Tonatius wondered why Kalla was even bothering to try and negotiate a surrender and voiced his opinion, "Trying to convince him to surrender is like trying to get a Toydarian to give a deal that's in the best interest of the customer."

Jun-la took the opportunity to move forward to a position that would benefit Kalla should the intruder try to strike. She said softly to Kalla, "Urging to surrender is our best course right now."

***********

Tavaryn saw what she was going to do. If she killed him, then they would be left with no answers. Taking a burst of speed and reverting to the flash step he, he moved so fast that not even Haruka saw him remove his blade until it was already out.

Tavaryn got in between the two and with a deft move, brought his blade up and deflected both strikes. He was not worried about the lightsaber colliding with his sword. Cortosis had been used for millenia by his people. After deflecting, he used his strength to thrust the combatants apart.

He did not look at Alriana. He didn't have to. Right now, he had to bring down the Togorian. Using flash step, he raced forward and before the Togorian knew it, he had been cut on his upper arm, rendering it useless. The Togorian looked at Tavaryn in suprise having never expected that move. He could still weild his axe but clumsily.

Tavaryn looked at the Togorian. The rain at this time was pouring. He glanced at Alriana, whose lightsabers were still lit. He called out to the Togorian, "Surrender and you will be shown quarter."

The Togorian sneered, "Bah I wouldn't surrender to you or your Jeedai friend." He swerved to swing the axe at Alriana.

"Disarm!" Tavaryn called out.

"Bah I wouldn't surrender to you or your Jeedai friend."

Alriana narrowed her eyes. "I would accept his offer of surrender. Right now he is the only thing standing between you and I."

Before Alriana had time to say anything else the Togorian brought his axe back around toward her.

"Disarm!"

She flashed a savage grin as she brought both lightsabers up, she was aiming directly at the Togorian's arm.

"I don't recall that I've ever been to Geonosis," Andorra told Lenatha and Wrath. "What's it like there? What should I pack for an expedition?" After thinking for a minute, she added, "I'm definitely bringing my sacred blade, the chetyrnadtsat'. I don't want to be without a weapon if we just so happen to run into more infected creatures." She bit her moist lower lip hesitantly.

Noone like being tortured, and I doubt his masters are going to stop it once he's killed us all. He likely wants it to stop more than he wants us dead, and be could be a powerful ally if we do that for him. Kalla sent out to Tonatius through the Force. Then, she said to Vector, "I'm waiting for an answer."

**************************

The Silver Eagle came out of hyperspace at close proximity to the Ackbar, and began docking procedures. "I assume the team you're sending to Geonosis has been briefed based on our findings." Iyav said to Belina over the comm as the Eagle touched down in the Ackbar's hangar bay.

"I assume the team you're sending to Geonosis has been briefed based on our findings."

The console went dead right after Iyav finished speaking. Belina immediatly hit it and it lit back up. She began speaking as soon as it fully came back online.

"Sorry. I haven't had the time to assemble a team yet. Repairing the Ackbar and the rest of the fleet is a top priority for me. I can put together a security detail to go with you. But the rest of it is up to you."

She looked up at the celling thoughtfully as a sudden thought came to mind. "There is someone I would recommend for the team though. I was having a discussion with my chief medical officer and the name Lenatha Pradhes came up. I don't know much about medical officers so you might wish to ask about her."

The console sparked again and began to start on fire. Belina sighed and began to speak before the console went dead. "I'm down on deck 15, corridor five, section 32. Garja and I are trying to fix some of the battle damage caused by Velerc. Head on down here so we can talk."

The console went dead after that and Belina kicked the console angerly. "Garja! Get a repair crew down here, tell them we need to repace one of the consoles again."

"He is a tortured soul," Jun-la said out loud. "Surrender would be death unless the connection is severed."

She looked at the assassin with an examinating stare. She still had not reached for any of her weapons giving Tonatius time to wonder if she was being strategic of foolish. He was not a master at facial expressions and Lady Jun-la could always hide her intentions. For a brief moment, he thought he saw her as someone else as she stood erect and strong. She was saying, "Severing would end your pain. Would a temporary submission be suitable?"

