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_ "The Corporate Sector Authority made the foolish mistake of underestimating the Trianii and our stalwart Ranger forces. Ranger tactics are daring and tenacious, often self-sacrificing in many ways; I hear some were even utilized by the Rebel Alliance. But during the initial conflicts CSA executives could not see those tactics for what they were, and found themselves amused when we fought back with what seemed like desperation. Still, the Rangers soon managed to force the CSA to take them seriously." _

_ "How were they able to do that?" _

_ "By sending them important parcels." _

_ "... You sent them gifts?" _

_ "In a manner of speaking. You'd be surprised how effective severed human hands serve as no-nonsense messages." _

~ First Sinth Pakka, Jedi Knight Tay-Ir Naull

In some ways, Master Moarn enjoyed the relative peace that the Inspired offered, when its Jedi crewmembers were deployed on missions. Even if a part of him wanted to share in those tasks, he could not deny the quiet that followed such deployments was soothing to a degree. Yet as he stared out of the port-side viewport into the distance starfield, he could not help but feel that perhaps things were a little too quiet. A smile formed on his muzzle, one that appeared with a sigh- the wolves were partly to blame for this.

What had once been animosity towards Sentinel Surnahm had become a solid friendship, once he'd gotten to understand the wolf better; a friendship that also included Locke. Meeting and teaching more of the Kanj'Isha had given him new understanding and perspective of their people and behavior, a deeper insight into the workings of the Force that Moarn regret not having understood sooner- that there was value in the attachments formed through struggle and companionship. Rexxis, Kentoh, Mica, the 'Rah twins, Tegrim, and Zephyr; all of them had produced a great effect on the Trandoshan Jedi Consular, to say nothing of the additional two Jedi Kanj'isha.

Before the Clone Wars he had never been assigned a Padawan; Syrra and Garrett had been his only students, and in his mind he had rightly lost their trust along with the right to be an instructor. Yet they did not continue to judge him harshly, encouraging his efforts to train others- the first step to forging connections with those around him. It had felt wonderful, had become an aspect of his life he'd found value in. That understanding had culminated in a warming, yet sobering revelation, one that had prompted him to seek a few moments of reflection; one that he was not ashamed of admitting-

He missed them. All of them. Without the Black Tomb and Gold Rush packs onboard, the Inspired felt... empty.

"Hi, Master Moarn!"

The exuberant chirp brought a wide smile to the Trandoshan's face as he turned and bowed to the youngest student on the ship as she scurried forward. Even with both packs gone, there was warmth and comfort to be found on the vessel yet. "Good morning, Arah. You're here early."

"Momma said I should do my best and work hard as I can if I wanna become a Jedi," the reptilian child said, stopping short and bowing to him in return, before standing at attention. Behind her, Retsa stood at the hatch, leaning against the frame with a smile and nodding.

"Well, your mother certainly has the right idea," Moarn replied politely. "Though you shouldn't miss out on rest and meditation, either- a break between training is just as important as hard work. I think now is a good time for you to take a trance while we wait for your fellow students to arrive." He gestured for her to kneel and she complied, getting into a meditation stance. "Very good. Now still yourself, child," he said calmly, kneeling beside her and bringing his claw to her smooth head. "Let your mind relax and give itself to the swirl of the Force; let your body follow it. Swim gently with the flow."

Arah sighed calmly, the Barabel child relaxing from his words and gentle coaxing; in a matter of moments he snout had lowered, her head drooping as her rate of breathing slowed to a crawl. The Trandoshan Jedi watched her carefully, marveling at how easily she had slipped into the trance, though it was far from the first time she'd done it. Once he was certain she was deep in meditation, he got up quietly, striding over to Retsa.

"Good morning, ma'am," he said politely, bowing to her. "I must admit I wasn't expecting you to accompany her this morning."

"Thank you, Master Moarn," Retsa said with a pleasant hiss, eyes on her daughter. "With fewer people to cook breakfast for this morning I didn't really have anywhere else to be, and I wanted to see how well her lessons were going. She speaks so fondly of you and the others, and I regret not having time to speak with you."

Moarn cocked his head. "I've never met a Barabel who has known regret. My understanding was that they broadly don't understand the concept."

"True, of most of our people anyway," she chuffed humorously, shrugging. "Chalk it up to living away from my people for so long. When you bond with others over the course of your lifetime, you get a deeper understanding of what life must be like through the eyes of those you come to know. In this case, my regret stems from your taking the time out of your life to educate my daughter, and yet at no point have I ever properly thanked you for it. So thank you, for watching over and training my child."

Moarn bowed again. "It is a Jedi's purpose to serve others, should they choose to take up the role. I require no gratitude... but I appreciate it all the same." He chuckled. "Besides, with Arah that which others might find a chore becomes a pleasure, I must admit. She reminds me how important it is to impart Jedi teachings to the young, that they might better understand its value."

"You... don't feel that taking children was a good thing, do you?" Retsa as cautiously, looking troubled.

The reptilian Jedi blinked, then straightened, clearing his throat. "Oh, no- not at all," he amended himself. "I've since revised my own opinion on the matter, especially after seeing how well an adult can become a Jedi. All the same, however, I think there's value in teaching children, without taking them from their families."

The female lizard relaxed, breathing out in relief. "I suppose there is." She paused, looking back to Arah. "... I admit that the stories of Jedi 'kidnapping' were among my deepest fears, and now that I have a chance to ask... can you tell me why were children taken in the first place?" she asked quietly.

Moarn hesitated- it was a topic that was uncomfortable to linger on the more he thought about it, given the implications of the answers. Yet he did not feel Retsa would be served well by withholding what he knew of the practice. "In the beginnings of the Jedi Order, there wasn't a maximum age limit to when one could become a Jedi. While like any educational institution it was believed that a younger mind was easier to teach, anybody with Force potential could apply for Jedi training. But the practice changed during the early days of the Old Republic. Without making the explanation too boring, the practice only took off with the writings of Jedi Master Simikarty, writer of the Teyan Apologia- a series of essays and dissertations on how he believed the Jedi Order should function. In them, he suggested Jedi should be recruited as children. Somewhere along the line, I suppose we took what he said as canon, going so far as to... 'recruit' infants."

"You no longer believe in it?" Retsa asked, head cocked curiously.

"I do not," he acknowledged. "Simikarty's reasoning is that a fully grown sentient being wouldn't be able to negate their negative emotions even if trained as a Jedi- that it was supposedly easier and more effective in... 'purging' such emotions, instead." Moarn frowned to himself, troubled by how it sounded even to his own hearing. "But if that were true, it would not explain the dozens of Jedi who turned from the light during the Clone Wars; nor would it explain why the hundreds of adult Jedi today in Master Skywalker's order are not running rampant with the dark side."

"A good point," Retsa agreed.

"An early education is not a safeguard against falling from the light," he said quietly. The Trandoshan swallowed, shame taking hold as he looked away. "I, too, was raised as a Jedi from the time I was a hatchling... and yet I violated the trust of my first student and brought harm to Kajex. It is clear enough to me that how old you are when you learn is less important than how open you are to instruction."

He remained silent, turning his eyes to Arah and wondering if he'd brought further question into Retsa's mind on whether he could be trusted to teach her daughter. He sensed her moving from the door frame and yet made no attempt to turn to her, still feeling guilt. When he felt her claws reach out and touch his face gently, turning his gaze into her smiling face, that guilt transitioned into wonder and confusion.

"You have my full trust to guide my daughter down the correct path," she said quietly.

Moarn stared at her. "Even after admitting--"

"You made a mistake in your life and admitted to it- and then changed because of it," Retsa told him, taking his claws in hers and smiling sincerely. "I'm certain you are a good person, and that your connection to others, like my little egg, is bringing that out of you. I'd like to do you a service in return, and offer my companionship with you."

The Jedi Master blushed at the words and tone of voice, but managed a smile. "I... appreciate your vote of confidence, ma'am."

She grinned, before leaning in and touching her lips around the tip of his snout. Moarn's eyes widened at the affectionate gesture, prompting her to laugh. "First time getting a kiss from a woman?"

"I-- er... no, not really, but..." Moarn struggled to find words, clearing his throat nervously- it was the first time in decades anyone had unsettled him to such a pleasant degree. "But I'm sure you're also mated to a fine man, and I wouldn't want there to be any... misunderstanding," he explained.

"Ha! I appreciate the compliment, Jedi Master," a loud, genial laugh boomed out, causing Moarn to jump. Garsh was now leaning against the hatch frame, a sharp-toothed grin on his face as he regarded his wife and the Jedi Master with amusement.

"Before you go getting cold feet," Retsa said quickly, intercepting his immediate idea to pull his claws out of hers, "yes- I am mated to a fine male, and I wouldn't give up on him for anything in the universe," she hissed affectionately, leaning in and nuzzling the Jedi Master. "But we are Barabel- our nest has four places. As long as you are watching over our daughter when neither of us can, one of those spots is yours, as thanks for what have done and what you are doing."

