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_ "You took it all away from me. If only for that, you deserve to die." _

~The Emperor's Hand

"Locke? Y'there, bro?"

The white wolf perked up, paw going to his headset. "Right here, Kajex. What's going on?"

"Imperial shuttles just dropped their load throughout the city," the Sentinel told him, as the sounds of heavy battle filtered in from the background. "They're new troopers of some kind, hard hitters armed with rifles and vibroswords- much more lethal that your standard bucket-heads. I have no idea what we're up against here, but I needed to warn you and the rest of the pack just in case. Where are you right now?"

Locke took in his surroundings quickly, stepping aside as Mica jogged past him with a group of Trianii following her. Since the start of the attack, the Guardian had led Keris and their Padawans through the city's residential district, tracking down survivors and civilians and guiding them to safe zones. "Northern part of the city, we're getting the last of the civilians in this area removed. We've come across two stormtrooper patrols thus far, but the Padawans put up an excellent fight."

"Told you we could take on these Imperial bastards," Kentoh remarked with a tone of satisfaction, guiding another group behind him.

"Well, these new fighters aren't stormtroopers," Kajex warned them. "One of them kicked me square in the midsection and it was like a Wookiee had landed it. Do not let the Padawans engage them."

"Copy that," the Guardian answered. "How many more left, Rex?" he hollered down the street.

Rexxis leaned out from a family-owned shop, blaster pistol in hand as he looked both ways. "Five more civvies, this is the last one on the block!" Taking one last look around he nodded, then waved behind him. A small group Trianii civilians ducked out from behind him and left the shop, keeping their heads down as the rest of Rex's pack followed them towards Locke.

"<There is a safe zone being established at the Trianii Ranger headquarters,>" Locke told them loudly, gesturing for them to keep moving. "<We're going to escort you there, we need all of you to keep close to us until we arrive.>" The group huddled together and stayed near the white wolf as he led them in a jog down the ruined street- at its other end, Keris was waiting, peering around the corner. As the group neared she held her paw up, cautioning them to stop.

"Got half a dozen of those new Imperial soldiers down this way," she muttered softly, lightsaber in hand but not yet active. "Looks like they're going to pass us by, let's wait a moment."

"C'mon, we can take 'em!" So'Rah growled. "Somebody needs to put these fuckers in their place!"

"You're armed with short-range blaster pistols and training lightsabers," Locke pointed out sternly, signaling for everyone to stop and kneel. "Even if we could, it's not worth drawing their attention towards us. We'd be putting civilians in danger by running towards a fight. Their protection is our priority right now."

As they waited in silence, his headset crackled to life. "Guardian Locke, are you there?"

The wolf's heart skipped a beat, his tail stirring happily at the sound of Master Moarn's voice. "Good to hear you, Master," the wolf sighed. "How's the battle upstairs?"

"We've identified the Imperial vessel as the Grim Return, and have confirmed that it is still carrying half it's starfighters in its hangars- the Ranger starfighters are doing what they can, but their armor and weapon systems lack the edge needed to deal sufficient damage to the warship. The Inspired is holding steady, thanks in large part to the Ranger patrols ships."

"And the Republic? What news from them?"

"We're on our own out here," Moarn said heavily. "This is a Jedi-led operation, no Republic support. Another Jedi cruiser is diverting from its original mission and it's fortunately been cleared by the nearest Trianii yu'nar, but it will take them another half-hour to get to us."

Locke sighed, leaning against a wall. "Alright... can you send any more aid down here?"

"I've already gathered a selection of knights and Antarian Rangers, they're about ready to deploy and will make landfall in only a few minutes. But if I can offer my observation?"

The wolf's ears perked up. "What's that?"

"It's just... I'm sensing restraint here," Moarn admitted, sounding troubled. "By now, this Imperial vessel should have deployed its entire complement of landing craft to take control of the city, yet they've made no attempt to overwhelm the surface. At the same time, a Star Destroyed is fully capable of incinerating an entire city in half and hour. I believe Syrra is right- they're only putting enough pressure on us to keep our attention diverted from Knights Simetra's and Garrett's mission."

"It'll be up to them to put a stop to whatever is going on on their end," Locke responded, feeling exhausted. "Keep us updated if they manage to re-establish communications with us again."

"I shall. May the Force be with you, Guardian."

The comm went silent, just as Keris turned to him. "We're clear, hon." She leaned out and gestured to the civilians, her weapon in hand as she led them quickly and down the street through the street, with Rexxis, Mica and the twins following closely. Locke and Kentoh peered down the corner the stormtroopers had just left, making sure the coast was clear before making their move.

They were halfway down the street when a sorrowful, fearful mewl rang out behind them, causing both wolves to stop abruptly and turn. Their eyes widened as a bawling, injured Trianii cub waddled into the open from one of the abandoned shops, her arm bleeding enough that her snow-white pelt was stained crimson. It was Kentoh who moved first, holstering his pistol and sprinting down the street with Force-assisted speed before the Guardian could stop him.

"W-wait, get back here Kentoh!" he barked frantically, taking a few steps forward.

"Where are you going?!" Rexxis snarled from the other side of the street, anxiety on his features.

"It's alright, I've got her!" the Padawan called back, slowing to a stop and kneeling in front of the cub. With a gentle paw he reached out and touched her uninjured shoulder. "It's alright, kitty, you're gonna be safe," he assured her softly, not sure if the child could understand him. Nevertheless, the gentleness of his voice seemed to calm her as she sniffled and looked at him with slightly fearful curiosity. The child's paw reached up, pressing his black wet nose before moving down the length of his muzzle, her pain and fear vanishing as the seconds wore on until there was nothing but a look of hope on her features.

The Padawan smiled despite the dire circumstances. "That's right, boop the nose, memorize the face- I'm just a doggy here to help you. We're gonna get you someplace safe and hook up with your parents," he promised, picking her up in his arms. The child did not struggle, willingly climbing into his embrace and clinging to him as he stood.

He was halfway back when all hell broke loose.

At the other end of the street a tremendous explosion erupted, a massive fireball billowing over a power structure overhead; the shock of the blast was enough that the earth beneath them trembled. It knocked Kentoh off his feet and into a building wall as he tried to regain his balance, while Locke had to brace himself against an inactive speeder to stay upright, alarm coursing through him as he staggered forward. Within moments, shards of flaming metal and composite materials rained down around them, forcing the younger wolf to shield the cub as she chirped with fear.

A volley of blaster bolts halted Locke's attempt to reach them, as a squad of stormtroopers and black-suited soldiers rounded the corner and opened fire on the Guardian. Despite the ambush Locke managed to defend himself in time, his silver-blue pike-blade intercepting and deflecting blasterfire as he backpedaled away. "Kentoh, we have to move now!!!" he yelped.

But the Padawan had already reached the street corner and glanced around, seeing the moving wall of Imperials closing in- his reflexes were the only thing that saved him as they diverted their aim and fired on him, lethal energy exploding against the building corner. "Too many!" he responded, backing away and looking around cover or an escape route. His eyes fell upon an alley on the other side of the street. "Go on ahead, I'll meet up with you at the airfield!" he shouted, pointing to the alleyway and darting between a pair of speeders.

"Where are you going?!" Rexxis shouted as Locke finally reached him. "Kentoh, get back--"

"Let him go!" Locke told him, grabbing his arm and pulling him back- a swarm of bolts flew right where the alpha would have been. "He's safer going that direction than across the street to us," he reasoned, pulling Rexxis with him.

"But—"

"He'll be alright, I promise!" Locke insisted, shoving him ahead of him with the shaft of his pike just as another bolt exploded against the wall above their heads. "But we can't stay here either, we need to move!"