**********

Tavaryn had resheathed his sword. From the look on Alriana's face, he saw the grin. Too much had happened in her life to change her ways but he wasn't sure if he liked what he saw. He said, "Control that thought."

The Togorian had no idea what he meant by that and was momentarily distracted by the comment. He recovered though and began to follow through on his attack. He swung the axe from a downward angle, determined to give a piercing cut.

Kerlos followed the Silver Eagle out of hyperspace and landed in the Ackbar's hangar. He tried to contact whoever Iyav had talked to just a moment ago, but the comm unit was not working properly. He left his ship and decided to talk to Komad and Iyav.

"Hey, if it's alright with you guys, I'd like to help out on Geonosis. This infection thing has me interested, and I'd be willing to see this through to the end."

((Hey JM, do you mind if I sever the Togorian's arm? He's your character so I thought I'd ask you.))

"Control that thought."

Alriana shot him a dirty look. She just wanted to end the fight and get the answers, but this Togorian was making things very difficult.

She was still giving Tavaryn a dirty look even as the Togorian brought his axe down on her again. She rolled out of the way and force jumped backward again.

"I think I know of a way to stop him Tavaryn." She called out to him. "I don't think you would approve of it though."

((I did say disarm so you can chop off an arm))

Tavaryn's expression did not change. He merely stood there in the rain, accompanied by the boy Haruka. He knew she had her own issues she had to work with. "Do what you think is right but remember: Alive."

The Togorian roared in frustration and from blood loss from his arm. He stepped and pulled a small blade that had been hidden. In desperation, he threw the small blade at the black cladded ghost while taking a swing at the Jedi. He would win if he died trying.

Tavaryn pushed the boy Haruka out of the way and dodged to the side while at the same time grabbing the blade and twisted around. Using the blade's own power, he threw it himself towards the ground. It buried itself deep.

"What's it like there? What should I pack for an expedition?"

"Well, I was never much good in geography and all that but I did hear that Geonosis was a desert planet, so I'd pack light for the day and heavy for the cold at night", Lenatha said as she went to her bedroom and began packing her things just to be ready in case she had to leave soon.

She went over to her closet and took out a silver case and sighed as she saw cleaned the dust of it.

"Hope I don't have to use this", Lenatha said to herself and then opened the silver case revealing two silver blasters that were a gift from the Trandoshan mercenary captain. She put them with her things and got her personal items into the bag. She then went over to Andorra and smiled at her.

"You might need new clothes so we can go shopping if you want, or I can lend you some of my stuff if you need it", Lenatha said smiling to her. She just wanted any chance she could get to be close to Andorra, there was no telling what would happen over at Geonosis or if they'd be able to see each other at all.

"Do what you think is right but remember: Alive."

Alriana nodded just as the Togorian took another swing at her. Enough. He's had plenty of chances.

Just as she ducked below the swing of the axe, she brought both of the lightsabers up directly under the Togorian's arm, severing it at the shoulder.

"Remember." She said quietly as she began to regain control of her emotions. "I gave you plenty of chances to surrender. It's your own fault your missing an arm."

The Togorian roared in pain but he wasn't done yet. He was going to strike when something hit him on his back and knocking him down flat and defeated. Behind him was Tavaryn holding his now returned hat. He put it back on and wiped the brim with his hand.

Haruka, having gotten over being ambushed said, "Never saw a Shinigami do that before but I have seen Jedi in action and you sister are not a typical one. In fact you act more like the Jedi of Avalon. You sure you're with the orde on Coruscant?"

Andorra felt her face glowing. She felt far more than respect, than admiration, for this good Twi'lek doctor who had cared for her throughout the months in which she was comatose. For the first time in what seemed like millennia, the Avalonian maiden felt the stirrings of genuine caring and compassion in her heart. After her devastating loss of Kalla Kaltas, was it really true that she was beginning to feel safe enough to fall in love again? Only time would tell...