"But what about--"

"Me?" asked Garsh, the taller Barabel smiling as if completely untroubled. "I say my wife is a good judge of character, and that you shouldn't reject her thanks just because you're a nice guy and don't want to take advantage of it. I also say that I'm alright with it for the same reason Retsa is- because you're goin' out of your way to look after our littlest egg. Kajex is a great kid, don't get me wrong, but he has a family of his own to look after. You, though? You're busy captaining the ship and overseeing the rest of the Jedi, and got nobody to look forward to. Ain't nobody should be forgotten for their kindness- least of all a Jedi."

Moarn looked between them, humbled by her words. "I... really don't know what to say."

"Say nothing," Retsa suggested. "It only goes as far as you want it to." She winked. "And I do mean that."

"Then I'll keep that in mind, ma'am," Moarn said, inclining his head respectfully- and unable to keep from smiling.

"You can call me Retsa," she hissed affectionately, beaming up at him.

Before any of them could speak, a pair of wolves strode up behind. Tegrim peered around the enormous Barabel male, looking mildly timid- behind him, Zephyr was peeking over his shoulder looking positively frightened at the seven-foot tall reptile. "Umm... are we interrupting something, Master Moarn?" Tegrim asked.

The Trandoshan shook his head. "Not at all, young one, come on in," he said, gesturing to him. "And you can relax, Zephyr," he said soothingly, as the female Kanj'Isha darted meekly past Garsh and ducked behind the Jedi Master. "These are Arah's parents and Kajex's friends- you remember them when we visited Ekibo, don't you?"

"H-hello, sir," the young woman managed to squeak shyly.

"Good t'see you again too, little lady," the Barabel rumbled pleasantly. "And how're you and your pack doing these days?" he asked Tegrim, shaking the wolf's paw.

"Pretty well, though Zephyr and I decided to opt out on assignments to get more training in," the wolf replied. "And somebody needs to watch over her anyway. As Kentoh isn't here to do it, I'm more than happy to watch her in his place."

"He... he doesn't need to worry about me," she mumbled softly, almost inaudibly. "He's so much stronger, he can... he can help others that need it more."

"Hey, let's hear none of that," Tegrim said firmly, moving to her and holding her shoulders, squeezing gently. "You're just as important, too. We're all here for you, even Master Moarn."

"Very true," Master Moarn said. "And to that end, perhaps we should get started on our lessons for today, as Arah is already he..."

He trailed off as he turned to where Arah had been only minutes ago, frowning at the empty space. A moment later, he felt an urgent tugging on the front of his robes, forcing him to look down. The Barabel hatchling was staring up at him with a frightened expression, his cloak in her claws as she tugged to get his attention. Relieved that she had not simply disappeared out of their care, the Trandoshan knelt down beside her, concerned.

"What's the matter, child?" he asked, holding her claws in his soothingly. "You look scared, did something happen?"

Arah nodded, swallowing and breathing laborously. "I-I started med'tating like you told me to, a-an'... I saw something," she squeaked. "I-it was like I was watchin' a holopicture, only it was real and there were- it was so bad, I--"

Moarn pulled the girl in close, rubbing her back soothingly as Garsh and Retsa approached, looking worried. "She must have had a glimpse into the future," he suggested. "It happens to the young ones at times, when their thoughts stray. Easy there, child, it's alright- you're safe now."

She shook her head. "N-no! I-I mean... I know I'm safe, but... but Kajex isn't!"

Moarn blinked, his brow furrowed in confusion- a glance to her parents told him they had no idea what she meant by it. "... You saw him?" he asked, holding her arms firmly- she nodded. "What did you see, exactly?"

"I saw a buncha cat people fighting with them, against a bunch more soldiers in black armor! There was fire, and people hurt and crying, a-and--" she shivered, choking as she lunged into his chest and hugged in tight. "They're in trouble!" she chirped, worried. "I dunno how I know, but we need to help Kajex and Syrra, and everybody else!"

Moarn held the child in his arms for a few moments, giving her a gentle squeeze to soothe her- but it was all he allowed himself to do as he got back to his feet, picking her up and carrying her to her mother, his expression grim. "Garsh, Retsa- take your daughter with you and find your sons. Find Head Technician Etina Lye, tell her to get Arrik and the other young students gathered up and into one of the shuttles."

Retsa's eyes widened as she cradled the child. "Why? What's wrong?"

Before he could answer the ship's personnel address system crackled to life, a tense voice booming over the speaker. "Bridge to Master Moarn, please respond!"

Sparing a glance to the Barabel family, Moarn made a beeline for the training room's response system, keying in the callback code and snatching the comm unit from it. "Bridge, this is Master Moarn, report."

"We've intercepted a transmission from Pouma V- it's the Gold Rush, requesting combat support! An Imperial Star Destroyer has dropped out of hyperspace into low orbit and launched an assault on the Trianii settlement!"

A sensation of dread fell over the Jedi Consular, but decades of operating as a Jedi quelled his fears easily as he started taking control. Despite having less than a minute of warning he could already see what needed to be done, quickly shifting priorities around mentally. Without a moment of hesitation he keyed in the dreadnaught's emergency mode; almost at once the overhead light diodes flashed red, as a blaring, ship-wide siren echoed through the hull. He allowed two siren bursts before keying in the ship-wide address code, and began to speak moment's later.

"This is Jedi Master Moarn speaking to all aboard the Inspired. All Jedi Knights, Antarian Rangers, and members of Lode Squadron are to report to Bay 1 immediately, and be ready for combat deployment; non-combatants and children are to report to Bay 2 and be ready for civilian off-loading. This is not a drill."

"Well... this just went to hell in a hurry, didn't it," Kajex Surnahm pointed out in dismay.

It was difficult for the wolf to keep his eyes on the warship looming above their heads, when there was just as much chaos around them. Yet despite the urgency of the situation, he could not help but feel small and helpless, knowing there was next to nothing he could do to deal with it. While a strong part of him wanted to sprint back into the ship and lift off, to join the orbital Ranger patrols and help in taking the Star Destroyer down, he knew full well he lacked the armaments to make a large enough difference; and a stronger part of him felt he would be needed on the surface with everyone else. With that in mind, he had instead told Miles to run inside and contact Master Moarn.

He managed to look away long enough to look at everyone else. As expected, the Black Tomb Padawans were wide-eyed and fearful, but something about their posture told him they were not about to run; whereas his own pack looked worried, but grim, as if ready to deal with the situation at hand. In all, their reactions helped in bolstering his own, realizing he would not be alone in this.

"They've already launched their fighters, even," Locke remarked worriedly, eyes spotting distant dark dots beneath the vessel. Bright-green and hot-red spears of deadly energy lanced out in every direction as the destroyer's TIE fighters engaged the Trianii orbital patrols- explosions tore through the sky, barely audible in the chaos surrounding them.

"That means their pilots were ready to launch the moment they got here," Keris pointed out grimly. "This is a precision strike."

"But... why?" Kentoh asked, looking angry. "This is an isolated settlement, there's nothing here those Imperial fucks want!"

"Doesn't matter why," Locke said. "It's here now, we have to deal with it. You're the alpha here, Kajex- what's your call?"

"That ship could cause a lot more chaos if it decides to start an orbital bombardment- and we wouldn't be able to do a thing," Kajex replied, tearing his eyes from the ship. "Alright, we know what our priorities are- getting the people here to safety and keeping them safe. Locke, Keris, I need you to take our students through the airfield and city, start helping everybody reach designated evacuation zones- keep them as safe as you can."

"On it, brother," the Guardian nodded, waving to the Black Tomb Padawans and running into the crowd. "Alright guys, keep close and let's find an officer- they'll know where to guide everyone!"

He and Syrra watched as they disappeared into the crowd, just as several of the surrounding Trianii patrol ships began lifting off from their pads to join the fight. There was a pause between the two Jedi as they stared at one another, the wolf's eyes sad and tired. "So much for a peaceful mission. I didn't want Rexxis and the others to be in a situation like this, but... if nothing else, Locke can keep them safer than I can."

"Don't talk like that," Syrra admonished him, taking his paw in her cybernetic replacement and squeezing gently. "You've been training them well, we all have. They may not be Knights, but they're Jedi all the same. They need to face challenges- this is just going to be the first of many."

He sighed and nodded. "You know what you need to do."

"Find my cousin; tell him and Ja'Murah about the battle hydras; rally the Trianii Rangers in case the Remnant makes a landing attempt; and provide healing to anybody who needs it," she said, nodding. "But I'm not going anywhere without a kiss first."

It was a small measure of comfort for the wolf as they embraced and met muzzles, a moment of warmth in what looked like would be a long and arduous day- but the feeling of her embrace, of her lips on his, and of her genuine love and concern for him, was enough to boost his confidence as they held on to that moment for as long as was reasonable. She drew away from him reluctantly, stroking his face and smiling reassuringly, before turning and sprinting into the crowd.

The wolf watched her go, taking in a deep breath and scanning the crowd. The only ones he'd not spoken with yet were Talrik and Rook; knowing it was imperative to get their attention, he peered into the chaos, trying to spot them. A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his attempt; Miles had returned, already armed with a heavy blaster rifle.