Kentoh's nerves were still tingling even when he managed to duck into the alley, the Trianii cub still in his arms. It was too much to hope that his escape had gone unnoticed, making him worried he would be followed if he did not hurry. But less than ten feet in the wolf swore and slid to a halt, having caught sight of a stone wall blocking the path ahead. The barrier was at least fifteen feet high, smooth and lacking any point of ingress. For a brief moment he considered holding up in the alley, hoping the Imperials would pass them by.

The moment passed, and so did his hopes- two stormtroopers rounded the corner with their weapons up, spotting the wolf and cub at the far end of the alley. "He's right there, shoot him!"

Kentoh groaned, turning to the wall and gripping the cub tight. "Hold on, kiddo!" he growled, bending his legs and concentrating as hard as possible. He sprang upwards in a tremendous, Force-assisted leap, easily clearing the wall as a barrage of bolts burst against the barrier and landing on the other side with a loud gasp. His legs gave way a moment later and he fell backwards against the wall, heart racing madly as he took a moment to attempt understand what had just happened.

The cub in his arms starred at him in awe, chirruping in amazement. Kentoh found himself chuckling as he panted. "Heh... yeah, I didn't think I could do it either," he replied. The laughing stopped short as he heard voices on the other side of the wall.

"We need to go after him, he's on the other--"

"Don't bother, it's just one Jedi and a cub. We have to follow the two traitors and take them out," the other argued back. "Mission's not done yet, let's stay on course."

The wolf let out a sigh of relief as he listened to their footsteps retreating the other way, getting back up to his feet and smiling at the cub. "Guess my luck hasn't run out yet," he sighed, recognizing how close he'd come to dying again.

"I wouldn't bet on it, you son of a bitch."

It was not just the source of the voice that caused the wolf to jump, but the tone in which it had been said. There was no mistaking the hatred in her words, even with her face completely hidden behind her featureless helmet; though the blaster pistol in her right hand was a fairly big hint all the same. Cold fear and confusion flowed through Kentoh as stepped back, until the wall behind him prevented any further retreat. With no hesitation he set the Trianii cub down and stood in front of her, glaring at the trooper defiantly as he held his paws up.

"She's hurt," Kentoh told her. "I need to get her somewhere safe. You let me go and I won't get in your way."

"I'm not here for the cub," the trooper replied quietly, her tone dripping with lethal venom. "I have no desire to kill an innocent civilian. You, on the other hand, are far from innocent."

"What did I do?" Kentoh asked, confused. "Look, there's no need to kill anybody here!"

The soldier spoke, but in a language Kentoh did not recognize. He stared at her with a frown, confused- until the cub behind him ducked to the side and hid behind a waste bin, shivering as she kept her head covered. The wolf glanced at the frightened cub, realizing the soldier had spoken in the Trianii language.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked.

"I don't want her getting stuck in the crossfire," she replied, squeezing the trigger.

It was the only defense he possessed, his paw becoming a blur as it snatched the hilt off his hip and activated the weapon, revealing a bright blue blade which caught the bolt and reflected it away, splashing against the wall to his left. He yelped as she fired again, twisting around and smacking another two bolts away, leaning to dodge a fourth. But to the young wolf's surprise his defense seemed to come naturally, his smooth movements guiding his blade through the air, blocking every shot that threatened him- it was no more difficult than blocking the less-lethal bolts of Kajex's training remotes, though he did not need to be reminded that a single mistake would likely be his last.

Yet after a few seconds he found himself approaching, causing the soldier to back up nervously until he was nearly ten feet away. She aimed carefully for his head, squeezing off another shot; he deflected the projectile yet again, but this one zipped right back to her weapon, exploding against the barrel and causing her to drop the ruined weapon as she backpedaled away.

The wolf panted, keeping his weapon up. "Look... just walk away, lady. I don't know why you're out for blood, but I am far from worth anybody's time, believe me."

"Don't sell yourself short, you're absolutely worth the effort I'm taking to kill you," the female snapped back, drawing a black and silver hilt from her belt. "I've trained months for this moment after dreaming of it for years, you bastard. If you wanna do it with lightsabers, I'll fucking do it- it'll be a pleasure to be able to kill you slowly."

Kentoh's eyes widened as a blood-red lightshaft erupted from the hilt. "I don't even understand what the fuck you're talking about, lady! Why are you so bent on wanting to kill me?!"

"Die, dog!" she snarled with a lunge.

The wolf backpedaled away with a yelp as her first swing went wide, carving a red-hot line into the wall. It was enough of a reminder that he was not being forced into an impromptu spar with a trainee using a low-powered lightsaber. Trying very hard to remember what he had learned in the sparring sessions with Kajex, he defended himself, blocking the soldier's blade with his own. She struck with a frightening amount of physical strength, his arms buckling beneath the fierce assault, forcing him to back up- though she was clearly not as skilled in lightsaber combat as he was, she was unexpectedly just as strong and far more ready to kill.

His back hit the wall against and she lunged, thrusting her weapon towards him; he twisted and struck her blade away, burying it into the wall until the hilt itself became lodged in the carved out hole. With the weapon stuck he kicked her arm, her weapon clattering away, inactive, and leaving her open to attack; but as he brought his blue blade down she grabbed his weapon and stopped him short, rearing back and headbutting him hard.

The wolf yelped as the blow cracked against his muzzle, staggering away and falling to his back completely weaponless- she'd torn the weapon from his grip. His eyes widened as she approached, and in a fit of desperation he reached out into the environment, using the Force to throw things in her path. In moments the air was filled with wastebin lids, empty boxes and other refuge, forcing her to cover her head as she charged in. By the time she reached him he was on his feet; but he was well within her range at that point, scoring a direct hit as she stabbed his weapon into his chest.

Kentoh yelped as the point dug hard into his robes, burning a hole into the fabric and singing the now exposed chestfur beneath- but it failed to penetrate any deeper. He jumped back, rubbing the spot with a painful hiss.

"Ow! ... Mother... fucker that hurts!"

The soldier froze, staring at him for a few moments before lunging in again with an angry snarl, bringing the blade down over his head. He yelped again as the blade smacked hard against his skull, staggering into the wall.

"Gah OW! Okay, seriously- ow!- fucking knock it off!" he yelled while covering his head, but his words went unheeded as the soldier started beating him repeatedly with the relatively harmless, yet surprisingly painful blue light rod, crying out each time she battered him with it.

"What - the fuck - is wrong - with this thing!?" she shouted angrily, now really laying into the wolf as he covered his face with his arms. "Why isn't this piece of shit cutting you into pieces!?"

"Stop, stop- OW STOP -- for fuck's sake, stoppit! It's a training saber, you crazy bitch!" Kentoh shouted back, pushing her away and glaring at her. "It's designed for sparring without the risk of dismemberment!"

"Why are you carrying around a non-lethal lightpole instead of an actual lightsaber?" she fumed, turning the device off and throwing it away- Kentoh reached out for it and summoned it back into his paw, still panting and regarding her angrily.

"Because unlike some people I don't want to kill anybody!" he snapped, unable to fathom what this soldier's issue with him was. "And at least it kept me defended from your crazy a-- NO!"

She had attempted to lunge to the side, having spotted her own lightsaber and making a dive for it- at the same moment he dove with her, both of them hitting the pavement as their paws clasped around the silver hilt. Kentoh yelped and twisted the weapon around as the blade sprang from the end, nearly cutting his ear off; the soldier was not as lucky, the lethal shaft of red light grazing against her arm and cutting a shallow, cauterized gash through the armor, making her scream in pain. Sensing an opening the wolf pushed her off with his feet, grunting as he landed a solid kick against her helmet and sending her sprawling on her stomach, the headgear rolling away.

