Star Wars: Heroes Triumphant

[Swordmaster]

This is the third act to my Star Wars: Heroes trilogy. For the first two acts, click below:

Star Wars: Heroes Rising

Star Wars: Heroes Lost

I would give a synopsis, but that would spoil a lot of the fun I will say, though, that this is the final battle for Katana Team and the Sith, and hopefully you will enjoy it.

**DISCLAIMER: This work in no way is meant to be entered into Star Wars canon, nor is it meant to be taken entirely seriously. After all, the premise is ridiculous. Just for fun, this was.

 

[Swordmaster]

Heroes Triumphant

The war between the Galactic Union and the Sith Onslaught has reached its devastating peak. Now under the command of DARTH BRUTOS, the Sith strike at key Union locations, operating with far more efficiency than under the rule of DARTH DRAKOS.

General SEV MESTON struggles to keep the Union from falling, but the Sith have gained an advantage: the landing codes to the Union stronghold planet Shavaar. Using these codes, Darth Brutos has launched a strike that he believes will cripple the Union Army and give him control over the galaxy.

JUSTIN ROSENBAUM and COLIN SCHLOTH work hard to repel the Sith from destroying the base, and in a last move have sent out a distress call to their other two team mates, who have not been seen in over six months…

 

[Swordmaster]

[FONT=&quot]One[/FONT]​

Shavaar.


The bodies of Sith and Galactic Union soldiers alike surrounded the remaining two Galactic Union soldiers as they faced their most desperate battle yet. All on their own, they were facing the last of an army.


And they were winning.


“PAY FORYOUR SINS!” Justin Rosenbaum bellowed as he fired his chaingun at the remaining Sith Super Soldiers, nicknamed ‘Slayers’ by the Holonet. Even though they were already stronger and faster than the already enhanced stock Sith soldier, they were no match for the continuous stream of blaster fire that Justin sent their way. They fell to the ground with a thud, armor sparking.


“Hurm,” he grumbled. “Not much of a challenge.” He turned around and called to his teammate. “Colin! You done?”


Colin Schloth was in battle with a Sith soldier, their arms locked, both refusing to give ground. Colin, though, was resourceful enough to defeat the man (or woman. Behind the helmets it was impossible to say). He motioned with his head as if he were acknowledging a friend, which distracted the soldier long enough for Colin to gain enough leverage and throw the Sith to the ground. In a fluid motion, he removed his DC-15x sniper rifle, modified to his specifications, and pressed the muzzle to his enemies head, and fired without hesitation. “I’m done now!” he called back to his friend, who was running towards him.


“Good,” Justin said, slight perspiration glittering in the intense sun. “I’ve gotta admit, I thought we were kriffed there.”


“Yeah,” Colin said solemnly, looking at the dead Union soldiers. He was sure the result of the battle was worth the cost, but it had still cost them a lot. He wished they didn’t have to pay that.


“Next time you talk with Rhett, by the way, thank him for me,” Justin added. “Thanks to the Coalition’s Intel, we were able to prepare for the attack.”


Colin nodded. Justin referred to the Elomin who ran operations for the Coalition, formerly a crime syndicate and now an ally of the Galactic Union, in Colin’s stead. They had learned a week earlier from Rhett (an assumed name) that the Sith were preparing to invade Shavaar and remove the critical base from the Union’s hands.


“Guess we didn’t need Tom and Jimmy after all,” Colin said finally. “I sent out the distress message right when the Sith first entered the system, but only got R6-D4, who said he’d relay the message to them.”


“That was ten hours ago,” Justin said, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.


“I know.” Colin pressed a button on his wrist-comm. “General Meston? It’s Colin. The Sith ground forces have been defeated, sir.”


The only sound on the other end was static and shouting, but then the voice of Sev Meston broke through. “I have bad news for you, Colin. I have a feeling that that was only the preliminary invasion party. We just saw another dropship depart one of the War Spires up here, heading planetside. We tried to stop it, but our attention is scattered. I’ll try and get more troops to you, but it will take some time. Until then, you’re on your own. Sev out.”


Colin looked at Justin, not afraid. “You ready for some more?”


Justin hefted his chaingun and grinned. The eye that wasn’t covered with an eyepatch shone with excitement. “Aren’t I always?”


The two soldiers watched the sky with a mixture of dread and anticipation. After minutes of waiting, they saw the egg-shaped drop ship land a few kilometers away, and ran to meet their opposition halfway. When they got within view of the armada, however, they froze.