"I got Master Moarn, he's on his way now. It'll just be the Inspired this time, no Republic support- his ship is the only one cleared to approach the planet," the soldier told him, before pointing to one of the field's exit gates. "And don't worry about Talrik or Rook, I can already see them helping direct civilians out of the airfield. We're going to need to work on routing the enemy when they finally make landfall."

Kajex frowned. "It'll be pretty hard for them to safely land a shuttle with the Rangers pulling in all their patrols."

"They won't need shuttles," Miles countered, shaking his head and pointing to the sky. "They're already coming. Look."

Kajex returned his gaze to the Star Destroyer, eyes widening as it quickly became apparent what Miles was referring to. At some point, the warship had deployed more than a dozen pods. The drop vessels screamed through the sky, crashing into different sections of the city with deafening explosions- two of them smashed into the ziggurat base, sending ash and dust flying into the air as screams and shouts filled the air, while another two landed twenty meters apart, completely shattering a tent each and knocking over several smaller tents from the impact. Dismay filled the wolf as he and Miles ran ahead.

"I thought their escape pods were supposed to be for Imperial senior officers!" Kajex shouted, drawing both lightsabers from his belt.

"They're probably trying to improvise, buy time to clear out a landing zone for their dropships!" Miles shouted back as they darted between tents and vaulted over cargo crates, the two of them heading for the nearest pod. "Landing craft would be too slow without an established fighter screen! Watch it, they've got ten stormtroopers each, heavily outfitted!"

"That's a bit more than I can handle reliably," the wolf growled to himself. After a few moments he stopped short, spotting a Trianii commander with squad of Rangers at her back. "<You, over there! I need you to come with us to handle these invaders!>"

"<A Jedi? Thank the gods, there may be hope yet,>" the Trianii Sinth remarked with a look relief, before nodding, gesturing to her soldiers and raising her rifle. "<Let us provide backup for our Jedi allies! Lead the way, we shall follow!>"

With civilians and injured still trying to escape the airfield and tent setup, and with the group putting its focus on ensuring the civilians made it to safety, it took several minutes for the group to reach the first pod. By this point the pod was already unsealed, its stormtrooper payload having been deposited on the opposite side, taking potshots at frightened Trianii non-combatants or trading fire with individual holdouts too injured to move. As soon as they were within range the Trianii commander was the first to fire a shot, the bullet ricocheting off the side of the pod and causing the troopers to duck. Before they could begin returning fire the rest of the Rangers moved into cover, using upturned abandoned cargo crates and fallen tents to hide their movements as they fired.

"<Keep up the flak!>" Kajex shouted as he leapt into the center and ignited both his Jedi weapons, just as the stormtrooper squad leader ordered to return fire. Within moments the wolf was weaving a wall of energy with his weapons, a look of solid concentration etched into his features as he intercepted the brunt of their energy assault. His footwork was graceful as he shifted, using subtle dodges to avoid what few blaster bolts he left alone, keeping his movements tight and precise as the blade hummed through the air and deflected each bolt, the squad behind him protected as they started to move into flanking positions.

Despite his focus on defense, however, he did not fail to hear the squad leader. "ABC out!" The wolf's eyes widened as one of the troopers chucked an AuraBioChem detonator out at the wolf's feet. With no opportunity to pause his defense as the troopers continued firing from cover, the Sentinel drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes and steeling himself for the detonation. Yet even momentarily deprived of sight, the wolf continued to smack away blaster bolts; years of Jedi training and using the Force to anticipate attacks guided his paws, keeping his shielded even as the scrambler activated.

The flash came first, a blinding light that would have burned the Sentinel's retinas had he not kept his eyes shut; next was the ultrasonics, flooding his ears with a horrible noise; finally the biochemical irritants, spraying in every direction and getting into his fur and nasal passages, leaving a burning sensation within. Yet for all the combined agony they would have inflicted on an untrained, unprepared combatant, they were trivial to the wolf's Sentinel training. A moment of disorientation was all he suffered, not long enough for any of the troopers ahead to capitalize upon; and within that same timeframe, Kajex could sense Miles getting into position.

He attacked without warning and without restraint, rolling out of cover and unloading on the stromtroopers from their left side and aided by a pair of Rangers, the air filling with the report of semi-automatic firepower. To their credit, their armor held up to the Trianii's ammunition for a shot or two, before completely shattering under the sustained attack. One trooper managed to fire a single shot before going down, taking one of the Rangers down with him, a smoking black hole in her chest as her eyes went dark.

When the last trooper fell, Kajex groaned, wavering slightly as he managed to slice the ABC charge in half, falling to his knees and gasping as his blades withdrew. The Rangers broke cover and converged on him, Miles reaching him first and grabbing his shoulders with an expression of concerned. "You hit, boss?"

The wolf shook his head, panting. "I'm... I'm alright. It just... took a lot of steam to power through that detonator," he managed to say, struggling to get his breath under control. "<We lose anybody else?>" he asked, as Miles helped him to his feet and wincing as his eyes fell on the female he'd seen go down.

The Trianii commander nodded, gesturing to another fallen Ranger behind them. "<Two casualties total- and there will be more, Jedi, no matter how hard you fight, and no matter how often you put your life on the line. Remain steadfast. We will need more of your courage and strength before the day is won.>"

The wolf sighed as he spotted the next squad of stormtroopers moving through the tents ahead- part of him knew there would be no true victor today.

She had been born in a time and place where her people were protected by the vigilance of the Trianii Rangers. Relative peace among her homeworlds was all she ever knew. The Trianii Jedi could only recount a handful of times where she'd been in a conflict within her own system, and they were always with Kajex at her side. But the chaos she was experiencing now was new to her; the Trianii were brave people, ready to fight and die if it came to it, yet it occurred to her that she never truly knew what was at stake until her own kind were at risk.

It was a fear that she found difficult to restrain; the anger it generated even moreso.

Syrra had been halfway to the ziggurat when she heard the explosions behind her. Shock and fear briefly kept her rooted in place as the pods smashed into city buildings and around the airfield- two deafening crashes nearly knocked her off her feet as a pair of pods hit the ziggurat itself, burrowing into the ancient structure. The audacity of these Imperial tactics, which not even the CSA had ever used, would have been worthy of Trianii creativity and tenacity- that they should be used against her own people was unthinkable to her. That the Imperials should utilize a desperate option against civilians put a cold fury in her heart. Knowing her cousin was likely in danger, she shook the fear from herself and sprinted, reaching the Ranger base just as blaster bolts sounded in the camp.

To her relief she could immediately see the the Rangers had not been lax in getting people to safety, as a crowd of civilians bunched together in the center of the lobby. A call rang out and the civilians dropped in fear, covering their heads, as several nearby Rangers raised their rifles in response to her presence. They lowered after only a few moments upon recognizing her. "<It's Jedi Syrra!>" one of the Rangers called out, waving at everyone to hold fire. "<It's alright, you can move the civilians again!>"

"<Where's Commander Pakka?>" she asked loudly, trying to be heard above the din of wailing and shouting as the civilians were ushered single-file down a stairwell, leading deeper into the facility.

"<He was on the fourth level when the attack started,>" another Trianii informed her. "<We heard explosions above us and outside- what happened?>" he asked.

"<They're using escape pods to drop their soldiers into our city- keep a squad at the entrance, be ready for an attack,>" she ordered, sprinting past the Rangers.

"<Where are you going?!>" the Ranger yelled- but there was no need for an answer as the sound of blasterfire erupted in the the floors above, causing panic among the Trianii civilians. Dismay filled the feline Jedi as she leapt up the stairs, trying not to feel as if she was abandoning her people by focusing on her cousin and pulling her lightsaber from her hip.

Her headset crackled, Miles' voice filling her ear as she reached the second level, making room for a few injured officers as they hurried down the corridors "Syrra?"

"Right here," she said quickly, taking a moment to help up an elderly Trianii female after she'd tripped and stumbled. "What's the status outside?"

"We cleared both Imperial pods, but the city is still under attack from the other soldier drops. My count is all twenty of the Star Destroyer's pods, so we're looking at over 150 more troopers left, at the very least."

She stopped short at the landing to the third level, blade held up as she focused. "Not good... alright, is Kajex with you?" she whispered, sensing movement behind the hatch ahead and approaching quietly until she was at right of it.

"Right here, hon," the wolf's voice responded.

"I'm going to try to get to Pakka and the command staff, and make sure they're alright; then I'll use the datacard Ja'Murah gave me to contact her. She needs to know what's going on, and we need to ensure that she's safe," she breathed quietly. "Hold on, I'm about to engage."

Experience and discipline guided her actions, prompting her to take a brief moment to focus and peer past the physical barrier. No fewer than five armed stormtroopers were in the long corridor nearing the hatch, weapons raised and ready to fire; at the other end of the corridor, at least four dead Trianii Rangers lay. It took a tremendous amount of willpower to curb her anger, forcing her to break her trance and take a few steadying breaths to keep her balanced- no matter how much pain it meant, she recognized people were counting on her; people who would not be served well if she gave into her rage.