With the weapon now relinquished he rolled back up into a standing position, holding the Sith weapon at the ready and breathing hard as the figure stirred and got to her knees weakly. The wolf paused as she gripped her wound with a shiver, turning to face him. The moment he saw her face, time seemed to slow to a crawl and his breath seemed to leave him altogether.

He had learned enough in his accelerated education to identify her as a Lepi, from her long smooth ears and twitching, light-blue nose; yet the difference in species did nothing to alter his perception of her. The lapine soldier's dark steel-blue fur seemed to displace his anger, soothing it; what flowing locks of dark sapphire hair that escaped the hair bun between her ears seemed to cascade before her face like flowing water in midnight; yet as dark as they were, those locks could not douse the brilliant, fire-red eyes that met his, a light borne from life and emotion burning behind her irides like sunlight caught in a pair of rubies. Even as he identified the hatred and anger within them, he could not bring himself to feel the same way- not in the presence of someone he found so... alluring.

In that moment, he had forgotten she was trying to kill him. Yet when the moment passed and he remembered, he found himself unable to care. He lowered the Sith weapon and deactivated it, stepping forward and offering his paw. "Are you alright?" he said quietly, regarding her with genuine concern; whatever else he felt about this enemy, injuring her with the energy blade hadn't been intentional.

She backed away all the same, glaring daggers at him. "What are you waiting for, asshole?" she hissed, her voice full of venom. "You got me... just fucking finish it already!"

"N-no, I already said I didn't want to hurt you," he replied soothingly, clipping her weapon to his belt and holding his other paw up in reassurance. "You're hurt, that's bad enough. If you let me, I can--"

But she'd backed away, her glare turning into a frown as she seemed to realize she was not in danger, and that he had no intention of finishing her off. "Why are you... staring at me like that?" she asked.

Kentoh blinked. "Huh?"

"You're staring at me like a teen that just opened a porn file on the holonet!" she snapped. "What the fuck are you-- hey! Stop blushing like that, you spoony barve!"

Awkwardness set in as the wolf Padawan realized his cheeks were burning hot. "I, uh... look, I just want to help, that's all," he replied, trying to reestablish control of the situation, holding his paw out again- only to yelp in pain as she lashed out and smacked his paw away.

"The last time I remember you 'helping' people, someone I loved ended up getting killed!" she snarled, balling her fists. "Go on, asshole- take a good look at my face! Does it look familiar to you at all?!"

Another emotion seemed to seep into her eyes, and it could not be plainer to the wolf that he was looking at someone in pain. He could clearly remember his death, the pain of being cut in half with a lightsaber, yet the injury she had sustained was not the source of her agony. It dawned on him with a pang of pity, that he had only ever seen the look in her eyes in one other person- Rexxis, when the older wolf would not accept Kentoh's resurrection, still grieving over his brother's death.

But he could offer no answer to her, or at least none that he felt would defuse the situation. "Look, I don't know who you think I am, but I don't remember meeting you," he told her. "This is my second time on another planet since--"

"I knew it!" she yelled, getting back to her feet and shoving him back. Confused guilt overcame the wolf as he saw tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "You forgot all about me, and him!"

"But I've never even—"

"Shut up!" Ignoring her injury she rushed in and swung for his head. He only barely blocked the blow, his arm throbbing with pain as she struck harder that he would have expected from her. With the momentum back on her side she closed in with a powerful and overwhelming martial arts style that kept the wolf on the back foot, as he weathered a storm of fists and feet.

But Kajex had taught him enough hand-to-hand combat to identify the fighting style he was currently facing; and before she could breach his defenses he drew on what limited education in Teräs Käsi the Sentinel had parted with. She leapt and brought her leg around, intent on crushing his skull with the heel of her boot; he ducked the foot and swung in return, missing her jaw as she landed. With the distance closed she jumped in and sunk her knee into the wolf's unprotected gut, his eyes going wide as the blow left him winded. Yet despite the horrible pain in his midsection he managed to stagger back, dropping to one knee as she approached. Her left paw grabbed his hair and yanked it back; her right paw formed into a fist as she eyed his throat, prepared to crush it in a single blow.

In a burst of desperation he flung his paw out and lashed back with the Force, throwing the Lepi away from him and sending her crashing hard into the wall as she let out a pained squeak. She slid the rest of the way and landed upright with her head drooped forward, completely limp and umoving.

Kentoh did not dare move for a few moments, a mix of relief and fear overtaking him. That she was no longer assaulting him was good, but as she lay still at the base of the wall he worried he had hurt her too much, perhaps broke her neck on accident. But as the seconds ticked by his ears picked up the sound of battle in the distance, bringing him back to the present- there was a conflict in progress, and he and the Trianii cub were still in danger.

He glanced to the wastebins nearby, relieved to see the cub had not moved. In fact she seemed to be regarding the wolf with awe, her eyes lighting up as he finally decided to move and approach her. Without even needing to prompt her the cub waddled up to him, allowing him to pick her up. He started to move away, carrying the cub with him, when a voice caught his attention.

"Why...?"

He looked back, the Lepi's eyes hidden behind her dark sapphire bangs- but he could see the tears streaking down her face, the trembling as she took in stuttered breaths. Against all reason, the wolf felt an incredible amount of guilt as he sadly regarded the lapine soldier.

"What do you mean?" he asked softly.

"Why didn't you come back?" She whispered, an aching tone of loss in her quiet voice. "Why don't you remember?"

"I wish I could tell you that I know who you're talking about. I don't," Kentoh answered with a guilty whine. "But for what it's worth... I'm sorry for your loss. I know what it's like to lose loved ones, too."

She raised her tear-stained face, a weak anger in her eyes- but now there was a glint of curiosity behind them. "I don't believe you. Who, in your life as a fucking emotionless Jedi, have you lost?"

The wolf stared back. "Two brothers, one sister. They may not have been my blood, but they were still my family. And I dunno where you get the idea that a Jedi is 'emotionless,' but believe me... we hurt inside." He looked away, swallowing. "I hope you find peace and comfort, instead of hurting for the rest of your life. Till then... may the Force be with you."

With the barest hint of hesitance, he began jogging away, the Lepi's blurry gaze following him until he disappeared around the corner.

Master Moarn's hard gaze seemed to penetrate the holodisplay before him; a city of blue constructs, red patches littered throughout its range. In one corner of the northern district, a yellow blip had appeared. "They've managed to shut down the city's energy grid," he said grimly. "Sinth Pakka, are you still there?"

"Still here," the Trianii commander groaned on the other side. "Headquarters runs off a separate generator and the city's surveillance grid utilizes geothermal taps. But now evac vaults are going to be locked down- our people are trapped."

"That may be to our advantage, Commander. They'll be safe for now," Moarn reasoned, moving around the table and staring at the air battle outside- a TIE fighter zipped past with a strafing run, barely denting the Inspired's shields. "We'll be able to cut them out of their vaults later. Lode Squadron just reported that our support shuttle broke past the Imperial fighter screen- you'll have Antarian Rangers and Jedi on the ground in less than a minute."

"I see them on the scanners already," the Trianii said with a relieved sigh, "you have our deepest thanks for your support. Now our largest problem are the Imperial shuttles themselves. They're too well-equipped for our Rangers to get close, can your fighters take them out?"

Moarn quickly changed comm frequencies. "Lode Squadron, our Trianii allies need breathing room- can you divert any ships towards taking out those Imperial shuttles?"

"Sorry Master," the Nediji commander answered quickly, "but we've got out hands full as it is- the Grim Return just launched its Assault Gunboats and we're down two pilots already. Both my boys made it to the surface safe after their wings were clipped, they're gonna head to Trianii base; but that's about as much help as we can give right now."

