing them back.

Shiryou felt the Force pressence of his master call out to him and was surprised to find that he was actually rather close. Moving into a sprint himself he slowly caught up to his master, Scythe still in hand.

Nodding once, Shiryou remain quiet until a gaurd got in their way. Leaping foreward, Shiryou moved his Scythe and sliced downward from skull to groin, spliting him nicely in two.

Shiryou grunted.

Pleased that Zarith hadn't been offended by her dragging him along, Dehoir smiled slyly at her chivalrous attendee. Her mind began to wander as they made their way toward the structure ahead of them.

Dehoir stopped her advance as they approached a set of sealed doors blocking their entrance. Looking into Zarith's blue eyes, Dehoir became surprised at his next gesture. As her raised hand received a gentle kiss from Zarith's lips, Dehoir flashed an uncertain smile. Never before had she been treated like anything but a 'thing,' and now here she was….in the presence of a man that treated her as a woman. Most noble.

Her attention moved from her hand to his face once again, and when he finally let her go, she remained focused on his form.

"Allow me to open the doors my lady."

Such a gracious man. Perhaps a partnership would be in order. Licking her lips she finished her thought. A partnership would be very nice indeed.

Zarith swiftly ignited his lightsaber and deftly plunged it into the door, effectively eliminating any opposition on that side. He then moved to the opposite side of the door, and did the same there. The scent of the hunt still thick, Dehoir smiled devilishly at her companion. He was very effective with his weapon....a man with many talents....a man she needed on her side.

Bringing his hands up, he wrenched the door open with the force. He turned to Dehoir. "Ladies first of course."

Dehoir moved closer to Zarith and placed her hand gently into his. With his help, she advanced across the threshold and silently stalked the immediate area. Reaching out with the force, she took note of a number of the enemy within the compound; most of which were in close proximity.

Dehoir made contact with Zarith's mind by touching it gently through the force. She spoke through their link so as not to draw attention. There are five beyond this point, but there are several others lying in wait as well. Perhaps a head-on approach would not be our best alternative. We can't risk one of them getting away and making contact with the orbital frigate. Her mind grew silent as she took in her surroundings. After a moment of quiet contemplation, she looked back to Zarith and offered a slight smile.

Dehoir stood and took the lead. Stealthily she glided into the room and made her way behind one of the five guards. Focusing her vexation on the intruders and their impudence, Dehoir force pushed one guard into another; effectively causing a distraction which allowed her to ignite her lightsaber, and slice her way through their immediate adversaries. Dehoir turned on her heel and looked back to Zarith as the final guard dropped to the floor…lifeless.

After deactivating her lightsaber, Dehoir began to step lightly toward Zarith; at the same time she flashed the dashing gentleman a devious smile, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and advanced onward. She stopped after a few steps, looked over her shoulder and addressed Zarith, “Shall we?”

Leiden finished what was left of the men around her quickly. She took a deep breath to steady herself, and in complete disregard of the blood on her, she took a swift canvasing look around. The area had been dealt with. She caught sight of Master Vance heading inwards, as well as Dehoir and Zarith. Well, time to move on then. She shut down her light saber to save it's energy and trotted after them. She reached the door a while after the other two apprentices and she slowed as she approached it, lightsaber at the ready.

Entering the inner compound quietly, she focused in on her contempt and anger and used it to feel out and see where things were. It seemed that Dehoir and Zarith had taken care of the immediate problems, and were clearing a way inward. Picking up her pace, Leiden followed their trail. Slowing down as she came to a corner, she felt around it with the force before turning. The two apprentices she'd been following were there and Leiden sent a quick, sharp greeting through the force, her blood hungry and fierce state making it a lot simpler than it would have been for her normally.

Her body language had shifted. Leiden had dropped her habit of playing up her petiteness and small build, and as a result, her posture had shifted into that of a comfortable tenseness, her muscles and body ready for what would be thrown at her.