But nor did she employ any restraint- the moment the first trooper reached the hatch she acted, activating her lightsaber and thrusting the energy blade through the door, piercing the soldier on the other side. A muffled, strangled gasp emanated from the other side, half a second before the hatch controls were triggered, her weapon carving through the rising durasteel door like a cutting torch through tin foil. With an upturned paw she threw the soldier back and pinned two more under at least a hundred kilos of literal dead weight, giving her the time she need to cross dart through the door and engage the next two stormtroopers.

They were fast on the draw, but not accurate, their shots going wild as she ducked and lunged; in any event, she was much faster and better protected, deflecting one shot back into a trooper's arm and forcing him to drop the rifle. In the time it took for his weapon to reach the floor, she'd closed the distance and slashed through his chest. The second trooper readjusted his aim; fired; missed as she dodged to the side and slashed again, cutting his weapon in half. By now the pinned troopers had their weapons out, ready to attack, yet the Force gave her enough warning as she deactivated her weapon, slipped it onto her belt and grabbed the trooper, using him as a living shield.

They did not care in the slightest, firing wildly and peppering the disarmed trooper with multiple blaster bolts. As the Trianii struggled to hold him in place, she spotted a key-coded thermal detonator clipped to the back of his belt. Without a moment of hesitation she snatched the explosive with her free paw, kicked the trooper out in front of her for cover and lobbed the inactive detonator towards the remaining two troopers.

With no other way to blow the explosive, she drew her pistol and aimed, turning her head away at the last moment before firing. The bolt hit the explosive square in the casing, rupturing the volatile baradiam core and engulfing the troopers in a four-meter fireball, the force of the blast nearly knocking Syrra off her feet, shattering the windows around her as smoke and ash flew everywhere.

Her ears were still ringing slightly when she heard Kajex's voice shouting. "That was third level, western side- are you alright, Syrra?!"

She coughed, stumbling ahead through the smoke and holstering her pistol. "Yeah, that was me- I'm fine!" After a few moments she regained her balance, pausing to check on the fallen Trianii. The hope she'd held that they were just badly injured disappeared as she looked into each of their lifeless eyes, the sight and feel of death making her tremble. "It's... there's slain in here. Two of these weren't even Rangers, Kajex."

"Look, I know it's hard right now- but Pakka needs you. Do what needs to be done- we can grieve later," the wolf told her firmly.

The Trianii swallowed, steeling herself and nodding before getting back to her feet. The sound of blasterfire could still be heard on the floors above. Knowing there was little time left, she found herself re-energized, sprinting down the remainder of the corridor and springing up the steps, her lightsaber back in her paw. She tried to ignore the Trianii bodies littered in the stairwell, the blaster marks along the walls and steps, tried to ignore the rage threatening to overtake her as she reached the fourth level hatch.

The moment she opened it and saw Pakka's limp form being dragged across the floor by a pair of stormtroopers, the dam broke.

It was with a snarl of anguish that she opened the engagement, dashing towards the pair with inhuman speed and slashing at head-level, decapitating the two soldiers with a single stroke. A shot fired and she felt a trivial burning pain in her hip, redirecting her attention to the remaining four stormtroopers. They barely had time to move into firing positions before she thrust her palm out and sent them flying across the room and into the still-smoking remains of the escape pod, half-embedded into the stone floor. One rolled back up onto his feet, ready to open fire on her again- the moment he fired she yanked her free fist back and sent him flying towards her. With grace and agility borne from years of Trianii Ranger training, she flipped into the air and brought her heel around, smashing into the helmet with enough force to crack the reinforced armor and slamming his head into floor, his neck twisting and generating a sickening, life-ending crunch.

Three remained, among them an officer with a black officer's pauldron and bandolier, all of them struggling to their feet. Even as she landed perfectly she continued her momentum, letting out a roar and tossing her lightsaber towards the remaining three stormtroopers like a discus, the lethal energy blade humming through the air- two of the soldiers failed to duck in time, the blade cutting through their armor and ending their lives, while the officer dropped his weapon and ducked, allowing the saber to return to her left paw.

This same officer held his hands up in defeat as she stood back up- even with his face hidden behind the helmet, she could sense his fear. "W-wait, hold on! I surrender!" he yelped, panicking.

Rage continued to course through the Trianii's veins. "You think I give a damn about your surrender?!" she snarled, lunging the distance and delivering a right hook with her metal paw; the force of the blow was enough that the bottom part of the helmet shattered and exposed part of the man's face as he staggered back. "You attack a lone colony founded by my people, slaughter innocent civilians, murder my own cousin- and you expect me to spare you because you find yourself outmatched!?" With another snarl she kicked him in the chest and pinned him down, holding her saber above her head with both paws, ready to remove his head clean from his shoulders.

"Syrra, don't!"

The voice alone made her stop, forced her to look up. A lone figure was on his knees, gasping as he held a red paw against his midsection. He shook with pain, yet his features were desperate and pleading as he stared at her. His yellow eyes were unlike Kajex's in many ways; but the golden glow in them, the sadness and pain of loss were eerily familiar, causing her rage to ebb away. The scene itself was too familiar, and for a moment she seemed to be reliving a memory from over a year prior- of her and a mercenary wolf in a hangar, standing over the bodies of several thugs, as the wolf implored her to not give in to hatred. She could almost hear Pakka's voice as her mate's, as he spoke.

"<... Let him live, cousin. He will pay... for his crimes later. Right now... you must remember you are a Jedi. Leave his fate to Kunik... you... mustn't lose yourself to vengeance,>" he panted, trying to remain upright.

Tears fell from her face as she realized her brief fall from the light, yet warmth seemed to fill her as she struggled to hold to compassion and mercy, finding it easier to breath as her pulse slowed to normal. Nevertheless, though her anger had abated in the face of her cousin still being alive, she had to restrain her strength as she kicked the stormtrooper's helmet off his head and knocked him out cold. A few heartbeats later she had flipped him over and pulled a pair of binders from her belt, tying him down before hurrying to her kin.

Pakka groaned as she laid him down to the floor and raised his knees, moving his paw from his midsection as she ripped his body glove open and started to go over his injury- a burning hole had drilled through the armored plates coverings his abdomen, leaving a mortal-looking hole in his left ab. "<Are you alright?>" he breathed, grabbing her shoulder with his clean paw.

She sniffled, shaking her head but offering a tremulous smile. "<Far from it. But right now, you and many others need me,>" she reasoned, wiping her eyes impatiently and reaching for a bacta injector. "<High-intensity blaster bolt wound... it would've killed you if you hadn't been wearing your armor. If I wasn't trained in medicine, I'd be the one asking 'are you alright.'>" Making note of the injury's depth, she injected him in the side and pulled a medical patch from her satchel, quickly and carefully setting it in place. While she worked she could not help but look around, noticing the other dead Trianii bodies- the entire trisector's command staff had been taken out.

"<Nobody else?>" she intoned sadly.

"<They met their end with courage, even though we were outnumbered and unprepared,>" Pakka assured her, gesturing to the other dead stormtroopers near the drop pod. "<The only reason I still possess my life is because they were the first to give theirs.>" There were a few seconds where neither of them said nothing, before the commander shifted and winced weakly. <How bad is it, doc?>" Pakka asked.

"<You'll make it,>" she assured him, running a paw through his blonde hair affectionately. "<Keep your knees raised and your paws away from your injury. Don't move from here, either. Do you have a direct line to the matriarch from here?>"

Pakka shook his head. "<She wasn't due to reach her office until an hour from now- I doubt she'll be there during this attack.>"

"<Do you still have communications up here?>"

"<Yeah, it's still intact- they were going to blow the console, but then you got here,>" he told her, groaning as he lifted a paw and pointed at a nearby security station. A sensor display of the city and surrounding terrain was connected to the comm center, with several red dots littering the area. "<It's up and running for comsignal prefixes, you'll need to adjust it if you need a private line. If you have a way to reach her, you need let her know what's going on.>" He looked around. "<Where are your friends and your mate?>"

She smiled despite the dire situation as she stood. "<Doing what Jedi should do- protecting people who need it. Stay here, I'll be back in a few minutes.>"

The moment she stepped forward she hissed and nearly fell over in pain, grabbing her left hip. With a wince she brought her paw to her side, bringing it up with a light red smear- she'd nearly forgotten she'd taken a grazing shot during the fight. Yet the sharp pain, while initially bad, abated with a slight effort in concentration; she limped carefully to the console, one paw working the keys while the other went to her headset.

"Kajex, it's Syrra- come in."

There was a ten second silence where no answer came, yet her feelings told her the wolf was not in mortal danger- just too busy to contact him. Eventually, the answer came. "Right here, kitten. Did you reach Pakka in time? Is he okay?"

"He took a shot to the gut, but I've stabilized him," she sighed, shivering. "We... we lost the command staff, but by my count I've finished off what's left of the drop pod forces here; the base is secure. I'm going to contact Ja'Murah and let her know what's going on, then rally the Rangers to this location and set up a safe place for triage."

"You did good work, Syrra," the wolf answered, a hint of relief in his voice. "Losing the command staff is a hard blow, but at least Master Moarn arrived while you went quiet; the Inspired and Lode Squadron have linked up with the Trianii Ranger orbital fighters and are hitting back as hard as they can. As soon as the skies are clear enough, Moarn is going to start deploying reinforcements."