"Focus on those gunboats and keep them away from the Inspired- we can't afford to be taken out of the fight." He switched back to Pakka. "Keep your men clear of those landing craft for now, Commander," the Consular advised. "We're not losing this fight, but it's taking considerable amounts of resources to keep the Remnant at bay up here. I'll try to divert Kajex or Talrik to one of them, if possible."

A rapid pinging sounded on one of the occupied consoles, one of the harried bridge hands running to it immediately- his face brightened and he looked up to Master Moarn. "New transmission incoming- it's Ranger Hermes!"

The Trandoshan perked up at that. "Put him through!"

A hiss of static burst through their headsets, but behind the din a muffled yet distinct voice could be heard. "I got through to them!" the voice said. "Master Moarn, can you hear this transmission? We tried hailing the Gold Rush but nobody has answered yet; we weren't expecting you to pick up our transmission, we thought you were outside the system!"

"You're coming in quite clear, Ranger, thank the Force you are still with us. Our presence was required on this planet, I'm afraid the Imperial Remnant has launched an attack on the city. We are currently engaging as we speak. You were assigned to Knights Garrett and Simetra, are they still with you?"

"I'm sorry, but that's a negative, sir," the Ranger answered apologetically. "We found Trianii survivors earlier this morning and discovered the outposts were being attacked by battle hydras- one of them attacked while we were investigating and both Knights ordered me to return to our ship with the survivors."

"Why did you not contact the Gold Rush sooner?" Moarn demanded to know, frowning. "And where are our Knights now?"

"They took the remaining Antarian Rangers and Sinth Roc'nir ahead and locate the source of a comm jammer. They suspect Sith involvement, and if the settlement is under attack..."

"We already suspected this assault on Navio City was a diversion- it will be up to Simetra and Garrett to put a stop to the Remnant's plans. Maintain your orders to guide the survivors back to your shuttle, but do not attempt to approach Navio City. Keep your ship's signal booster powered up, I suspect our Knights will see fit to knock their jammer out of commission first," Moarn reasoned.

"Yes, Master Moarn. Ranger Hermes, out."

The Jedi Master remained silent for a few moments after, centering himself in the midst of the chaos. It was hard to ignore the death and destruction in both the streets and in the air, even for an experienced Jedi as he- in many unsettling ways, it reminded him of the Clone Wars. Yet if anything, these desperate circumstances seemed to bolster his determination rather than sap it. When he opened his eyes, it was to the worried look of one of the bridge officers.

"Are you alright, sir?"

Moarn nodded. "Just taking a moment to remain calm. We serve nobody if we give into fear. Report."

"Shields holding at seventy-three percent, Ranger air force down by thirty percent," he informed him. "The Grim Return is not backing down. We'll need a miracle to push them back."

A siren went off at another console, quickly intercepted by a female bridge officer. "Three light capital ships coming out of hyperspace, ten klicks away and approaching fast!"

"Design?" Moarn asked, running to her quickly.

"Corellian CR90s," she answered. "Imperials...?"

But a hailing ping prevented any further speculation, and Moarn brightened as all three corvettes took position around the Inspired and started to open fire on nearby TIE fighters, their turbolasers smashing the frail fighters apart. With a smile on his snout he triggered the comm. "This is Jedi Master Moarn of the Jedi dreadnaught Inspired- identify yourselves."

A strong, confident purring voice answered. "This is Captain Olraa of Ekibo's Light, in the service of Baarok Pharmaceuticals. We're here to offer aid, Master Moarn- linking up to your combat grid now."

"Your help is very much appreciated," Moarn replied, unable to help but smile back to the bridge officers. "It would appear the Force has delivered a miracle to us."

"It's a nice sight to see," Miles agreed, "but our work's still not done, boss."

Kajex kept his eyes on the three Corellian Corvettes a little longer, his smile fading- but not entirely. "Yeah, true enough," he conceded, returning his attention to the street battle in front of them. "At least now we have a little more breathing room. <Keep up the fire, everybody- they're tough, but you've got 'em running!>"

It was true enough- as hard as these troopers were hitting, and as steadfast as they remained even after taking a beating, the Trianii Rangers being led by Kajex and Miles were capable of hitting back just as hard. The drive to protect their home caused even the most injured among them (a female cadet who had lost an arm and was now wielding her blade with two fingers on her remaining paw missing) to remain standing and ready to jump into the fray again. All of them exuded a grim determination to see the battle to its conclusion, to remain free and drive away the invaders, ready to give their lives- and equally ready to use their enemies' weapons against them, most of them having gathered blaster rifles and vibroswords from the fallen. Even Miles had followed suit, now equipped with a heavy blaster cannon. It almost convinced Kajex he would not need to utilize his battle meditation to keep their momentum going.

But he used it all the same, the Jedi illusion bolstering the Trianii even further. The promise of victory, the trust within their ranks and their personal morale in the face of the spreading fire, continued to soar as if those very fires were producing updrafts. Their precision sharpened, their strength redoubled; and despite repeated attempts to counter the defense the new Imperial soldiers were forced into a slow retreat, back toward their landing vessels. Unified in their pushback, Kajex sensed the singular goal of retaliation among them all, ready to charge into death itself if that was what it took to eradicate the invaders.

But despite the bold Trianii advance, Kajex recognized the danger in getting too close, waving at the column of troops as they spotted one of the ships hovering at the other end of an alley. "<Get to cover!>" he barked, and within moments the two squads following him ducked behind any sturdy refuge from the Imperial fire, just as they started firing back again. He and Miles were the last to get into cover, the former deflecting stray bolts as he backed behind a duracrete building pillar, while the latter squeezed a few more bolts into the retreating line. They made it just in time, as the Sentinel-class shuttle brought its guns to bear and pelted their position with no fewer than eight cannons; three turrets from either side of the ship's inner wings, and two manned repeater cannons sticking out from each deployment vent.

"<Why have we stopped, Jedi Kajex?>" one of the Trianii hissed angrily, her gaze directed at the quickly re-established Imperial firing line.

"<Those landing shuttles are generally designed for troop deployment,>" he quickly explained, deactivating his blades. "<But they're also lethal combat support vehicles. We're not safe here if they decide to use their missiles on our position.>"

"<Then take it out!>"

"<How?>" the wolf shot back with a frown. "<Unless someone brought an ion missile launcher, that thing is here to stay. You're not going to take it down even with a lucky shot from a slugthrower.>" He leaned against the pillar, sighing as he tried to formulate a strategy quickly.

"<Do we really have nothing to set against those vessels?>" another Ranger asked.

The wolf considered the question briefly. "<My lightsaber, I guess?>" He thought it over a few moments more, a daring idea forming in his head. "<Alright, stay here for now- if you see the shuttle deploying its launchers from beneath, break cover and get out of range. Otherwise... you'll know when to move,>" he informed them, tapping Miles on the shoulder and gesturing him to follow.

The Miraluka nodded, taking a moment to offer his heavy weapon to a Ranger in exchange for a lighter and better-balanced rifle before trailing the Jedi Sentinel, as the wolf made a beeline for a nearby alleyway. "What's the plan, boss?" the ex-Imperial soldier asked.

"We need to bloody their noses somehow," Kajex suggested as they reached the alleyway, pointing up to an escape catwalk; with slight mental focus he Force-pulled the ladder down to their level. "I figure taking out one of their shuttles is a good start, and it'll be a morale booster."

"You said we didn't have the weapons to take them out," Miles countered as he followed the wolf up the ladder, keeping close as they started scaling the catwalk. "Look, you might think you have the best Imperial stormtrooper ever trained at your back, and you're right; but whatever you're planning I don't think just the two of us are going to be enough."

"It'll be enough," Kajex replied uneasily, as they reached the rooftop, the wolf pausing for a moment to peek carefully over it. "As long as I can pull it off," he added, vaulting the lip of the rooftop and jogging ahead, Miles following a few moments later.