In her room, Andorra packed the few clothes of hers that hadn't belonged to the Kenobi Medical Facility. Lenatha was right--they would have to go shopping soon. She could still smell the antiseptic aroma of the sterile halls she hated.

When her pack was full, she holstered her chetyrnadtsat' blade in a loop of her belt. There was no way she was going to Geonosis sans a weapon...

"A pity knowledge can be elusive even to instinct," Tonatious said in response to Vector's own words.

"Instinct has nothing to do with it boy. Grow up," were the monotonous words that came from Vector.

"Surrender now. You value your life and you take any means to stay alive. Take a chance offered," came the words from a familiar voice.

"What sort of offer is it when I lose either way," came response, completely ignoring her stance, as he saw it as exactly what it was, a ploy to draw his attack in some way, as she was open, allowing him a chance, but he was an experienced, and skilled assassin, he knew better; he stood his ground where he was.

"You say you're being tortured as we speak? Then let me make you an offer. Surrender, and we'll help put an end to it. Masters who torture you, or targets who want to help you, which will it be?" Kalla asked.

"I understand your attempt, Kalla, to dissuade me from my task, but I'm not the decider of my own actions. I give you a choice now, take me into custody now, while I am seemingly unarmed, or strike me down. If neither appeals, then let me go, and I promise that you will receive respite, that much I can offer of my own choice......Not that I will stay dissolved from thought and view forever, but it gives you time to sort me out," he told Kalla.

He turned his gaze upon Tonatious and said, "I am not yet without all respect...Or honor." His covered eyes yet again turned to Kalla.

"I warn you though, the first two choices will not be easy ones. I am compelled to react to acts of capture, or killing, I have no choice. Now do you understand?"

"Even compulsion is not absolute," Tonatius managed to say before Jun-la. "It is a state of mind. Some are better at it than others but even the weakest mind can overcome it."

He could take the insults. He was after all half Avalonian and had inherited the longevity of his people from his mother. Most warriors appeared no older than their twenties and they could be hundreds of years old. he then said, "You may be compelled but there is always a choice."

"The implants are too strong." Kalla pointed out to Tonatius. Then turning back to Vector, she said, "You'll thank me for this later." At which point she hit him in the head with her unlit lightsaber, using just enough force to knock him out.

"We'll have to keep him restrained and sedated until we remove the implants." Master Skywalker added, calling for two guards to drag Vector out. "In the mean time, you should prepare for the expedition to Geonosis. You'll be accompanied by a squad of Guardsmen, along with Doctor Pradhes and Miss Evenstar. We'll contact you if we can get any information out of Vector."

"Never saw a Shinigami do that before but I have seen Jedi in action and you sister are not a typical one. In fact you act more like the Jedi of Avalon. You sure you're with the orde on Coruscant?"

"Like I said, I don't really count myself as a member of the order anymore. I used to be with the Jedi order of the old republic around a hundred years back, but Palpatine destroyed that order."

Alriana shot a glance at Tavaryn before continuing.

"In fact...I don't even know what Avalon is. But enought of this. When should we begin trying to get information out of the Togorian?"



Deep space

The newly self-appointed Grand Admiral Beroc was looking over status reports when his first officer approached him again, this time holding a datapad. He had a nervous look on his face.

"We've recieved a report from one of our spies in the Republic fleet. It appears that a team is being assembled to go to Geonosis to investigate the source of the infection. It appears that they got the information from the Star Destroyer that was infected."

Assemble all available ships and have them set course for Geonosis. We're going to destroy the Republic ships before they get a chance to discover anything there."

The first officer nodded once and then left to go assemble the fleet. This will be a glorious day for the Empire.

As Beroc gave the command, Darth Pestilus stepped out of the shadows, and pointed out, "The Republic will be expecting us. They will find a way around our armada, or match its strength. You will need to guard our abandoned base itself if you want to stop them."

He then started making his way to the turbolift off the bridge. "I will go down the planet myself, to deal with the Republic scum."

"The Republic will be expecting us. They will find a way around our armada, or match its strength. You will need to guard our abandoned base itself if you want to stop them."