"Can they beat them?"

"Hard to say," Miles answered, as blaster bolts and gunfire erupted softly in the background. "Dreadnaught-class cruisers can stand up to Star Destroyers, but only with a good captain and a crew. And no offense to the Trianii Rangers, but their Kiree starfighters are too light for a direct engagement against a capital ship."

Knowing no amount of worrying would change the outcome, Syrra kept her focus on opening a new comm channel. "One second, I'm contacting the matriarch now," she told them, pulling the datacard Ja'Murah had given her and inserting it into the correct data port. A series of beeps followed, then silence, until an audible click sounded.

"<... Jedi Syrra?>"

The Jedi sighed, relieved. "<Yes, Matriarch, it's me. I'm sorry it's taken my so long to contact you, but as you can imagine my pack and I are working hard to get things under control. Are you alright?>"

"<I'm... I'm alright. My security personnel got me to safety along with everyone in the vicinity. We're in a shelter right now, an evac vault beneath Navio City's bazaar.>"

"<Good, stay where you are for now,>" Syrra advised her. "<Our Jedi cruiser, the Inspired, has entered battle to help deal with the conflict above, they'll be deploying Jedi and Rangers to help on the surface.>"

There was another pause, then a weak, fearful voice. "<I... don't understand this, Syrra. I-I'm completely lost. What happened? Why is the Imperial Remnant attacking us? Wh... what are we going to do?>"

A pang of pity rent through Syrra's heart- she'd nearly forgotten that the matriarch was younger than herself. "<We don't have all the details yet, Ja'Murah,>" Syrra admitted. "<Only that the outlying forest posts were attacked by Sith-created monstrosities call battle hydras. My friend, Garrett, is currently working on that situation. As for the Empire, they haven't hailed anybody yet. If... if I had to guess,>" the Trianii said slowly, "<this attack is probably a diversion. There's no other reason for it than to pull our eyes away from what's happening beyond the city limits.>"

Another pause, then a weak whisper. "<... I'm scared, Syrra. I've never... never had to deal with something like this. I-I'm not a Ranger, or a Jedi, I'm... I'm just a politician in over her head.>"

"<You can still do good for your people,>" Syrra insisted earnestly. "<I know you're scared, and so am I. My mate-- my family is out there, fighting and trying to save lives at the risk of their own. It's actions like that that give people hope, even if it's as simple as giving them simple aid. You don't need Ranger training or the Force to do some good.>"

"<I... I need guidance. What-->"

"<You're not just a politician, Ja'Murah- you are a matriarch,>" Syrra told her firmly, trying to inject confidence into the younger feline. "<I know the position, my mother tried to groom me for it too; one of your duties is to lead our people and calm their fears, not unlike a mother soothes her cubs. Tell them the Rangers are fighting bravely to defend them, and that there are Jedi fighting alongside them; let them know there's hope.>" She paused, beating back her anger at the Empire once again. "<... And that justice will be done.>"

The matriarch's breathing on the either end seemed to calm as she spoke, and Syrra could sense hope in her voice. "<You're... you're right. I'll try to... to make use of what few skills I have to help others. Just... you and your friends, please take care of yourselves out there- the galaxy will be all the dimmer if we lose the light you bring.>"

"<We will, Ja'Murah,>" Syrra assured her. "<Keep yourself safe, may the Force be with you.>" The line went cold, prompting the Jedi to sigh and shudder, inwardly hoping she'd guided the matriarch well enough.

"You did good, kitten," Kajex offered, apparently having heard the exchange. "Now is the time for work."

She nodded and rechecked the console. "Alright, I'm going to patch my headset into this console and use the city's security grid to start directing Rangers to hotspots," she informed them, adjusting the comm frequency accordingly. Before she could switch her headset, however, a paw softly squeezed her shoulder, causing her to jump and turn, startled.

Pakka had gotten up, and was shaking his head, breathing hard. "<No, I'll do it.>"

"<You're too inj-->"

"<I'm not sitting on my ass doing nothing while our people get slaughtered,>" Pakka snapped back weakly, slowly settling into one of the console chairs. "<The senior staff here are all dead, and there will be injured. If I can't be a part of the fighting then I might as well take the lead here- you're going to be needed to heal others downstairs.>"

Syrra hesitated, but relented with a nod. "<Alright... but I'm going to send a pair of Rangers to guard you while you work, and to keep you up with stims and bacta injections.>"

"<Fair enough,>" Pakka agreed. "<I'll direct Rangers and your Jedi friends where they're nee-->"

He was cut off by the sound of a warning alarm- the screen had readjusted and refocused, expanding its range beyond the eastern borders of the city. Three hostile signals were swiftly approaching, high above the reach of the forest.

Syrra frowned, a twinge of unease setting within her. "<Just when this day wasn't already long enough...>"

In the half-hour since the attack started, Navio City had gone from a small but lively and peaceful metropolis to one consumed in fire and ash. The air battle overhead was not without consequences for the city, as flaming debris from destroyed starfighters smashed into buildings and spread flames along the streets, scattering fleeing citizens as they tried to find cover. A logistics tower had taken a direct hit from one of the Star Destroyer's escape pods, the vehicle proving its ruggedness by smashing through the spire and causing it to collapse even as its stormtrooper payload was dispersed upon landing. By now, a quarter of the city was now obscured in dust from the fallen structure, making it difficult for civilians and Rangers to know exactly what was going on.

Were it not for re-established communications with the Ranger headquarters, Talrik Lye felt the situation would be far more dire. Pakka's directions had allowed them to reach the closest hotspots, with the Amaran leading three Antarian Rangers and three Trianii Rangers into the fray.

"Another twenty meters, then take a right around the street- they're pinned next to the public archives," Pakka informed them.

"Almost there," Talrik answered, approaching the corner at full sprint with his c-rifle held in a ready position. The moment he cleared the corner he lunged behind the first piece of available cover, a disabled speeder with a shattered windshield, sliding to a stop and bringing his weapon up as he assessed the situation.

A knot of civilians were cowering behind a thin, toppled wall, pinned in place by two pods worth of stormtroopers taking potshots at the men, women and children- alarm passed through the fox as one cub nearly took a bolt to the head, only for the projectile to singe through her hair before the bawling kitten was pulled back into the questionable safety of their rapidly receding cover. The brief surge in alarm turned into lethal hatred for the Remnant, prompting the Ranger to set his weapon on the hood of a speeder for stability and open fire on them, the first shot of his concussion rifle blowing apart one unfortunate soldier while knocking away the rest.

Even from thirty meters away, Talrik could hear the troopers react vocally. "Seven contacts to the east, take up firing positions, dual-wedge!" In a matter of moments the troopers scurried into position, forming two back-to-back wedge firing lines and returning fire just as Talrik's group got into position. The barrage was enough that he was forced to duck back into cover, swearing quietly.

"What're we lookin' at, Fox-boy?" Rook grunted as she crouched next to him, a pair of pistols in each paw.

He shook his head with an ironic sigh. "Dual-wedge formation," he said, signaling the rest to stay low. "It means they haven't done research on the Trianii Rangers, it's a firing line a moron will use when they don't know what they're up against." He paused, peeking back over the hood at the firing line as they took shot to keep them in place. "<Fire team leaders are always placed at the tip,>" he continued in Trianii, "<do we have a marksman?>"

"<I can make the shot,>" a voice said, a red paw raised in the air. Talrik blinked as he set eyes on the female Trianii as she moved up beside him holding a bow- it was the rangemaster he had met days before. "<You will cover me, of course?>"

The fox hesitated. "<Sure, but... stormtrooper armor can hold up to an arrow, as you can imagine.>"

The Trianii smiled as she swiftly nocked an arrow- the fox quickly noticed the tip was not a traditional arrowhead, looking thicker. "<Not mine, if you'll allow me.>"

He nodded, then signaled to the other Antarian Rangers. "Baker, Couve, Talloe- you're up. Keep them pinned while..." he trailed off, glancing to the Trianii. "<Forgive me for not asking sooner, but-->"

"<Rangemaster Nedira, lad,>" the rangemaster replied swiftly, breathing in and steeling herself.

"Keep them pinned while Nedira takes out the fire team leaders," he ordered, pulling a concussion detonator from his belt. "When the flash goes off, give 'em hell." They nodded, and he chucked the device as far as possible between them.

A brilliant flash and deafening boom exploded in the space between the Rangers and Imperials, causing a pause in the Imperial ranks. The moment their barrage wavered, all three Rangers and Rook began to lay suppressing fire down, their bolts scoring glancing hits on the stormtroopers. Talrik watched as the rangemaster stood in clear view without a trace of fear on her features, drawing her bow with expert grace, lining up her shot in the space of half a heartbeat before releasing the arrow with a sharp snap. The bolt sailed true, arcing through the air towards the closest fire team leader, piercing the slim gap above his chestplate and below his helmet. The soldier jerked in place, dropping his weapon and clutching at the shaft of the arrow, turning- the fox's eyes widened as he spotted the arrowhead protruding from the back of the dying man's neck, immediately spotting a tiny, flashing red diode.