It was at least a third larger than the one they had defeated beforehand, with even more Slayers than they had had previous. Added to that was the addition of five Dark Acolytes. They led the approach, crimson lightsabers ignited.


“Not good,” Justin said.


“It never is,” Colin agreed, aiming with his sniper rifle and firing at random Slayers, thinking it best to dwindle their numbers before they arrived. He fired seven times. He missed zero.


Justin, meanwhile, armed and threw every detonation pack he had left in between the two opposing forces. When they got within blast radius, Justin pressed the activation button on his armband, creating a large explosion.


“How many you think that got?” Justin asked.


“Not enough,” Colin said dismally. “Look.”


Justin did so, and to his annoyance saw only a marginal amount of corpses on the ground, none of them Acolytes. They had used the Dark Side to protect themselves, and possibly redirected the brunt of the explosion at their comrades. They kept walking, their pace never changing.


“Remember how I said I thought we were kriffed before?” Justin asked.


“Yeah.”


“Well,” he finished with a gulp. “I think we’re kriffed now.”


Colin was surprised at his friend’s seeming fear, but didn’t mention it. He didn’t need that right now. Instead, he muttered to himself. “Tom and Jimmy…if you can hear me, we can really use your help right now.” He looked around, hoping that the Force had granted his wish.


It hadn’t.


With a resigned sigh, Colin took out his blaster pistols and ran towards the enemy. Frown turning into a slight smile, Justin took out his battle rifle and followed suit.

 

[Swordmaster]

[FONT=&quot]Two[/FONT]​

Aboard the Warhammer, General Sev Meston was barking orders to his men as he had done so many times before. “Destroy those turbo lasers! Why aren’t the forward blasters online yet? Come on, people!”


Outside, in the blackness of space, ships belonging to both Sith and the Union became miniature suns briefly before disappearing forever. Sev mentally grieved for their deaths, but didn’t let that interfere with his duty. He wouldn’t make that mistake again, as he had with the death of President Rona Haled. The memory of her didn’t give him pause, as it had six months ago. He had grown much since then, thanks in part to Colin and Justin.


Concerned for the safety of the two young men he considered sons, he turned to an ensign who could do nothing in this battle. “Ensign Lami,” he said. “Patch me through the Shavaar planetary camera system, and find me Lieutenants Justin Rosenbaum and Colin Schloth. Play it on my command screen when you find them.”


“Yes sir,” the Chev ensign said. She smiled, glad to have something to do. Sev went to his chair and sat, observing the battle. His men, on both the Warhammer and in the starfighters, had their orders, and those orders would remain for the time being. It was up to them to ensure that the Sith would be defeated. He had every faith that they would.


After it seemed that he had been staring at the battle over Shavaar for an eternity, a chime indicated Ensign Lami had found Colin and Justin. He pressed a button, and his command screen appeared in front of him. What he saw both warmed his heart and chilled him to the core. Justin and Colin were, together, single-handedly fighting the invasion force he had warned them about. But they were outnumbered greatly, and he had an unwelcome thought that they would die.


Sev pressed in a series of commands, and the visual of the battle changed into a radar view of the area. He looked to see if those reinforcements he’d called for were on their way, but saw nothing. The only plus side was that no Sith were coming for them, but it was only small consolation.
Then, randomly, he saw two gray dots indicating unknown’s approaching the battle site. Curious, he switched to regular view, and saw two speeder bikes racing toward the scene. The riders he could not identify. He opened a comm channel to Colin and Justin. “Be advised: bogies heading in your direction.”


The general, feeling much older than he truly was, leaned back in his chair. May the Force be with you both.


***

I was right, Justin thought as he stabbed a Slayer in the back. We are kriffed.


Despite the fact that they had managed to kill a fair amount of beings for only two people, they were still overwhelmed. Fatigue burned in their bones, and their reflexes were becoming duller. Added to that, the Dark Acolytes, who had spent the beginning of the battle on the sidelines, sent two of their own after Justin and Colin, looking to end this battle.


“Oh this is not good,” Colin said, seeing this and shooting a blaster bolt aimed at Justin’s head.


“Woo, that was close,” Justin said gratefully. “Might have been a better death than what awaits me now, though.”


“True,” Colin said, getting slightly red. “Sorry.”


“Don’t worry about it,” Justin said, wiping blood off his scalp and readying his twin pistols. “We can at least hurt them.”