Beroc grunted as the sith lord left the bridge. He didn't really care for the Sith lord but there was no way to get rid of him, not without making the Empire weak. But there would come a time when the Sith lord would be a liability, when the Republic would discover his existance and come after him.

And when that time comes, the Republic will send their full forces against us.

He watched as a large group of ships, ranging from Light crusers to the heavily armed Star Destroyers that made up the majority of the fleet assembled in a triangle formation around his ship. He smiled as he watched the ships in front of him enter hyperspace and then felt a rumble as his ship entered hyperspace.

Soon...our loss at Huntaru station will be avenged.

Within the Temple Medbay, Kol Skywalker kept close watch on the surgery being performed on Vector S'Borr. "What have we figured out so far?" He asked an approaching medical droid.

"Our analysis of the implants removed so far indicate that they were grafted onto him not to restore or enhance functionality in any of their respective areas, but simply to cause pain." The droid explained. "Not even the Sith would do this." Kol commented. "There's more. There appears to be evidence of mutilation in areas with any implants, most notably his throat." It added. "We should be able to remove the remaining implants without risking his life, but repairing his throat will take more time."

Hopefully the investigation on Geonosis will explain this as well. Kol thought, pondering over the horrific mutilation done to Vector.

Xan had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity. He had been hired by the New Galactic Empire a few days ago and he hadn't been given an assignment yet. A trained killer can only entertain himself for so long before he feels the need to kill someone again. He looked up from his seat when he saw Darth Pestilus mention something about going down to a planet. He jumped off his chair and walked over to him.

"Hold on a sec tall, dark, and scary. Now I've been waiting like a good boy for a few days now and I'm starting to run out of things to do. Its sounds like you have a problem down on that planet and I just happen to be a problem solver," Xan said in his typical attitude.

"That would be logical Master Skywalker," Jun-la agreed. "He is in such pain and as such would have rather died." Her face clouded in a mixture of pity and sadness. It cleared and she said, "I must go make sure Jedi Kalla and Tonatius are ready."

*********

Tonatius was happy. He was going to see his cousin again. He had read the reports and she was doing better but he wondered briefly how Kalla would react. It wasn't jealousy but rather a sense of obligation. If Kalla still had feelings for Andorra, he would encourage them and step aside. These were not his thoughts when he was gathering his gear. Rather they were directed towards the prisoner.

He said, "Kalla, I know about compulsion. It is something I would you rather not have to know personally."

**********

Haruka looked at the Jedi in disbelief, "You mean you don't know about the rear guard defense of the Republic during the Clone Wars? Avalon was key in the Outer Rim Sieges particularly during an inicident with a codebreaker. Jedi Ashira-Li Starlighter was the general in charge."

Tavaryn said nothing. He knew all about the Clone Wars. What his mother didn't tell him, others did or he found out for himself. It was during the war that his parents realized their feelings for each other. Hearing about it made him actually miss his mother and he knew that Andros and Padme Lilah missed her as well.

He managed to get the convrsation back on track by hauling up the downed Togorian and said, "We can interrogate here Alriana. Just radio R4 to bring a medkit to stabilize."

"Seeing what his Masters had done to him was horrifying." Kalla commented, looking over the report of the Cygnus from her father. "I wonder if that's how my father and Iyav felt killing the infected crew of the Cygnus." She added, taking out her armoured robes. They looked like a brown version of her standard tunic, attached to a beige version of Republic Guardsman armour.

She could tell that Tonatius had something else on his mind, though, and told him, "I'm looking forward to seeing Andorra and Lenatha again too, but if I still had feelings for her, you'd know, and I'd have acted on them. You know I'm not one for keeping secrets. Besides, I've heard they've grown somewhat fond of each other. They're good together, and so are we." She then gave him a kiss before getting back to work.

*************************

"Commander, there is the danger that the New Empire is anticipating us, so the team will need a way around that. I'd personally recommend a ship with a cloaking device." Iyav said to Belina.