Multiple metal vents, air-filtration grills and climatization units dotted the roof, obscuring them from view as they quickly and quietly made their way to the other end. Once they were close enough Kajex took cover behind a metal vent, peering around the side for a brief moment- at least until Miles tugged him back with a frown on his face, bopping his snout with a finger.

"Hey, use your brain you dumb barve," the Miraluka chided him. "No sense peeking and risking attention to us when you've got me around, right? If you need to see something safely, use the Force to see it."

The wolf chuckled and nodded. "Good point. Alright, how many are on board?"

Miles paused as he peered past their cover, his brow creasing a few moments later. "Two pilots, three interior gunners, two side-gunners, and two Sith," Miles said grimly. "It's Thresher."

"Aw man, that guy?" the Kanj'Isha whined. "Should've figured that asshole had a part to play in this. Okay, the plan is still the same, but I'm gonna need your help."

"I'd be glad to help once you tell me what the hell it is you're planning to do," Miles grunted, leaning against the vent and watching as the wolf stretched out his paws, facing the palms together about a foot apart. The soldier jumped as several sparks of electricity jolted from the Sentinel's fingertips, arcing together along his digits before dissipating. "Wait, you can use Sith lightning?"

"No," Kajex said quietly, a look of intense concentration on his features. "This isn't dark-side generated. Bran helped me develop it to bolster my skill in mechu-deru, just in case I'd have to deal with droids. I accidentally pulled it off once on Ekibo before he died, it's the reason why the Gold Rush has an auto-repair system that covers ion damage." He paused, grunting as another few sparks shot between his palms, this brief storm more intense- enough so that the scent of ozone wafted through the air.

"Talrik mentioned you disabled a droid bare-handed, with the Force," Miles intoned quietly, watching the arcs of electricity raise hairs on the back of Kajex's paws. "You're doing the same thing?"

"Kinda!" Kajex grunted, straining from the effort. "Now shaddup, this part gets hard!" With a determined growl the wolf glared at the space between his paws, his eyes glazed over from intense focus as a bright sphere of light formed in the middle. Golden-yellow bolts of ionized energy coursed along Kajex's paw-pads, leaving no visible harm; he grunted and one of the bolts lanced out, zapping a nearby vent strut and scorching the durasteel before he could regain control. But moments later he gasped, eyes widening as the sphere coalesced finally, the wolf laughing excitedly as he held it between his paws.

"Ha! Fuckin' got it this time!" The wolf's face was alight with joy.

"What is that?" Miles asked, staring at the sphere in awe- in his vision it was a burst of golden, positive Force energy; completely non-lethal but potent all the same. Yet Kajex seemed to be handling the orb almost as if it were a physical ball instead of a swirling energy current.

"It's a kinetite- an ionized kinetite," the Sentinel corrected himself, grinning at the soldier. "I could just try zapping the shuttle from here, but it'd take time to sap it- better to make it concussive to penetrate and then overload the shielding outright and knock it out of the sky. Only problem is that it'll go off if it nicks anything metallic or energy-based, so I'm gonna need a clear shot."

"Then you're not going to have much time," Miles warned, turning his gaze back to the landing craft. "Thresher hasn't noticed, but he will soon. I'll take out the mounted gunner first."

"On three," Kajex replied, carefully getting back up to his feet and carefully hoisting the charged Force-orb up to head-level. "One... two..."

"We have about twenty marks still standing up ahead, my lord," the pilot at the cockpit informed Thresher. "They've taken cover along the edges of the street, but they're keeping our men pinned down."

Thresher nodded, peering out the side hatch at the firefight below. "Casualties?"

"We are at sixty percent of our forces so far, with three of the four outlined mission objectives completed," the co-pilot answered.

"Good enough," Thresher muttered. "It suggests the weak have been culled away, as it should be. And what of our secondary deployment?"

"Ten minutes out before the creature is deployed. Yuda is running behind, they estimate they'll need another half hour before everything is collected."

"It matters not. Even if Surnahm and his allies were aware of our true operation, they'll not stop it in time," Thresher reasoned, allowing himself a small smile of satisfaction. In his history training under the remnants of Palpatine's Sith forces, working alongside the scores of Imperial agents and officers throughout the galaxy, only the late Grand Admiral Thrawn had produced such satisfying strikes. Inquisitor Voyde had indeed placed his dejarik pieces properly, and the fruits of the strike were already being collected.

"Too much chaos here," Apex rumbled, the Chistori staring out into the battle. "I fail to see the point in this assault."

"Going soft on us?" Thresher asked, eyes narrowed.

"It is a waste of resources. Forty percent of our forces gone is forty percent not present later. And for what? A handful of beasts?"

"The edge of the knife must be sharpened," Thresher countered. "The best and hardiest of our troops must be able to cleave through even the Jedi. And an assault like this will only cause the Trianii to reconsider their alliances with Jedi whelps like Surnahm."

"Sir, what's left of our fourth team has just called in," the pilot interjected. "Acolyte Saph reports her entire team is scattered and possibly dead, yet the power grid has been neutralized."

The smile became broader. "Excellent. I'm not surprised she persevered. Tell her to rendezvous at this shuttle and await further orders. You are cleared to use your missiles to clear a path for--"

Thresher felt it before it struck, a brief tingle along his face and beneath his eyes which caused him to cease his words abruptly. It was not a result of a change in Force energy, nor was it a premonition of danger; but rather the Karkarodon's natural electroreceptor cells along the edge of his snout. Though always active, it was the high rate of ionization that caused them to flare up, his head snapping to the port side of the vessel just in time to see a blaster bolt explode into the faceplate of their turret gunners. The dead trooper slid out of his seat and over the lip of the open hatch into the streets below. With a sharp curse the shark darted to the cannon and scanned the nearby rooftops.

He did not have to look long. On the edge of the closest rooftop stood Kajex Surnahm, a grin on his face and a ball of pure energy in his right paw- to his left, the Imperial traitor was knelt with a rifle held up at the ready.

"Hey, Thresher! Catch this, asshole!" And with the grin still on his muzzle, the wolf winded up and pitched the orb forward like a professional bolo-ball player.

It was far too fast for the shark to intercept, propelled as it was not just by hand, but through the Force. Whatever the orb had been, the effect was immediate- the orb's unusual physical nature penetrated the ship's ray shielding like a stone through frail glass, smacking and dissipating against the hull of the vessel with tremendous power. The shuttle pitched to the side as the interior hull's emergency lights went off, the sound of the engines shuddering violently through the ship as Thresher grabbed an overhead safety handle to remain upright.

"Ion damage taken, port side!" the pilot yelled. "Shield generators took a direct hit, I can't get visual on their fighter!"

"It's not a starfighter, it's a Jedi!" Thresher snarled, trying to regain balance. But the wolf appeared to have no intention of giving them that opportunity. A second shot rattled the vessel around, the craft now struggling to prevent an out-of-control spin, though Thresher noticed grimly it had not yet entered a nosedive. "Get this shuttle under control and pull out of range from the rooftops! Our troops can handle themselves!"

But even as he said it he knew it was too late. While the pilot did succeed in stabilizing the vessel, it only gave Thresher enough time to witness the wolf sprinting the remainder of the roof with a pair of golden-yellow lightsabers in each paw, leaping onto the port-side wing and stabbing into the engines with both weapons. It took little more than swiftly swinging the blades through half the length for the engines to immediately catch fire, causing the wolf to break off, racing down the wing and leaping to the roof again.

Thresher had enough presence of mind to follow him, his boots finding traction and giving him the means to lunge out of the hull, with Apex right behind him. While the Chistori managed to reach the roof easily, Thresher drew short, barely managing to catch the lip of the roof. The brief position gave him a clear view of the Sentinel-class shuttle's rapid descent and abrupt, explosive landing as it crashed into the streets below, fire billowing out and catching many dark acolytes and stormtroopers in the flames.