“You can try, at least,” a deep voiced, hooded Acolyte said suddenly. With a wave of his hand, he sent Justin flying, before turning to Colin. The sniper noted that his black-robed partner, a female Zabrak, leaped towards him. “My partner will deal with him. I am more interested in you, Colin Schloth.” He raised a hand, lifting Colin into the air. Squeezing slightly, he cut the air flow from Colin’s throat. He gasped.
“You are a soldier, and also the head of the Coalition, which was until recently a crime syndicate,” the Acolyte said. “Yet I sense within you a deep respect for life. Kind of hypocritical, is it not?”


“Not if I’m fighting to make sure more life isn’t lost,” Colin retorted, reaching for his hold-out blaster. The Acolyte reached for it with the Force and crushed it.
“Your thoughts are open to me, Colin Schloth,” he said softly. “I look forward to learning why exactly you are the way you are.”


“You’ll have to kill me first,” Colin spat.


The Acolyte shrugged. “If I must.” Still holding the near-unconscious Colin in the air, he reached for his lightsaber and activated it. He held it against Colin’s throat. “Farewell, Colin.”


Colin, resigned to his fate, stared into the yellow eyes of his soon-to-be killer as he drew his blade back. He was then blinded by a flash of emerald, and the next thing he knew he was on the ground, gasping in welcome mouthfuls of air.


Then the head of the Acolyte who would kill him fell in front of him, a blank expression on his Quarren face. Colin looked up, confused, and saw Jimmy Cricchio standing above him, green lightsaber in hand.


The Jedi looked down and smiled at Colin. “Looks like you could use a little help there, my friend.” He deactivated his blade and extended his hand to help Colin up. Colin took it.


“Took you long enough,” Colin said accusingly.


“Sorry. We were in the Hapan system. Besides, better late than ever, right?”


“Yeah,” Colin admitted. “Where’s Tom?”


Jimmy motioned in the direction Justin got thrown in, and Colin watched a silver whirlwind driving back the horned, brown-skinned Sith. In a flash, her arms were gone, and she was staring at a clean hole in her chest, even as she fell to the ground.



The whirlwind soon dissipated, and only Tom Waters was standing where it had been only seconds previous. He helped Justin up, and they approached Colin and Jimmy. “Yo,” was all the red-haired Jedi had to say.


“Seems like our two Jedi finally decided to show up,” Justin said.


“My thoughts exactly,” Colin agreed.


“We were in the…” Tom began.


“Hapan system I know,” Colin finished. “And you did save our lives.” He lightly kicked the head of his would-be murderer.


“Doesn’t excuse you from being late,” Justin said stiffly.


“Hey, you guys seem to have been doing fine on your own,” Jimmy said, motioning to the Sith corpses laying around.


“We’re at the edge of our endurance, though,” Colin said. “I mean, look at the remaining Sith.”


Tom and Jimmy nodded, even though they didn’t bother looking. “They won’t be a problem,” Tom said.


“Why aren’t they moving against us while we stand here idly chatting?” Justin asked, just then coming to that realization.


“Force barrier,” Jimmy said simply. “I erected it once I saw how much trouble you were in. They can’t get through unless I want them to.”


Tom grinned devilishly. “Or if we want to get to them.” He spun his lightsaber hilt on his finger tip. Just for fun, it would seem.


“Nice trick,” Justin muttered.


“I know,” Tom agreed, smiling. Colin frowned. His ginger friend had a happy face on, but it seemed forced, somehow. It was even reflected in his clothing; Jimmy still wore the robes of a Jedi, only they were a deep green, as opposed to brown. But Tom looked decidedly un-Jedi like.


Almost Sith-like, even.

He wore a bantha leather jacket, brown trousers, knee-high black boots, and an ornate black vest lined with red around the edges. It was rather disconcerting A quick look at Justin told him that he saw and felt the same. He decided to let the matter rest, for now, until the battle was over.


“Well, I’m ready to go,” Tom said, igniting his silver blade. “How about you, Jim?”
Jimmy, who’d entered an odd standing meditation, opened his eyes and nodded. He looked at Colin and Justin. “You two ready for another fight?”


“I am,” Justin said, adding a fresh blaster cartridge to his rifle.


“Yeah,” Colin said. “We should get this over with, and save the planet.”


Tom grinned. “Easy feat for us by now, right?”


The other three laughed and nodded. Tom had a point. With a wave of his hand, Jimmy removed the Force barrier separating the Sith. They readied their weapons, and then Katana Team ran off into battle once more.