The next moment the arrowhead exploded with all the force of a thermal detonator, completely engulfing the stormtrooper and sending his men sailing through the air in every direction. Despite the momentary shock Talrik felt, he saw the explosion for what it was- an opportunity. "Alright, that's a clear-enough path!" he shouted, getting his c-rifle back on the hood of the speeder and opening fire. "Rangers, move in and get those civilians out of the thick of it, <everyone else, keep the fire on those bastards!>"

They broke cover as one, strafing and adding to the fire as they approached the defenseless crowd with expert swiftness. Two of the Antarian Rangers signaled for them to keep moving, using their scant knowledge of the Trianii language to prompt them to action. Though fearful, the crowd complied and began moving in small groups, quickly crossing the fire zone into the relative safety behind the Ranger firing line, with Nedira shouting orders to each group to find shelter at the Ranger headquarters. At no point did the rangemaster cease her fire, drawing arrows from her quiver in quick and smooth movements and nailing her targets cleanly through the gaps in their armor, dooming each unlucky soldier to a few seconds of agony before they were engulfed in explosive flame.

Yet even with her precision, not every bolt struck her target, the Remnant movements preventing her from sticking some of her shots- though it was fair to say their explosive attributes, along with the blasts from Talrik's c-rifle, were enough to keep the soldiers pinned with little opportunity to attack. But as the seconds wore on, Talrik's nerves started to tingle. He had only a few more charges left for his weapon before it was dry, and Nedira's quiver possessed less than half a dozen arrows.

"We gotta speed this up!" Rook snarled at the Rangers ahead. "Get those kits over here, now!"

"Last group, sir!" one of the Rangers shouted, a small knot of Trianii cowering behind him, most of them cubs. Behind Talrik, a female Trianii was screaming in anguish with her paws outstretched, several other Trianii struggling to hold her back. Talrik swallowed, overhearing enough to know her cubs were among that group. Before he could signal for them to move, the situation worsened.

"Reinforcements incoming!" another yelled, as a fresh surge of blaster-fire erupted from the Imperial hard point- another ten stormtroopers had rendezvoused with the few that remained, forcing the one of the Rangers, Talloe, to fling his arm out and hold the cubs back, cursing loudly as he fell backwards and narrowly avoided the barrage. The bolts kicked up dust and debris as they exploded against the pavement, the sound spooking one of the cubs who squeaked and bolted past Talloe towards her mother, tears streaming down her face. Cold, horrible fear overtook Talrik as she ran right into the fire zone with no cover.

"Baker, behind you!" he yelped frantically, lifting his rifle to fire once again- only for that fear to be compounded by dread as the weapon clicked, now completely dry. The female Ranger swore and lunged at the kitten just as a blaster bolt sped directly at her.

Baker reached her first, tackling the kit and gasping as the bolt exploded against her midsection, burning a grievous wound into her side. She did not let go of the cub, rolling and keeping her head covered until they came to a stop some five meters away from the burned-out speeder. Swearing loudly, Talrik tossed his c-rifle aside and drew his pistol, ducking low and darting out of cover towards the fallen Ranger- Rook followed closely, holstering both her weapons and grabbing the Trianii kitten.

"It's alright, kiddo, I'mma keep you safe!" she told her, keeping the cub's head covered and her own body between the fire zone and Talrik. Before she could move, a bolt speared against her upper back and exploded, causing her to yelp in surprise and pain- a yelp that quickly turned into a growl as she managed to stagger onwards, the hit having been blunted by her armor's shielded undermesh. "Keep movin', Talrik!" she snarled. "Grab her and get her to cover!"

The fox complied, realizing the Selonian was giving all three of them the time and cover needed to get himself and the fallen Ranger back to safety; despite the wounded Ranger being taller, the fox managed to drag her bleeding body the final few meters until they were safe behind the speeder. Rook followed closely, keeping her head ducked and staggering as another bolt glanced her hip, slowing her to a limp- yet she too made it safely, groaning with pain as she delivered the cub to the sobbing mother's arms.

Injured though Rook appeared to be, Talrik recognized the largest priority before him, laying the wounded Ranger out and checking her wound. What limited training he'd spent with Syrra was enough for him to stop short, a cold chill overtaking him as he spared a glance at the Ranger's face.

Her brown eyes were calm as they stared back. "It's okay, boss," she murmured.

She'd said it with a calm sense of certainty, and it was this quality that scared Talrik more than anything, the fox rolling his jacket sleeves up and drawing all three bacta injectors from his satchel, along with a roll of medical gauze. Even as he set to work, he kept his eye on the other two Rangers, both pinned down with the Trianii cubs, each of them trying to keep them calm and safe even as they huddled together tightly to avoid being hit. The accompanying Trianii Rangers were pouring everything they had into the stormtrooper's hard point, but the difference in numbers prevented them from laying suppressing fire long enough for the Rangers and cubs to move.

As he bent over the mortally injured Antarian Ranger and administered as much first aid as he could, he recognized things could be far worse. But as his eyes darted from the dying woman; to Rook firing repeatedly over an upturned speeder; to the remaining firing line of stormtroopers down the street; to the two Rangers and cub group still pinned down; to his own red-stained paws, slick with the wounded Ranger's blood; he could not deny that what little fortune they had was beginning to decay.

His headset hissed, then clicked. "Ranger Talrik, are you there?" Pakka said.

"Just a second," the fox growled, trying to keep his nerves steady- but for all the studying he'd done under Syrra, his efforts in administering medical aid seemed to be for naught, as the female Ranger's breathing became more shallow with each passing moment. "I just-- if I can just stabilize her, we can get her to Ranger headquarters, and Syrra can--"

Someone's hand closed gently around his arm, drawing his attention away- Nedira's face was solemn, apologetic, as she shook her head sadly. "<This one cannot be saved,>" she murmured softly. "<The light of life passes from her eyes even now.>"

The Antarian Ranger shook, but gave the fox a weak, scared smile. "It's... it's alright, boss... this is what I signed on for. I did my job," she told him quietly.

Talrik shook his head, refusing to accept defeat. "No... no, if I don't do everything I can to get you back, then I haven't done my job!" he growled, his eyes burning at the corner. "You stay with me, cadet, you hear me!?"

The dying Ranger shook her head, grabbing his bloody paw tight- her grip trembled but was strong, and Talrik could tell she was trying to linger as long as possible. "Boss... your job is to serve others the Jedi can't get to... y'got more people across the street that need your help. They're gonna die... if you don't give up on me and... help them instead," she told him. "Stick to the Jedi Code, sir- 'death; yet the Force.'"

"<Listen to the cadet,>" the rangermaster urged him calmly. "<Let her pass into the next world knowing you haven't given up on others.>"

The Ranger's grip weakened, her eyes barely focused on the fox. "Just tell my folks I... I did my duty. May... the Force be with you, sir..."

"And with you," Talrik said, shaking as her hand went limp. "We're coming back for you, I promise," he said quietly, squeezing her hand briefly before taking a deep breath to steady himself. Knowing he had little time to act he took her rifle and got into a firing position. "Pakka... I'm here."

"I know you have problems right now, Ranger," Pakka said with a slight tone of apology, "but they're about to get worse in a few minutes. The Sentinel-class shuttles we picked up earlier have not changed their course- it looks like they plan to deploy within the city."

"More drop-offs," Talrik growled, his grief being displaced by anger. "We'll deal with them when they come. But right now, I've got a group of civilians still stuck in the hot zone, most of them children," Talrik told him. "Where's the nearest safe zone?"

"Your best bet is to make for airfield," Pakka informed him. "If you can, get everybody to headquarters, but if you can't then get them into the Gold Rush and lock the ship down- you can use the ship's cannons as extra defense, if necessary."

"Copy that," Talrik said, before turning to everyone else. "<Alright everybody- one last push, let's get these kids out of the hot zone! Pour it on, thick as you can!>"

The Trianii Rangers complied bravely, breaking cover and moving quickly to closer cover while he and Rook gave them cover. Talrik took one brief moment to gesture to Talloe and Couve; without an exchange of words they nodded and started to move, coaxing the cubs to follow with the help of the two adult Trianii still with them. As Talrik expected, the stormtroopers started to shift their fire towards the civilians, but the fox was ready- with his eye peering down the rifle scope, he started letting off short bursts of blaster-fire, dropping the Imperials or forcing them back into cover. The combined firepower of Talrik's group was not heavy enough to prevent the Imperials from taking shots, yet it was enough that their fire was not consistent, giving the cubs plenty of time to scamper past the Rangers and into safety.

It did not come without cost- one of the Trianii Rangers cried out as she took a bolt to the arm, moments after the last cub had reached them. Talrik broke cover, stepping out into the open and continuing to lay fire on the Imperial hard point. "<Get her up!>" he ordered with a snarl. "<We lost one of mine today- we're not going to lose one of yours!>" The other Rangers disengaged and complied, helping the injured feline up and getting her to safety while Talloe and Couve kept them covered- once they were out of range, the two made a mad dash for safety, leaping over the damaged speeder and into cover. Talrik was the last to move back, a dark part of him trying to end as many Imperial lives as he could before Rook shouted at him.