Apex frowned at the wreckage, pulling Thresher up to the roof. "Is this also a sharpening of the blade?" he asked pointedly.

Thresher said nothing, fuming as he regarded the chaos below. What few troops had not been smashed beneath the vessel were now being overwhelmed by the rapidly advancing Trianii Ranger column, dark acolytes being cut down by blaster fire or vibroswords. Part of him was seriously considering leaping into the fray below and ending the life of every miserable hairball in the streets below. Before he could make a decision, however, a tsk-tsking sound to his right drew his attention.

Standing right next to him was Surnahm, the wolf shaking his head in mock sadness with his arms folded. "Shame about those guys down there. Kinda makes you wonder what happened, doesn't it?"

His strike came a moment too late, his saber failing to decapitate the wolf before he could get out of range. His expression of false sorrow immediately turned into a grin as he backpedaled away, while the Miraluka traitor trotted up beside him with his rifle held ready. The shark regarded them both with a glare of unrestrained hatred, his energy blade still humming dangerously.

"I should have figured you would have a trick up your sleeve," Thresher admitted, his grip on his weapon tight as Apex lumbered next to him. "Desperate times would have called for it. No matter- the Sith have won this day."

"If you can escape," the wolf pointed out, drawing his weapon. "And after the damage you've done today, I'll be damned if you walk out of here without a fight."

"You believe yourself capable of going two to one against Sith?" Apex rumbled, looking more interested than angry as he activated his own Sith weapon. "It is a fight you will not win, Sentinel."

"What the fuck am I, soggy rations?!" Miles shouted indignantly, looking sore that he'd been dismissed outright. "You aren't fighting without me getting my shots in!"

"Take the traitor out of this fight in any way you wish," Thresher told Apex telepathically as they approached the pair. "But leave Surnahm alive- I have a promise to keep."

"As you say," Apex responded, an undertone of dissatisfaction creeping beneath.

They both moved as one, seemingly ignoring the traitor and engaging the Jedi Sentinel simultaneously. Miles attempted to open fire at the pair as they lunged in, but it took little more than Apex flinging his claw out to send the Miraluka flying with a burst of telekinetic energy, his rifle clattering away. For a brief moment the Jedi Sentinel looked stunned, distracted by his ally and friend in danger- but at the last moment he returned his attention to the Sith Knights, his face serious and focused. An explosion of crackling energy rang through the air as their lightsabers met, adding to the rumbling din of war throughout the city.

The dual assault initially failed to visibly faze the wolf as he blocked both their attacks with a tight, strong guard; yet he did backpedal away cautiously, his footwork clean and steady as he intercepted and defended each blow, their blades crashing against each other and emitting bursts of sound and light with each attack. Thresher provided the energy, the forward momentum attempting to outpace the Sentinel with pinpoint stabs; while Apex generated the counter, keeping the wolf from effectively retaliating and forcing his lone blade to remain busy in defending against the pair of Sith Knights.

Yet the defense proved more than adequate for the wolf to last long enough for Miles to return to the fray, the Miraluka having picked himself off the floor, grabbing his rifle and opening fire on the pair of Sith Knights. It was here he and Apex divided- no doubt remembering Thresher's deficiencies in ranged defense as a result of his devoted Makashi training, the Chistori lumbered in the soldier's direction, leaving the shark to pursue the wolf into the narrow, durasteel-lined barriers.

But if the Sentinel thought the lack of space was an issue to the Sith, he was mistaken- indeed, the terrain was in the shark's favor. Thresher lunged and jabbed repeatedly, testing the wolf's defenses and managing to score a shallow hole into the wolf's shoulder, generating a yelp; the counter-attack followed, a fast head-level sweep that was nevertheless too slow to catch the retreating shark. Another lunge, and this time Thresher sliced against Kajex's thigh, the wolf barely managing to deflect the attack and prevent a worse injury. He attempted to strike once again, but with a twist Thresher sidestepped and whipped his long, slender tail out, the tough, blade-like fin at the end snapping loudly and catching the wolf above his right eye, staggering him for a moment. As their blades gouged into the durasteel vents and released bursts of war air into their faces as they fought, the Sentinel found it difficult to maintain his ground.

Space ran out against Kajex as his back hit the end of the vents, trapped between durasteel and Thresher. Sensing an opening Thresher lunged again, narrowly missing the wolf as he smacked the blade aside and strafed, allowing the shark's blade to bury itself into the vent. Now within arm's length the Jedi swung his left fist out and caught Thresher in the mouth; but while it did create a viable opening, the wolf instead staggered back in pain, favoring that same fist as it began to bleed badly- his knuckles and wrist had sliced against Thresher's razor-sharp teeth. Before the shark could reorient his senses Kajex had vaulted out of the narrow space, holding his blade in one paw.

It took only a moment for Thresher to get his balance back, wiping the wolf's blood off of his mouth for a moment. With a dark sneer the shark brought his tongue along his hand, tasting the tangy sweetness of the wolf's blood and savoring it for a few moments. "A decent flavor, for a mongrel," Thresher hissed, delighting in the wolf's disgusted expression.

"Even for a Sith, that's just sick," the wolf growled, panting from the exertion and injuries he'd sustained. "What is wrong with you?"

"Perhaps a taste for midichlorians," the shark suggested darkly, leaping out of the vent-lined corridor. "Don't judge me- it was you who offered it."

With the wolf on the back foot Thresher lunged once more, briefly considering taking the advantage to end his life- but in the time it took for him to reconsider and make good on his promise, the tide turned drastically. Perhaps sensing the desperate circumstances despite his calmness, the Sentinel matched the approach, his injured paw snaking around his back and drawing a second lightsaber just as their blades met. It was only the shark's command of the Force that allowed him to adjust his footing quickly enough to dodge the counter-strike that followed, deflecting the second golden energy blade deftly as the wolf went on the offensive.

Even after the battle in the Sith ruins of Dakua, Thresher was still unused to combat against opponents wielding a pair of lightsabers, and while Keris and Syrra had been novices in such swordplay it quickly became apparent that the Sentinel was not. The wolf's footwork changed, bravely stepping into the shark's range and attacking with an expression of focus and confidence. It was an alternating wave of assaults, a flow that surged and ebbed unpredictably with dual-slashes battering the shark's defenses, before smoothly and abruptly transitioning into sharp, rapid pokes and glancing hits. The wolf stepped in again, deeper this time, angling his blade just enough to scorch the shark's shoulder with a shallow cut.

Yet the Sentinel's prior injuries were enough to hamper his combat effectiveness before long, as his shoulder wound and sliced paw limited the strength of his blows while his leg injury inhibited his footwork. Without the momentum to shatter Thresher's guard the wolf was giving ground, not even his combative creativity was enough. And in a moment of inspiration, the shark struck.

Ducking a chest-level slash the shark rolled and jabbed simultaneously, gouging a burn into the wolf's calf and causing him to stagger back with a yelp. With his balance lost, Thresher summoned the Force and slammed it into the wolf's chest, throwing him back- and over the lip of the roof, his Jedi weapons flying into the streets below. At the last possible moment the Sentinel saved himself, catching the edge of the roof and grunting as he collided into the stonework, blood issuing from his nose.

With a laugh of satisfaction the shark got back to his feet, approaching the edge of the roof, kneeling before it and looking down at the weakened and weaponless Jedi with a sneer.

"As I said, this day belongs to the Sith," he hissed, keeping the tip of his blade angled toward the wolf.

"Then why aren't you cutting my fingers off?" Kajex asked, glowering back at him. "I've been targeted by Jedi hunters in the past- I can tell that you're holding back. In fact, I don't think you're even going to kill me."