 

[Swordmaster]

[FONT=&quot]Three[/FONT]​

Using the multiple satellites that orbited the planet Shavaar, the Dark Lady Eva watched the ground battle with great interest. She was in her private chamber onboard the War Spire Krayt, named after the dragon species found on Tatooine. Despite the fact that the Sith ground troops were getting destroyed, she could not help but be impressed by the fact that it was four against an army, and the four were winning.


Most impressive of all was Tom, who was destroying Slayers left and right. She had seen a sample of his power, right before she had captured him on Forshran. She was only marginally surprised to note that his powers seemed to have increased.


Eva smiled. She knew that this was a result of her torture of him. He was more willing to call on powers normally associated with the Dark Side of the Force, as she saw when he’d used lightning on a group of soldiers who had surrounded him. Those soldiers were now among the dead.


She felt a nudge in the Force, and realized that Lord Brutos was summoning her. Eva, disgusted, shut of the battle and stood. She had not yet grown used to addressing Lord Brutos as Master, but he had every right to demand that of her. After all, it was he who had killed Darth Drakos and claimed the Sith throne. Per Sith law, he was the rightful Sith Lord.


And he was powerful. He had proved as much when he’d bested her in combat. And despite her treachery against him when he was Darth Drakos’ apprentice, he’d let her live. Moreso, he’d taken her as his apprentice. Though she hated him with every fiber of her being, she felt she should feel some small measure of pride at that. Still…


After he had defeated her, Eva had asked Brutos what he hated so much to give him his power. He had been expecting a cliché answer, such as, “The Galactic Union,” or “Tom and all the Jedi,” or even, “Darth Drakos.” She had not expected him to reveal to her that, above all else, the thing he hated enough to give him great power was himself.


They had never again spoken of that, and Brutos had taken over the Sith and wielded them as effectively as Drakos did. Perhaps even better, though she wouldn’t say that just yet. Not until the war was won.



The Dark Lady was so wrapped up in her own musings that she hadn’t realized that she’d arrived at Darth Brutos’ Meditation Sphere. Before she could announce herself, his voice rang both in her ears and her mind. “Enter.”


The door opened, and she walked in and kneeled on one knee deferentially. “What would you have of me, Master?”


The Sith Lord’s eyes were closed, as he was using his Sith battle meditation to coordinate the Sith fleet effectively, to ensure that holovids of the Battle of Shavaar would show the Sith as the victors. If this act was straining him, it didn’t harm his voice at all. “I sense you are watching the groundside battle. Tell me, how does it go?”


“We’re losing, my lord,” Eva said unhesitatingly.


Brutos maintained his calm composure. “How is this possible?” he wondered aloud. “Our troops are better-trained than the Union’s…”


“It is Katana Team who is responsible for our inevitable defeat, Lord Brutos,” Eva replied.


“Justin and Colin?” Now Brutos opened one eye. “They are skilled soldiers, to be sure, but to hold their own against five Acolytes is…unexpected.”


“It is not just Justin and Colin,” Eva said. “Jimmy and Tom have joined them, and are responsible for many of the casualties on our side now.”


“Ah,” Brutos said, closing the eye again. “That makes sense. Though it is curious. Yes, curious indeed…”


“What is, Master?”


“I did not sense their arrival on Shavaar,” he explained. “Did you?”


“No,” Eva admitted. “Their arrival was a surprise to me. And our soldiers.”


Brutos nodded. “This is relatively disturbing. The fact that I could not sense the Jedi, particularly Tom, arrive says something about me that I do not like.”


That you’re too arrogant in your own abilities? Eva thought.


“If anything, I am not arrogant enough in my own abilities, my dear Eva,” Brutos said off-handedly. “No. I do not like that I can’t sense enemies who have cloaked themselves in the Force.”


There was his ego again. Eva repressed her thoughts on the matter so that her Master wouldn’t sense them. He had dismissed them the first time, but she feared she would not be as lucky the second time. Fortunately, Brutos was too concerned with his own thoughts and maintaining his battle meditation to notice. Finally, he said with noticeable reluctance, “We must retreat and regroup.”


Eva stared at him blankly. In the entire duration of the war, the Sith had never retreated. This time, he did sense her thoughts, and stared at her, his eyes yellow and cold. “Do you doubt my judgment? Then allow me to explain: I have had a vision. If we do not retreat, we will all die. Do you want to die? Because I can easily grant your request and find another apprentice. You are not unique.”


Anger fumed inside of the Sith woman. “No, my lord. I do not want to die.”