"Git yer ass back here, Fox-boy!" she snarled. "We need you!"

With great reluctance he obeyed, ducking back behind cover and breathing heavily. Noticing the civilians were still lingering, he waved them forward. "<Everybody, get to the Ranger airfield for safety!> Rook, get them into the Gold Rush and charge up the ship's cannons, then get your wounds looked at, alright?"

The otter shook her head, frowning. "I'm fine, it's just a couple of burns. You're not stayin' out here if I'm not."

The fox shook his head. "You're gonna come right back, I know- that's what I want. But I need to be out here, and I need someone to get these people somewhere safe." He turned his eyes to Baker- the young woman's eyes were closed, her body completely still. A well of grief was building up in him, though he fought to keep it down. "She... she was right. Our job is the job of a Jedi, even if we're not Jedi."

The otter stared at him, putting a paw on his shoulder. "Right... but if that's the case, y'gotta act like one, too. I know you're pissed as fuck mate, and so am I, believe me; but y'gotta keep a clear head on this one, like a Jedi. Set it aside and get the job done, alright?" She leaned in, kissing the side of his muzzle gently before standing. "Don't do anything stupid like getting yourself killed; not until I get back, at least."

The fox managed a weak smile. "I'll do my best."

"<My Rangers will take your guardian with them- she deserves to rest among the fallen for her sacrifice,>" Nedira offered, nodding to the still unscathed pair of Trianii fighters. Without any reservations, and an air of sorrowful respect, the two carefully took Baker's body with them, following Rook as she followed the civilians back to the airfield. "<You've done well today, Ranger Talrik, but we should move now- the Imperials will likely try to use this point as a staging area, and we cannot allow ourselves to be overwhelmed.>"

"<What about you?>" he asked, as she helped him to his feet and they began to jog away from the fire zone.

"<I need to return to my tent for a larger quiver and more of my arrows,>" she replied. "<But I shall rejoin you before long- keep yourself safe.>" With that she sprinted away towards the airfield, leaving Talrik with his remaining two Rangers.

The fox sighed. "Hell of a day."

"We're with you until the fight is over, sir," Couve told him stoutly. "However that end might come."

With an appreciative smile the fox nodded. "Thanks." He triggered his headset again. "Where else do you need us, Pakka?"

"Meet up with our Ranger forces in the east- we're going to try to repel these invaders as they land, we need to buy time for our people to make it to safety."

"Sixty seconds!" the pilot called from the cockpit. A rapid thumping shook the ship as the vessel's gunners opened up on the city below, attempting to clear the way below and before them.

Thresher said nothing in response, his eyes scanning the rows of Dark Acolytes positioned at either hatch. All of them demonstrated disciplined stillness, armed with rifles and vibroblades, their smooth black helmets hiding any traces of fear their faces might have carried. Beneath the surface of it all, Thresher could feel the doubt lingering within some; in others, there was only confidence, arrogance that they would succeed. Opposite him was Knight Apex, the enormous Chistori Sith Knight silent but attentive. Their eyes met for a moment, and it was here Apex nodded, as if agreeing to an unspoken statement- the Chistori knew, could feel the thoughts of their acolytes. All of them were ready to kill; none of them were truly ready for what lay ahead.

Of them all, only one of them truly exuded any fear, a shorter Acolyte that stood to his side.

"... You are scared," he said quietly.

The figure said nothing, but the silence told him all he needed.

"You have trained for two months. This is not the final stage of your life. It is merely a crucible- one that is already beginning to mold you." He leaned in, his voice little more than a whisper. "What you do today will shape you who will become. Do not let go of your fear- embrace it."

The figure's head turned a fraction of an inch in his direction. "Embrace it...?"

"Fear of loss, fear of death, fear of failure; admit that these are possibilities. Do not delude yourself into believing otherwise. Recognize what you stand to lose, and it will become more valuable; it will sharpen you, hone your strength, mold you into a source of power- even as a non-sensitive."

"Ten seconds!" the pilot called out. The hatches clicked and opened slowly, revealing the world beyond the hull. The city could be seen ahead, smoking in several areas as the shuttle soared above the trees.

The howling wind forced Thresher to speak louder, bringing his gray-skinned snout to the Acolyte's visor. "The nature of Juyo is to distill and give in to emotion, to fuel your skills in battle- your anger and hatred, and even your fear, will all propel you, when focused properly. I have told you in the past to reign in your emotions, to put your focus into your training- I am rescinding my command to you, for the duration of this mission." He paused, watching as each row of acolytes leapt from the vessel, waiting every ten seconds between drops- even thirty feet from the ground, Thresher knew they would all land safely.

"Why?" the acolyte asked.

"The Jedi have allied themselves with the Trianii- they, too, will stand in your way. If you truly wish to gain the power you seek, you must be prepared to cut them down too."

The figure stared at him. "... And the civilians?"

Thresher paused, his eyes narrowing. "You are a Dark Acolyte, a soldier of the Sith. You are not an animal. Focus your efforts against the Jedi and their Ranger companions."

"Yes, sir," the Acolyte replied with a nod. "Where will you be?"

The shark looked out into the city, peering ahead. "Engaging. Now go; remember your objectives and your training. You will return to me."

Without a word the Dark Acolyte nodded, raising her rifle and stepping in with the final line of soldiers. Moments later they leapt from the vessel into the streets below, the Karkarodon leaning out to see her land cleanly forty feet below, moving with the rest of the troops.

It was with a quiet sigh and a slight feeling of worry that he spoke his next words. "May the Force serve you well, my apprentice."

"Get ready for them," Kajex cautioned as he stood at the forefront of the Trianii Rangers. Overhead, the Imperial shuttles had slowed and opened their deployment hatches, their turrets spewing hot energy across the street. Knowing full well it was merely a strafing run on the center of the road to clear a space for the drop-ins, the Sentinel did not need to move to avoid being hit; though the Rangers at his back ducked to either side of the street as the first contacts landed, twenty in all.

The wolf frowned, glancing back up briefly at the shuttle more than twenty meters overhead- they had not rappelled from the craft nor deployed any drop safety measures like personnel boosters or landing gel. Rather, they had leapt out and landed as cleanly and safely as if they'd been Jedi. They were also not stormtroopers, as he expected, but black-armored troops with smooth, featureless helmets, armed with blaster rifles and vibroswords. As soon as they'd spotted the wolf they attacked, opening fire on him and the Rangers.

But he had not been unprepared- before the first bolts could reach him the wolf had flung his arm to the side, mentally latching onto a destroyed speeder and telekinetically lobbing the vehicle into the crowd, intercepting the opening volley with its mass. The soldiers dispersed quickly, though the vehicle managed to smash into a few of them just as the wolf and Rangers charged forward. Seeing they were about to engage in a close-quarters fight, the Imperial soldiers matched the charge, meeting in the middle of the street.

Kajex was not new to the melee prowess of the Trianii Rangers, having witnessed their tenacity and brutality in thick combat since he was a child; yet all the same he found himself impressed with how bravely they met their foes. Even as the few in front took blaster bolts to the body, they did not relent, adrenaline and rage dulling their pain and fueling both their damaged bodies and their drive to repel the invading force. Nevertheless, the wolf was dismayed to note these new soldiers seemed to possess a similar intensity, failing to go down even as they took blows which should have been lethal- for every Trianii that struck hard and mercilessly, the black troopers struck back just as hard.

The moment he crossed blades with one of the sword-armed troops, he immediately understood why. His arms rattled as the foe's vibroblade crashed against his lightsaber, forcing the wolf to bolster his defenses with a grunt and a backpedal. An overhead strike followed, far harder than the Sentinel had any right to expect, leaving his midsection vulnerable to a powerful kick to the solar plexus, sending the wolf flying several meters away.

He rolled back up to his knees wheezing, clutching his midsection as he tried to draw air while keeping his focus on the soldier, now certain something was amiss. There was no reason to believe the man he was dueling with was anything more than a human, yet the strength of his strikes were incredible. While Kajex was physically strong for his size, this soldier appeared to match his strength.

But it was not enough; as the trooper charged again with his vibroblade in hand it was immediately apparent that his brawn was not supplemented with the necessary brain. With the knowledge that he'd be better off not pulling his punches, Kajex struck back expertly, using feints and counter-strikes to control the flow of the battle, finally thrusting his free paw out and knocking him off balance with a burst of kinetic Force energy. With his defenses lowered, the wolf slashed cleanly, cutting him across the chest. For a moment Kajex believed he had finished the soldier, but while he did indeed stagger back he managed to stay upright, ready to attack again. His swing was wild, easily ducked- the next moment Kajex brought his golden blade around, slicing through his arm and relieving him of his ability to fight, before silencing his scream with a powerful kick of his own.

But the engagement was not over- a second trooper charged at him. Before they could reach the wolf, a bolt sailed above his shoulder, catching the Imperial in the face with enough power to cause them to flip backward and land face-first, dead. Kajex whipped around, spotting Miles a few meters away.

"You almost shot me!" he barked.