The accusation caused the shark to chuckle and shrug casually. "It's true. I fully expect even an inferior whelp like you to survive a fall from an eight-story building," Thresher pointed out, shifting his stance a little and catching the wolf's fingers under his boot, "but I'm not above enjoying myself." He watched as the Sentinel's ears folded back in pain and anger, groaning through grit teeth as the Karkarodon ground his boot-tip into his knuckles. "If I kill you now, you'll be spared from the pain I'd like to inflict on you later."

His words were cut short by the sound of several approaching shuttles screaming through the sky; two more Sentinel-class shuttles had flown within the city limits. Thresher allowed a pause in the conversation as both he and the Jedi watched the closest shuttle's approach, a flurry of concussion missile streaking through the air and into the streets. The Trianii line had already finished off the last of the Dark Acolytes below them, but the sudden assault forced them to scatter- more than half were caught in the blasts before they could get to cover, giving the vessel all the space it needed to draw its wings up and hover a few meters over the pavement. Though the sound of a moving hatch could be heard even over the din of the ship's engines, the side hatches did not open.

"Well... they're here," Thresher remarked, standing up straight as he noticed a second squad of Trianii Rangers coming into view from the other side of the street. "And not a moment too soon. Now comes the million-credit question- what will truly be your priority as a Jedi?"

The wolf's brow furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are you still of a mind to pursue and capture me so that I might meet justice?" Thresher asked him with a cruel smile on his face, gesturing to the landing craft as it started to take off. "Or will you abandon me in favor of your own kin?"

The shuttle lifted off and at once the wolf's expression went from one of grim determination to one of fear. To Thresher, the abrupt change was nothing short of satisfying; whether it was the widening eyes siphoning his confidence and baring his fears, or the way his ears flattened against his head, it all seemed to come together marvelously. At the end of the street, backlit by the burning wreckage of the previous shuttle, were ten barely-clothed figures holding crimson-bladed lightsabers, all of them glaring and snarling at the approaching Trianii Ranger forces.

Ten Kanj'Isha, mindless and unaware of their impending doom as they staggered forward.

"... You bastard," Kajex whispered, now facing Thresher again and looking positively murderous. For half a moment it looked as if he was going to risk impalement and lunge at the shark even from his disadvantaged position- but Thresher stood and laughed, keeping his blade pointed downward.

"I thought you might like your gift," Thresher chided him mockingly. "If that doesn't soothe you think of it as an exchange; you get ten members of your mongrel species to rescue and waste time rehabilitating, and I get to walk away from this the victor. Choose swiftly- or there may not be any of them left to save."

For once the Sentinel seemed to lack any retort, his eyes flicking between Thresher and the mind-controlled Kanj'Isha. A shot rang out and he winced, gritting his teeth and releasing his hold on the ledge. Thresher watched as the wolf kicked off the the wall of the building halfway down and flipped away into the street, hitting the pavement hard and rolling back to his feet.

The shark watched him limp away a few paces before turning away, deactivating his weapon and bringing his hand to his headset. "This is Knight Thresher to Scythe 2- Scythe 1 has been shot down and I request immediate pick-up."

There was a brief pause as his eyes scanned the rooftops, spotting the shuttle that had just dropped off their payload. "This is Snaire, we're coming to pick you up. Last report was you were engaged with the Sentinel- is he dead?"

"Still alive," Thresher replied, "as planned- and currently occupied. Are the war beasts secured?"

"There's been slowdown in the forests," Snaire told them. "I've told Yuda to step it up but he's being stubborn."

"Then it'll be his head," the shark said non-commitally. "If his ineptitude causes him to be left behind, so be it. Let him work on his own pace, for all the good it'll do him. Apex, what's your status?"

Another pause, then a low rumbling voice filtered through the speaker. "Tracking the traitor. He left the roof and I am in pursuit."

"The traitor does not matter for the moment," Thresher told him as the landing craft circled overhead and descended, it's underbelly ramp lowering for him. "The mongrels have been released and warbeast distraction is about to be deployed; we must be prepared to withdraw. I expect more orbital defenders will arrive soon."

"If anybody is hearing this, I could really use the help right now!" Miles shouted into his headset, backpedaling through the alley and firing wildly at the lumbering Chistori following him.

Much as he was loathe to do it Miles recognized that Kajex was going to have to take care of himself for a while, forcing the Chistori to break off from Thresher and pursue him. While the reptilian brute did not seem particularly agile despite clearly being a Sith-trained Force-sensitive, his approach towards the Miraluka was inexorable. Nothing the former soldier had on hand did anything to halt or even slow the Sith Knight down, not even pouring out firepower to the point of near overheating- he simply deflected the blaster bolts with his lightsaber and strode forward carefully. And yet Miles was certain if he turned tail and ran, the Chistori would follow quickly.

He was still halfway to the streets when his rifle finally hissed and smoked, a blast of superheated gas venting from the side and scalding the soldier's bare arms. Miles grunted and grit his teeth, bearing the pain as he quickly tried to flush the weapon's thermal energy, but in that brief moment of vulnerability Apex sprinted forward and stabbed.

Miles barely reacted in time, lifting the weapon up and sidestepping as the energy blade pierced through the weapon's energy cell until the hilt caught the superheated alloys of the weapon itself. With the weapon now stuck Miles released his grip on the rifle and kicked the Chistori as hard as he could, the giant staggering back a few steps as the soldier hit the dirt.

Perhaps he wasn't aware of the extent of damage the weapon had taken, or was simply ignorant of what might have happened, but the Sith did merely frowned in confusion as he grabbed the barrel of the rifle. Before he could tear it away, the power cell burst and enveloped Knight Apex in a brief but tremendous explosion.

His ears were still ringing when he got back up, trembling violently from the shock and heat of the explosion as he staggered back to his feet. Taking a moment to breathe in deep, he turned back, expecting to see what remained of the Chistori.

What he was not expecting was for all of him to remain.

It took a few moments for the Miraluka's mind to register what his Force sight could see, and by the time he noticed Apex still standing strong, the Chistori's fist had already connected with the side of his head. The blow was powerful enough that the soldier was sure he had blacked out in mid air, if only for half a moment- just in time to feel his body slide across the stonework.

"I must admire your courage, Miraluka," Apex rumbled gently as strode towards the stirring soldier. "I've caused many to run in fear from my presence alone, yet your retreat was measured and aggressive, if perhaps desperate. You even seem to have consciously destroyed my weapon- certainly not a feat many can pull off. Were you to train with the Sith, I've no doubt you could unlock your latent Force abilities to great effect." He stopped. "So... why haven't you?"

Miles groaned, sitting up and scooting back, groping at his belt. "I don't need the Force... to have strength."

"You need it to see, it's intrinsic to your species," Apex countered, as he stooped and grabbed Miles by his chestplate, hoisting him back up to his feet. "In a situation like this, you are clearly outmatched. If not with the Force, then how do you expect to stand against us?"

The moment he finished, Miles swung as hard as he could- but Apex saw the blow coming, grabbing his wrist his his massive claw as easily as if he were grabbing an unruly child. At this distance, Miles could clearly see the Chistori's look of condescending disappointment- and he laughed.

"I'll improvise."

Apex failed to see it in time- the small, metallic shape in Mile's fist, a trigger beneath his thumb. The sound of a click drew his attention, but the moment his eyes fell on the flash-bang detonator was the moment it went off. Miles turned his face away, yelling in pain as the light explosive let out a concussive blast, breaking what felt like every bone in his right hand as Apex released him and bellowed angrily, thrashing blindly as he staggered back. But for all the pain he was feeling, the fact that he was free prompted him to sprint for the end of the alleyway, his ears ringing again from the explosion.