“Then order Admiral Yauilk to send the Krayt into hyperspace. I myself will send the order to the rest of the fleet. We will meet again on Korriban.”


Eva rose and bowed her head. “Of course, Lord Brutos.” She turned to leave.


“And Eva?”


As she turned, she was struck by a bolt of lightning. “Never presume to even think about questioning my orders again,” Brutos snarled, the anger that was his fuel practically glowing around him.


“Of course not, Lord Brutos,” Eva said, standing. The spot where the bolt struck her burned, but beyond that she was unharmed. “Why would I ever consider that?”


***


Sev couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Outside of the viewport, in the starry blackness of space, the Sith starfighters and War Spires were entering hyperspace. They were retreating. The Union had won this battle. Shavaar was, for the moment, saved.


As the Warhammer erupted into cheers, Sev sat back in his command seat and activated the battle screen, observing how the groundside battle on Shavaar was. What he saw brought a smile to his face.


No Sith was standing, and Katana Team in its entirety was responsible for it.

 

[Swordmaster]

[FONT=&quot]Four[/FONT]​

This is what it is to be Tom Waters.


You are surrounded by beings ready to kill you without a seconds thought, and the only thing keeping you from certain death is a slender silver rod in your right hand. That, and the power of the Force. You let that power fill you, surround you, penetrate you.


And then the chaos begins.


You are a silver storm, destroying all that gets in your path. You betray no hint of what drives you, though you recognize what it is.


Hatred.


Hatred for the soldiers you cut down remorselessly. Hatred for the war. Hatred for the Sith Lord, who just happens to have once been your best friend, who desires to control the galaxy. Hatred for yourself for failing to realize that he was in need of your help. Hatred for the realization that has driven you since you had been tortured on Korriban; hatred for the fact that you are the only one that can end this, with your silver lightsaber at his throat.


Worst of all, hatred at yourself for being unable to save your friend.


As Sith soldiers surround you, you slash at them and summon lightning to stop them, but it does not lessen the hatred that you live with.


Not at all.


***


This is what it is like to be Jimmy Cricchio.


As you charge into battle, you are calm. Collected. At peace. A stark contrast to the anger you felt so many months ago. The Force is your ally, your friend, your guide. You accept this and welcome it, as it is that power that enables you to decapitate a maddened Sith acolyte.


Once, you recall as you effortlessly grab a Slayer and throw him into a group of oncoming soldiers, you would have been foaming at the mouth for a chance to kill the Sith soldiers, in vengeance for the death of your beloved. But now, she guides your hand as you stab a soldier through the chest and continue on.


It is because you realize this fact that, even in the chaos of battle, you project an aura of peace, as only a Jedi Master can.


***


This is what it is like to be Colin Schloth.


You are surrounded by an onslaught of Sith. This does not bother you. You’ve been surrounded by greater numbers before, and you’ve gotten out all right. Knowing this, you ready your sniper rifle, in a way your most reliable ally, and let a wave of calm wash over you, as you have so many times in the past.


The wave is what makes you a great sniper. With it, you can not be distracted by anything; your only focus is the target. You do this now, and within five seconds ten Sith are down. You smile inwardly, but do not let this distract you: more is to be done.


There is no feeling when you kill, no hatred or remorse, nothing. There is only your mission, and you will get it done by any means necessary.


***


This is what it is like to be Justin Rosenbaum.


You love the feeling of battle, the chaos of it all. You love the surge of adrenaline that you get anytime you kill, and that is what you do best: kill. Sometimes, much like now, you get enveloped in a bloodlust so strong that it makes you one of the most dangerous men alive. Whether this is a product of your genetic manipulation, or something you were born with, you neither know nor care. It is fortunate for your friends that you are on their side, because deep deep down, you do care for them, and you kill to protect them.


***


This is what it is like to be Katana Team.


You work well together, your attacks never coming close to hitting one another. You are seemingly of one mind, at times, able to coordinate movements that will spell defeat for your enemies. You can take on armies together, and come out without a scratch or a bruise. Each of you trusts the others with your life, and that trust is repaid in kind, and that, not the Force or a lightsaber or a blaster, is your true strength. It is that strength that allowed you to take on the Sith that invaded Shavaar, and it is because of that strength that their corpses surround you, and the four of you stand victorious.

 

[Swordmaster]

[FONT=&quot]Four[/FONT]​

This is what it is to be Tom Waters.