The storm of chaos had come crashing into the compound's defenses like a hurricane only to move on leaving destruction.

The carnage was exquisite but incomplete. Amid the scene of burning wreckage, smoking ruin, hacked limbs and blood-soaked paths there was something else.

Groans. Wimperings. Slight cries of anguish.

Perrin stepped over broken bits of the wall making his way through the debris of flesh, steel and rock towards the nearest sound.


The saber hilt in his hand snapped to life and in the symphony of weeping, cries of pain and anguish, a note became silent.

Then another...

And then another...

Some would call what he was doing 'mercy', but then those fools would display their ignorance of practical necessity.

And so, note by note, the symphony of pain ended as the hum of his lightsaber became more and more pronounced.

He paused for a bit to note the blown insides of one of the apprentices, pulling out a small electronic marker. Piercing the body with it, he continued on leaving it's silent signal.

And then he came upon the last of the living (if you could call them that). A man surrounded by scores of his brethren. A man with and arm and a foot missing. He had dragged himself into the pile of his dead peers talking through gritted teeth glancing in the direction Perrin's fellow Sith had gone. Farther into the compound.

The man had just finished relaying to another location the Sith's numbers and the fact that the Order had successfully destroyed the initial defending force.

The man was going through the types of attack he had seen in the few minutes it had taken to destroy them.

And then the man's voice fell silent, a blade cleanly piercing his skull.

The Sith reached down and picked up the transmitter from the man's intact hand and began to walk towards the inner compound.

Perrin felt his fellow Sith were proceeding quickly but there would be no surprise this time. They would be fighting a determined enemy.

In fact, their determination was so strongly felt through the force that it gave Perrin pause.


Just who were they fighting?

Vance slashed his lightsaber blade through one of the enemies, chopping the man down as he cried out. Flipping his azure blade, the Sith began stalking toward the compound; he had seen other Apprentices entering and felt it was time to join them. The compound grounds were mostly under control, and those left were quickly being hunted down and killed by other Sith Apprentices.

Vance's concern, now, was the communications relay that had been set up. Looking to Shiryou, Vance motioned to the freshly cut lightsaber hole in the wall, where Dehoir, Leiden and Zarith had entered. "We will meet them. I want to capture this communications set up and have it for our own use." Vance said, feeling that instead of destroying the equipment, the Sith could make use of such a prize... they were, after all, without their own communications equipment at the temple.

Stalking across the open compound, Vance stepped through the still sizzling hole; looking around, he sent out his senses, sifting through the tide of battle to locate his Apprentices. They weren't far away. And continuing, Vance moved like a dark shadow through the corridors, following the path of destruction left by those who proceeded him.

Seeing Leiden ahead, Vance smiled as he sent his presence toward her, calling. Come with me, child... we shall unite with our brothers. He thought, planning on reaching Dehoir and Zarith; once they were together, they would then work toward the communications area, where they would deal with this problem and bring an effective end to the ground assault...

Which left the frigate above.

Dehoir, Zarith... I wish to capture the communications equipment, to use it for our own needs. Leiden, Shiryou and myself are coming to join you, clear the way if you have not already.

Shiryou remained deathly silent as he stalked forward in a similar fastion to Master Jas. Silently he moved, his scythe at the ready, in his other hand he held a plasma grenade, which he hoped not to use in such close quarters, but the act of making his enemies beleive he was just crazy enough to do so might work as a wonderful little distraction.

"hnn." he finally breathed out a sound, allowing Master Jas to realize (outside of Force senceing the apprentice) that Shiryou was alive. It was a thoughtful sound, as though he was considering something, and to himself, he thought *I Must get me a lightsaber. They are a multi-function tool from what I have seen, sadly, most people would recognize the weapon as such...still...*

Before either of the other apprentices had a chance to acknowledge her presence, Leiden felt something else. Something more welcome and more familiar. She smiled, her expression returning to it's normal teasing seductiveness. She still hadn't noticed the blood on her clothing, and wouldn't have cared if she had noticed it. Leiden was too caught up in this: in the anger and the heady intoxication that battle and killing presented.