Perhaps his lack of hearing was why he hadn't heard any response on his headset, as two figures appeared at the other end and motioned for him to drop. He was only too glad to do so as Talrik Lye knelt and opened fire with his C-rifle, narrowly missing Apex as his shot burst against the far wall. Yet the blast was enough to rouse Apex to his senses and duck behind cover, too quick for Rook's blaster bolts to intercept him as he disappeared down another alley.

Gasping in pain, Miles managed to sit up against one of the walls. "Thanks for coming in the nick of time... think my hand's out for this battle," he groaned, as Talrik knelt beside him.

"I told you I was coming," the fox chided him, plucking a bacta injector from his belt and jabbing it into the Miraluka's injured wrist. "Unless you were so busy fighting you didn't hear us."

"Probably," the soldier admitted, feeling exhausted. "Where do we stand?"

"Syrra's uncle Aarn diverted some of his ships to help fight these Remnant fuckers, and a Jedi cruiser is about ten minutes away," Rook informed him. "Locke and Keris got back to the Ranger airfield with the rest of the Black Tomb pack, minus Kentoh- nobody knows where he is. Now where's the boss?" she pressed him, looking concerned.

"I had to split from him," Miles said. "He'd have lost in a two-on-one with Thresher and Apex, I had to keep the big bastard busy."

"Nevermind that, where's he now?"

"He's—"

But Miles stopped short, his Force sight allowing him to spot Kajex quite easily far behind him on the other side of the building. Part of him wanted to shout as the wolf dropped from the roof, leapt from the wall halfway down and landed clumsily, but aside from minor injuries he seemed to be fine. The brief moment of relief gave way to more fear and amazement as he looked past the limping Sentinel- at one end of the street were heavily-armed Trianii Rangers; at the other, were several lightsaber-armed wolves.

And not a single one of them belonged to the Black Tomb pack.

Miles sat up straight, cold fear gripping him as he realized what was happening- and what Kajex was about to do.

"What is it?" Rook asked nervously, clearly noticing the change in his expression.

"No time!" Miles said. "He's out the alleyway on the side opposite this building- you need to get to him now, before he gets himself killed!"

"<Stop!>" he howled in anguish, as they opened another volley. "<Hold your fire, dammit!>"

He had not bothered to look for his lightsabers, his injuries enough of an impediment that he knew more time would be wasted if he did, but even as the adrenaline numbed his physical pain he felt it would not be enough. The Trianii Rangers had spotted the approaching Kanj'Isha slaves and stopped, issuing orders to them in Basic to stand down, unaware that their minds were still warped by a Sith sorcery. The eons of biological stasis did not hamper the effects, and as soon as the wolves heard the words being spoken, they had abandoned their caution and charged the Trianii line.

He's reached the street the moment the Trianii opened up on them with warning shots, now panting beside an overturned cargo trailer- of the ten wolves that had been rushing their position before the first volley, eight remained upright after the second. And now they were close enough that Kajex doubted the Ranger's slugthrowers would be marginally affected by distance.

"<STOP!!!>"

But his words went unheeded. "<One more, aim for their heads!>" The Trianii raised their rifles.

With a mix of rage and anguish, Kajex reacted, thrusting his paw out and throwing the firing line into the air with the Force. The defense force yowled in surprise and fear as the half that remained turned their rifles to him, nearly firing out of reaction. The brief pause gave him the time he needed to improvise, turning to the cargo trailer and straining with effort to slide it between the Trianii and the Kanj'Isha. The wolves slowed to a stop as they took a moment to watch the impressive, if desperate, use of Force ability.

But the effort left him winded, the Sentinel doubling over and dropping to his knees. And though he might have spared the Kanj'Isha a few more moments, it dawned on him that he was now very vulnerable- the snarls and growls from the approaching pack had not ceased.

They did not see him as kin- but as an enemy.

"No... don't let them control you like this..." he whined, panting as he scooted away. They were less than five meters away, their leader a tawny-pelted female with green eyes and braided brown hair. "You're free now," he said more loudly, more to himself than to them- if he had to die now, he decided, best it be to give his people the chance for a better life. And for a moment, in the space of time when the pack alpha raised her saber, that fact offered a small measure of comfort to him.

But the moment passed, punctuated by a tremendous voice.

"KIOSKA KALV, GROTTHU!!!"

The tone was one of rage and authority, the tongue harsh and coarse to listen to- it caused even Kajex to shiver and whine, his ears flattening as the words were issued. But for the pack of slaves, the effect was much more pronounced- almost immediately they backpedaled and dropped their lightsabers, trembling with fear as they backed away, their gaze turned upwards to the top of the trailer.

By the time Kajex followed their gaze upwards, Locke had already leapt down from his perch and landed beside his twin, his lightsaber pike active and his free paw held out at the wolves. Relief washed over the Sentinel as the former Sith Knight stepped forward confidently, causing the pack to cringe and drop to their knees submissively. Moments later, So'Rah, Sa'Rah, Talrik and Rook dropped in behind him, their blasters held out; at the same moment, the Trianii Rangers filed in from around the trailer, their weapons held at the ready.

Locke waved them away. "<Don't shoot, these poor souls are under Sith influence. I'm using the Force to keep them subdued.>"

"<Be that as it may,>" one of the Ranger sinths replied harshly, "<if they attempt to attack again we will defend ourselves.>"

So'Rah looked shaken. "Was that really necessary, Master?" he asked Locke with a slight whine. "I mean... I know we had to stop them, but the way you said 'grotthu' just now was... kinda extreme."

"They're not in their right mind," Locke said quietly, as the pack bowed low and kept their faces covered in fear- even some of the Trianii looked sympathetic at their shivering. "I had to let them know I meant business."

"You okay, boss?" Rook asked sympathetically, kneeling beside the injured Sentinel as she pulled a bacta injector from her pouch. "You look like you've been through hell and back."

Kajex hadn't even noticed the tears streaking down his face until she reached out and touched his shoulder, so mired in his emotions he hadn't realized they'd been laid bare the whole time. But he nodded, the sense of the relief doubling. "Yeah... I'll be alright, I think."

"Miles was worried you were going to get yourself killed!" Talrik said angrily, pulling the Sentinel's lightsabers from his belt. "He was right- what the fuck were you thinking, Kaj!? The least you could have done was find these first!"

"I... I had to save them," Kajex told him, a pang of shame burning in his chest. "I couldn't waste any time, and I didn't want to fight them. More could've... could've--"

"Well the ones back there don't look dead yet," Rook told him, jerking a thumb over her shoulder as she jabbed his shoulder with the device. It was true enough, he realized; the pair that had gone down during the first and second volley were stirring weakly, yet their whining and whimpering seemed to be more indicative of pain than being on the threshold of death.

"Talrik, Rook, I need your help here," Locke said, a strained note in his voice- they stood immediately, drawing their pistols. "I can't keep them under my control for much longer, they fear me enough that they're starting to fight back. I need you to set your blasters to stun."

"Will that knock 'em outta the spell?" Rook asked skeptically.

"I'm not sure, but we can cross that bridge when we get there- right now, they need to be subdued," Locke told them, and they all complied. Even the few Trianii Rangers who still carried blaster rifles stepped forward and adjusted their weapons accordingly.

Sa'Rah regarded the fearful-looking wolves with worry. "What's going to happen to them?" she asked quietly, as they all aimed at the cowering group.

"We'll help them," Kajex said immediately in a tone that brooked no argument. "We owe it to our people."

There was silence among them as they opened fire, a flurry of blue-ring bursts erupting from their sidearms and causing each wolf to go limp, falling over or slumping to the side as they were rendered unconscious. Kajex winced at the scene, a pang of pity for the new pack tearing at him.

"Fuck," Locke muttered bitterly. "Leave it to the Sith to make things personal."