You are surrounded by beings ready to kill you without a seconds thought, and the only thing keeping you from certain death is a slender silver rod in your right hand. That, and the power of the Force. You let that power fill you, surround you, penetrate you.


And then the chaos begins.


You are a silver storm, destroying all that gets in your path. You betray no hint of what drives you, though you recognize what it is.


Hatred.


Hatred for the soldiers you cut down remorselessly. Hatred for the war. Hatred for the Sith Lord, who just happens to have once been your best friend, who desires to control the galaxy. Hatred for yourself for failing to realize that he was in need of your help. Hatred for the realization that has driven you since you had been tortured on Korriban; hatred for the fact that you are the only one that can end this, with your silver lightsaber at his throat.


Worst of all, hatred at yourself for being unable to save your friend.


As Sith soldiers surround you, you slash at them and summon lightning to stop them, but it does not lessen the hatred that you live with.


Not at all.


***


This is what it is like to be Jimmy Cricchio.


As you charge into battle, you are calm. Collected. At peace. A stark contrast to the anger you felt so many months ago. The Force is your ally, your friend, your guide. You accept this and welcome it, as it is that power that enables you to decapitate a maddened Sith acolyte.


Once, you recall as you effortlessly grab a Slayer and throw him into a group of oncoming soldiers, you would have been foaming at the mouth for a chance to kill the Sith soldiers, in vengeance for the death of your beloved. But now, she guides your hand as you stab a soldier through the chest and continue on.


It is because you realize this fact that, even in the chaos of battle, you project an aura of peace, as only a Jedi Master can.


***


This is what it is like to be Colin Schloth.


You are surrounded by an onslaught of Sith. This does not bother you. You’ve been surrounded by greater numbers before, and you’ve gotten out all right. Knowing this, you ready your sniper rifle, in a way your most reliable ally, and let a wave of calm wash over you, as you have so many times in the past.


The wave is what makes you a great sniper. With it, you can not be distracted by anything; your only focus is the target. You do this now, and within five seconds ten Sith are down. You smile inwardly, but do not let this distract you: more is to be done.


There is no feeling when you kill, no hatred or remorse, nothing. There is only your mission, and you will get it done by any means necessary.


***


This is what it is like to be Justin Rosenbaum.


You love the feeling of battle, the chaos of it all. You love the surge of adrenaline that you get anytime you kill, and that is what you do best: kill. Sometimes, much like now, you get enveloped in a bloodlust so strong that it makes you one of the most dangerous men alive. Whether this is a product of your genetic manipulation, or something you were born with, you neither know nor care. It is fortunate for your friends that you are on their side, because deep deep down, you do care for them, and you kill to protect them.


***


This is what it is like to be Katana Team.


You work well together, your attacks never coming close to hitting one another. You are seemingly of one mind, at times, able to coordinate movements that will spell defeat for your enemies. You can take on armies together, and come out without a scratch or a bruise. Each of you trusts the others with your life, and that trust is repaid in kind, and that, not the Force or a lightsaber or a blaster, is your true strength. It is that strength that allowed you to take on the Sith that invaded Shavaar, and it is because of that strength that their corpses surround you, and the four of you stand victorious.

 

[Swordmaster]

[FONT=&quot]Five[/FONT]​

This is what it is like to be Darth Brutos.


You are a Sith Lord, the greatest ever known as far as you are concerned. Your powers are limitless, your skill unparalleled, your hatred immeasurable. You are the Supreme Commander of the Sith Armada, and have impressive military genius. No one can stand up to you.


This should please you, but it doesn’t.




For you see, a small part of you knows that what you’re

doing is wrong, and tends to be very vocal about that fact. You thought you had destroyed that part long ago, but instead it only seems to have grown stronger. And every time it speaks, you are reminded of a cold, harsh truth.


You hate yourself.


Is it because you are the leader of an evil army? Could it be the fact that, in your soul, you realize what you’re doing is wrong? Maybe it’s the fact that you recognize the fact that you’re quite possibly insane?


It is all of these things, and yet none of them. The real reason you hate yourself is because you know you will have to kill your best friend, that you want to kill him. Most of you accepts that. But the part of you that doesn’t will keep reminding you of the truth that prevents you from sleeping at night.


You hate yourself, and you are alone.


***


“Admiral Oppen!” Darth Brutos said, just loud enough to be heard, as he walked into the bridge, taking only a trivial mental note that the War Spire was in hyperspace. The admiral, a middle-aged man who looked quite fearful, gulped and said, with only the tiniest bit of worry, “Yes, my lord?”