Seeing Leiden ahead, Vance smiled as he sent his presence toward her, calling. Come with me, child... we shall unite with our brothers.

Leiden's lips turned upwards. Sending a quick nod to Dehoir and Zarith, she turned and moved to her Master's side, her confident sway returning. Yes Master. She sent it to him, concentrating hard, her anger and the boiling anticipation she felt making it much easier for her to do so. If she learned how to stay in this state, oh the possibilities. Her shorter height put her quite a bit lower than him, and she looked up at him quietly, awaiting his next directions.

Dehoir, Zarith... I wish to capture the communications equipment, to use it for our own needs. Leiden, Shiryou and myself are coming to join you, clear the way if you have not already.

Leiden smiled again, this time more predatory than normal. Oh good. Time for some more fun. She licked her lips without thinking, her expression relaying her mindset. There was something so stimulating about fighting and killing someone. It was almost like the sparks she felt when she really got into her element with men. Lightsaber in hand, she waited somewhat patiently for her Master to lead off. She was ready for more.

Darth Nihilus began to sense other Sith including the Master Jas inside the compound. He ponder for a second and knew what must be done.

Nihilus searched for the room to cleanse for good. His eyes were searching thoroughly when he saw fluctuations of the Force see what is behind closed doors. The sinister wretched creature of the dark side found the room where he sensed great activity so he made his own entrance by using his lightsaber to cut a hole into the room where the rest of the people who attacked Xa Fel. The blade were cutting through the bulkhead and where it was completed, Nihilus kicked it down with his right foot and throw this lightsaber where it spiral at the enemy and he fell down with the lightsaber in his chest.



The woman next to the fallen comrade put her blaster and pulled the trigger where it fired at the Sith. Nihilus rolled on the floor and grabbing the lightsaber and cut her arm off while her hand was still firing randomly at the floor. The Sith apprentice stood up and grabbed her throat and took her feet off the ground when he pulled her up with the strength of the dark side in his hand, Nihilus looked at the equipment here to his left and saw it had some electronic equipment with a simple land based communications but not going into space.

"What do we have here, miss? You are worthless scum of the galaxy and you and your men came here to Xa Fel to take over the rule that belongs to the Sith that I for one will not let that happen and you should've stayed at home and be a good girl who should now feel the fury of the storm that Sith has brought here today. Should I strangle your life now or see what my leader says when he comes but now I would continue what I am doing now."

Slinking through the passageway of the pre-fab compound, Dehoir opened her mind to the sensations that surrounded her. She quickly picked up on Leiden's presence. Looking over her shoulder, and past her gentlemanly companion, she spotted the petite Sith, offered a slight nod, and continued on.

As she closed in to the end of the corridor, Dehoir focused on the door ahead. She sensed the presence of enemy guards just beyond the threshold, but before she could advance, another, much more familiar, presence made himself known. A relieved, yet enthralled, demeanor washed over Dehoir as she felt the soft, silky brush of her master's mind.

Dehoir, Zarith... I wish to capture the communications equipment, to use it for our own needs. Leiden, Shiryou and myself are coming to join you, clear the way if you have not already.

In preparation for the task before her, and the rest of her brothers, Dehoir closed her eyes briefly, took a deep meditative breath, and opened herself to the anger and animosity that usually filled her very soul. As she opened her eyes, she grasped the hilt of her lightsaber tighter, and sent her intentions to Vance and the others present.

Beyond this doorway a grouping of fifteen guards lie in wait. They are aware of our presence, but they know not our whereabouts. Zarith, I'll need your help in tearing through this door. As we push forward, Master Vance, Leiden, and Shiryou can move in from behind and take care of the strays.

The light played off of her brilliant green eyes as Dehoir glanced at Zarith. She offered him a seductive smile and a slight nod before she turned her attention back to the door ahead.