"You're welcome," Miles smirked. "Tough bastards, these- don't give 'em any slack, boss," he advised, slamming the butt of his rifle into the head of another trooper and letting off a three-bolt burst into the soldier's face. Another darted in and slashed at him, forcing him to block the blow with his weapon. With the blaster now useless the ex-soldier wrenched the weapon away, tearing the vibrosword out of the trooper's grip along with it; with nothing to defend with Miles reached out and grabbed the disarmed soldier, burying his knee into his gut and winding him. Then, with a strength to rival these new troops, Miles brought his legs into the air and piledrived him into the ground with a sickening crack.

"They're being dropped throughout the city," Kajex pointed out as he felled another- it did not escape his notice that another twenty troops had been deployed further down the street, behind the Trianii defense line. "Must be the Circle's pet project put into action."

"Better let everyone know," Miles suggested, grabbing the vibrosword out of his destroyed rifle.

The Acolyte hit the ground running, easily catching up to her assigned squad's leader as they hurried through the city streets. They had picked the perfect moment to deploy, dropping far behind the line of defense with nothing but the ruined city ahead to stall their progress. Trianii and stormtrooper bodies lay among the ruins of the buildings and burning wreckage, forcing them to step carefully as they hurried towards their objective.

"800 meters ahead," the squad leader pointed out. "Primary target is the city's reactor. Eyes open for any fuzzballs- light 'em up if you see any."

The distant sound of gunfire and blaster shots echoed through the city, though noticeably far enough that she could tell they were far out of danger. Nevertheless, a tension grew within as her eyes flicked to the dead bodies around her, culminating in a cold fear that she found difficult to repress. It kept her alive, as the sound of footsteps behind her alerted her just in time.

"Contact!" she yelped, lunging to the side and opening fire at the same moment, catching the first Trianii Ranger in the neck with a bolt just as she rolled into cover. The female Trianii choked and fell forward, moments before a dozen more felinoids snarled and engaged, their slugthrowers erupting in tandem and catching two of the other Acolytes bringing up the rear.

But the skirmish did not last long. As brave as the Rangers were, they were also poorly equipped and lightly armored. The squad leader did not have to issue a single order as the team spread out and found cover, returning fire on the Trianii as they charged. The slicer at the rear rolled out of cover and flanked them, dropping two more Rangers with her rifle. One of the last Trianii still standing spotted her, drawing a flame-brand and rushing her position- she side-stepped easily and slammed the butt of her rifle into his throat with an audible crack, bringing him to his knees and allowing her to finish him off with a shot to the head, the hole in his skull smoking as he fell forward.

Despite the adrenaline the Acolyte shuddered, stepping away from the body and sparing it one last glance. "That's the last of them."

"Then let's keep moving," the squad leader ordered. "You see anymore of these bastards, put 'em down."

The unit began moving again, leaving behind the two soldiers that had fallen in the short firefight. The shortest of them kept their rear covered, scanning behind them every few moments to ensure they were not being followed. With half the distance covered to their objective she was almost certain they would be ambushed again, prompting her to begin scanning the rooftops overhead just in case; it was a sentiment her squadmates shared, as they too began raising their rifles in anticipation of another firefight. The sudden sound of crunching glass nearby caused her to flinch, her eyes alert for any visual discrepancies; she stopped dead in her tracks as the squad leader held a fist up, ceasing their movement.

The Acolyte frowned beneath her helmet. "What's going on?" she hissed. "Contact?"

The squad leader paused, then shook his head. "No. We've got somebody nearby, in here," he growled, pointing to a locked-down storefront before turning to her. "You're a slicer, right?"

"Yeah? What of it?" she replied.

"So slice open this fucking door and let's see what's in it," he ordered.

"It ain't our objective," she pointed out. "Primary task is taking out the city's power grid, we ain't got time to mess around."

"Just do it- I don't want some feline fuckheads taking potshots from behind!" he barked.

She glared at him as she approached, though it took her a moment to remember he wouldn't be able to see it. Knowing it would take too much time to jack directly into the device and slice through it, she instead pulled a security spike from one of her pouches and jammed it into the jackport, standing back with her weapon ready as the hatch controls sparked and sizzled. A few moments later, the hatch slid open weakly, a series of worried chirps and mewls pouring out of the small shop.

She stepped in, rifle held high as her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit interior, but it took only a moment for her to identify the total lack of danger. A family of seven Trianii were huddled together, three of them adult and four of them cubs; all of them looking at the black-armored soldier with a look of complete terror, even as she lowered her weapon, relieved.

"It's nothing, just a family of civvies," she sighed.

"That's fine- I'll take care of them," the squad leader grunted.

It took a moment for the Acolyte to realize what he had said and what he meant by it; she nearly reacted a moment too late, as he raised his rifle and squeezed the trigger. With a frantic yelp, the female Acolyte swung her weapon up and caught the barrel of his rifle, knocking it away as a string of blaster bolts buried themselves into the ceiling before shouldering him to the side. The Trianii civilians all cried out in terror and ducked low, holding each other close.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" she yelled at him angrily. "They're noncombatants, there's no need to kill--"

"Get out of my way you little bitch!" the squad leader roared, swinging his arm out and catching her in the midsection- the Acolyte flew through the air and into the wall on the opposite side, gasping for air as she slid to the floor, knocking over a stack of produce when she attempted to grab a shelf to keep upright. Though slightly winded she managed to stay on her feet, staggering forward as the squad leader raised his weapon again.

It happened in a matter of moments; with a burst of desperate speed the Acolyte's paw dipped to her right hip, drawing a silver hilt. The weapon sprang to life, a scarlet red blade sliding from one end just as she slashed at him, the beam of light cutting through armor, flesh and bone with a sharp hiss. The squad leader screamed in agony as her lightsaber completely amputated both his limbs; his howls were silenced with her next slash, as the blade passed through his neck and relieved his shoulders of his head, ending his life.

The troops outside raised their weapons at her, the second-in-command stepping forward. "Put the weapon down, Cadet!!!" she snarled.

"Fuck that!" she challenged, holding the blade out point first. "I told him we ain't got time to fuck around killing innocent civilians- our objective is the city grid! You wanna shoot me and risk losing a couple more hands before you put me down, or do you want to stop fucking around and get the job done!?" she snarled with enough force to make the taller Acolyte backpedal.

"The kid's right," another Acolyte said. "We're nearly at the city reactor, we need to hit the facility hard instead of wasting time with noncombatants- every second we waste out here is a second they have to reinforce their position."

The second glanced at him, then sighed in frustration. "Fine. But you're on patrol detail, cadet- alone. Scan the side streets and wait for us until we get the job done. Radio us if you see any other contacts. Everyone else, on me!"

"Suits me just fine," the younger Acolyte muttered sourly as they left, deactivating her weapon and clipping it to her belt. Upon turning back to the corpse of the squad leader, she saw one of the Trianii stepping forward, an expression of relief on his features.

"<You saved our lives, young one,>" he sighed. "<You have our tha-->"

He stopped short as she drew her pistol and aimed it at his head, causing him to backpedal away. "<You're welcome,>" she said quietly, her Trianii tongue smooth and clear. "<But as you can imagine, I'm still the enemy here. I have no wish to hurt you or your family- and so long as you stay out of our way, I will not have to. Do you understand?>"

The Trianii swallowed, nodding.

"<Good. Then close the hatch on my way out. Do the smart thing and stay in here. Barricade this position, and keep your heads down.>"

"<Y-yes ma'am, thank you,>" the Trianii said quickly, stepping back and allowing her to leave. Once she reached the base of the steps the hatch slid shut, leaving her alone.

She let out a tired sigh, leaning against the wall of the shop as she looked around. Near as she could tell the street was deserted, save for the still-helmeted head of the squad leader. With an irritable chuff she lashed out, kicking the head across the street in frustration before ambling towards the city reactor facility. She reached it just in time to see the last few Acolytes dart past the gate and into the compound- almost immediately gunfire could be heard within.

"Sounds like a party I'd be glad to miss," she mused quietly, turning away from the facility and striding down the other side of the street, her eyes alert for any movement. Minutes passed with no word, though every few moments another barrage of blaster bolts rang out from the facility behind her. Within two cycles of her short patrol route she saw nothing of interest.

On the third cycle, she spotted movement at the far end of the street.

With a quiet curse she ducked behind a parked speeder, hoping she hadn't been spotted. She peeked around the vehicle, eyes narrowing as she got confirmation on six targets, all of them wolf-like beings that had been detailed in the mission briefing. She quickly identified white furred wolf as the traitor named Locke; by his side was his apprentice, an Amaran female in green robes that she recognized as the one called Keris. Their group were moving from building to building, ducking into shops and offices and helping Trianii civilians get to safety. All of them were armed with at least a blaster pistol, yet were robed as Jedi.

The Acolyte sighed, cursing her circumstances and bringing her paw up to her helmet. "I've got visual on contacts, six in all; over."

Several seconds passed before there was a response. "Are they on approach? Do you require backup?"

She started to speak, only to stop short with a gasp as another canine exited from a nearby building. He had a dark gray pelt beneath his clean Jedi robes, with gold eyes and black hair, and a gold band across his eyes. Pure rage boiled within her as she recognized the face.

"... Negative. I'll handle this myself."