“Has the groundside engagement ended?” His voice was icy calm.


“Indeed, my lord,” Oppen gulped. “All of the troops we have sent down there have been killed.”

Brutos nodded. “With Katana Team, this is unsurprising. In fact, I expected this. How many of the Union soldiers were killed?”


“Many, my lord,” Oppen said, gaining confidence. “From what video footage Eva had gathered, the four members of Katana Team are the only surviving soldiers who fought on the ground.”


“Excellent,” Brutos said. “Send that footage to my chambers, if you would be so kind. I would watch it on my own, and make my own assessments.”


Oppen gave Brutos a short military bow. “At once, Lord Brutos.”


Brutos watched the Admiral leave. A good man, he thought. Many would be curious at his seeming politeness, especially since he had killed a subordinate for insulting him. His temper was well-known. Still, the Dark Lord recognized he had taken control of the Sith Army in ways that, while encouraged by Sith lore, were generally unacceptable to the military. That is why he had to treat every officer with respect; it lessened the chance of a coup that way.


It amused him, in a way, to act as if he cared about the lives under his command. It would likely frighten him if he realized that, deep down, he did.


Brutos strode back to his chambers, passing Eva training in unarmed martial arts. Her lack of strength in that area was something Brutos needed her to work on if she was to be a suitable enforcer. He left her to it, and sat down in his throne-like chair. Waving his hand, he activated his screen. He pressed a button on his chair, and the ground portion of the Battle of Shavaar played for him.


The first few minutes played out very much as he’d predicted, with his Sith soldiers and Slayers killing any of the Union soldiers getting in their way. Brutos had to marvel at their efficiency: he so rarely got a chance to see them at work. He made a mental note to commend the War Spire Hellspawn for their continued maintenance of the AI that allowed his soldiers to coordinate their attacks.


The battle for him picked up once Colin and Justin entered the battle. They managed to dodge blaster bolts with apparent ease, and their skills were, admittedly, greater than the Slayers. The reason for this is obvious: Justin and Colin had individuality. The Slayers had none, making up for it with sheer numbers and strength. Something to look into once the war was won.


Once Colin and Justin defeated the preliminary strike force, and the main invasion team landed, Brutos saluted them as they decided to go out fighting, as all should. But when Tom and Jimmy showed up and revitalized their teammates, that was when Brutos began paying serious attention.


Katana Team was a single living weapon now, a powerful force that could easily destroy anything in its path. Jimmy was undoubtedly a Jedi Master now, Brutos noted. Tom’s actions, though, surprised him. His attire was much more that of a bounty hunter than a Jedi, and his attacks were much more ferocious and unrestrained than they were the last time he saw him.


Eva had said Katana Team would inevitably be victorious, and she wasn’t wrong. But Brutos was not angry at this fact, because this battle had drawn Tom and Jimmy out of hiding. With that out of the way, he could at last move the war into its final stages. He smiled, knowing victory was at hand.


Darth Brutos rose and, with a sweep of his cloak, went to make preparations to bring the galaxy under the glove of the Sith, ignoring the thought-dead youthful voice of Luke Allen whispering in his ear.

 

[Swordmaster]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS, sans-serif]Six[/FONT]​

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]In Shavaar’s Galactic Union military base, Justin, Jimmy, Tom, and Colin sat in the briefing room, waiting for Sev to arrive. In the meantime, the four caught up, with Tom and Jimmy explaining exactly what they’d been doing for six months. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“And that’s how we saved the Hapan throne,” Jimmy concluded. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Ah,” Colin said. “But how did you kill the Gundark?” [/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Lightning,” Tom replied casually.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Of course,” Justin said, equally casual. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“So what have you two been up to?” Jimmy asked. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Saving the Union, fighting the war,” Justin answered. “You know. Standard stuff.” [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I’m still surprised Sev granted you two leave when the war was escalating,” Colin said. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Frankly, so were we,” Jimmy admitted. “But it needed to be done for us to…be more prepared to face the Sith.” [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Clearly,” Colin said, again eyeing Tom’s wardrobe. Sensing this, Tom looked up. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Something on your mind?” he asked. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Actually, yeah,” Colin said. “Your outfit seems very…Sithly.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Oh good, I wasn’t the only one who thought so,” Justin said. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I brought that up multiple times,” Jimmy said. He refused to listen.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Tom just shrugged. “I like it. That thing about clothes making the man is all talk. Besides, robes are too loose for my taste, and bright colors don’t work for me.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Colin tried to think up a counterpoint, failed to do so, and merely said, “Oh.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“At least he’s wearing something,” Justin said, getting a laugh from Jimmy.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Ha ha ha,” Tom said drily. He looked as if he were about to respond, but then his eyes glazed over. “Sev’s here.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Colin immediately stood and saluted, with Justin following a split second later. Tom and Jimmy, meanwhile, just sat there, clearly puzzled by their friends’ sudden adherence to military doctrine. When the general walked in, he stopped, clearly sharing the Jedi’s confusion.
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“At ease,” he said, walking towards the center of the room. When he saw Tom and Jimmy, he said, “You came just in the nick of time.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“It’s what we do,” Tom said.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Well, in the future, try to be a bit quicker,” Sev asked. “We lost the lives of good men and women out there.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“With all due respect, General, they signed up for that,” Tom said. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“And I felt those deaths,” Jimmy said, absently rubbing his hand over his heart. “They were spent, not wasted.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sev, looking much older than he had six months ago, studied the two Jedi hard, then nodded. “You’re right, I suppose.” He sat in the chair opposite the four. “And this battle, costly as it may have been, did provide some fruits. It’s why I requested you four here.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sev keyed in a command on the holoprojector, and the battlefield appeared. “You four killed quite a bit of Sith today. I don’t know if any of you know this, but this is the first time we’ve ever been able to capture a Sith soldier’s corpse for study. Usually, a command is relayed to make their armor explode. This time, however, we managed to deactivate the detonators built into the armor of three of the regular soldiers and two of the Slayers. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“As you know, the standard Sith ground trooper is given an implant upon recruitment, which is part of the process to erode the individuals will. The implant also allows the soldier to have access to a Sith Artificial Intelligence, which in turn coordinates attacks.”
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yeah,” Colin said. “The worst of that was on Tythe. Remember? When they sabotaged the reactor core?”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“All too well,” Justin said. The memory of that failure still haunted him. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sev cleared his throat. “Yes, well, my point is that now that we have access to multiple soldiers linked to the A.I., we can track the signal, and find the War Spire that carries it.” [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“A good plan, in theory,” Colin said after a moment’s consideration. “In practice, though, it will be difficult to accomplish.” [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Nothing worthwhile is ever easy,” Jimmy said. “You know that.” As he said this, though, he looked at Tom, who was making it a point to study his gloves intently. Colin frowned.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“He’s got a point,” Justin said. “You have any idea how the plan will work, exactly?”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Nothing’s definite, yet. All I can say for certain is that, once the War Spire is located and identified, that will be the deciding battle of the war,” Sev said.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif] “How can you be so sure?” Tom asked. He stood. “Yes, the destruction of the A.I. will help, but don’t forget that there are still Acolytes to deal with, not to mention Brutos himself. The war won’t be over until he is dead, I guarantee it.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“He’s right,” Colin said. “I’ve seen ten of those Acolytes do as much damage as an entire legion of ground troopers.”
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“I know,” Sev said through his teeth. “But for all my military standing, the Senate technically runs the war. President Haled was on my side, but sadly she’s… no longer among us.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Let’s worry about the plan when we have to,” Justin said. “First we’ll need to trace the signal.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“If I can have access to one of the bodies, I can have some of my best tech officers try to determine the signals source, in addition to the Union scientists,” Colin offered.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sev nodded. “That would be helpful, yes. I’ll let the team know you have full access.” He looked at the others. “Anything else?”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jimmy coughed. “Actually, yes.” He let out a breath. “After the war is over, the Jedi Order will remove itself from government affairs. We became too much of a military body, and that’s what led to so many Jedi falling and being turned in the first place. We will still assist you, of course, but we will be our own governing body, answerable and policeable only to ourselves.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Tom leaned back as Justin and Colin looked at Sev to see the General’s reaction. It wasn’t nearly as angry or sad as they thought it would be. “I understand. Kala had spoken to me of this, at the war’s beginning. I didn’t disagree with her, so I can’t disagree with you.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jimmy bowed his head. “I appreciate it.” [/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sev rose. “If that’s all, I have to give the word to approve the trace. Unless something urgent comes up, I’d prefer it if you stayed within system. If you have to go, then just alert me to it.”[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]“Yeah, like we’d go anywhere,” Justin called out to the General’s departing form. He turned to his friends, only to find them all gone. “Well that’s just rude.”[/FONT]