"Barring that, the only other option would be to use the fleet to create a diversion. It's likely that they are in an equal state of disrepair to us; a confrontation could end in a stalemate." He added.

"The potential losses aren't worth the risk. I recommend a cloaked ship." Komad commented.

**************************

"The Republic will be sending a team, likely Guardsmen and Jedi, to investigate our labs on Geonosis. I may have need of your skills." Darth Pestilus replied as the two of them entered the hangar. "Exercise caution, the vivinecrosis gas may still linger throughout the base."

"I am glad to see my cousin again. I will always be grateful for Lady Padme Starlighter's willingness to adopt her when her family was killed. Even though Lady Padme had a child of her body, she took her in and loved her. That is why I am happy for my cousin." Tonatius explained as best as he could. He could not fully tell her what was on his mind about the prisoner. It brought back a dark memory. INstead he put on a cheerful face and went back to work.

Jun-la walked in to see her charges getting ready. She had changed to a set of Avalonian Jedi robes, much like the kind her grandmother wore when she was a girl. Her sword was tucked in the sash on her left and her lightsaber on the right. She asked, "Are you two ready?"

"Barring that, the only other option would be to use the fleet to create a diversion. It's likely that they are in an equal state of disrepair to us; a confrontation could end in a stalemate."

Bleina shook her head and smiled. "Sorry Komad. The fleet is going back into battle again. I've heard reports that a new Grand Admiral has surfaced and it's a possibility that he may be at Geonosis. If he is, we need to ready. Grand Admirals are such a pain to track down and get rid of."

"Besides, our fleet is in better shape then the Imperial Fleet. I'll be leading the fleet from the Ackbar. The fleet is going to be composed of ships that have been fully repaired."

She thought for a moment before speaking again.

"A cloaked ship does sound like a good idea though. I'll be sure to include a few so that my troops can reach the ground safetly."

One of the control panels behind her burst into flames and Garja quickly grabbed an extingusher and began spraying down.

"Of course...we'll still be conducting repairs as we go along. The Ackbar should be battle ready within a few hours."




"You mean you don't know about the rear guard defense of the Republic during the Clone Wars?

She shook her head. "The only planets I was assigned to were Dantooine and one whos name escapes me. I saw heavy fighting on Dantooine but when I was on the other one we never saw any combat."

We can interrogate here Alriana. Just radio R4 to bring a medkit to stabilize."

Alriana nodded at him and contacted the droid, telling him to bring a few medpacs for the injured Togorian.

"Remember, she said to the Togorian. "You had your chance to surrender. What happened to you was your own fault."

The Togorian growled in pain and snapped at her. Tavaryn had planted a boot on the chest to keep him from moving too much. They didn't have long to wait for the the droid came bearing medkits and warbling at his master which he took in good humor.

The droid had been built by his mother out of sheer boredom on her part. She once told him that he was a special droid and had functions that most other astromechs of his series didn't have. Tavaryn had to admit that he was a good companion after his mother left him behind in order to make a final stand at redeeming a fallen and taking down the Empire. "Thanks R4."

It was short work on the Togorian working to stabilize him. Meanwhile Haruka abandoned his plan to burn sky and began asking Alriana questions. "Are you certain you haven't heard of Jedi Ashira-Li Starlighter? She was the first of our people to be raised and trained at the Temple on Coruscant and was a close friend of the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Xan chuckled at Darth Pestilus mentioning the gas. He didn't know a lot about it, but he did know that the stuff was nasty. He had a breath mask just in case he needed it and it sounded like he would.

"Just tell me what you need me to do and I'll do it," he replied.

"I'm ready." Kalla replied, closing the case with her gear in it. "I can change into my armoured robes en route. I'll contact Doctor Prahdes, and see if she and Andorra are ready." She added, taking her gear out, and hearing for the nearest comm terminal.

"Doctor Pradhes, this Kalla Kaltas. Do you have what you need? We're waiting for you over here?" She asked, spotting her and Andorra nearby.

****************************

"Eliminate the Guardsmen, and lure the rest to me." Darth Pestilus explained. As soon as he knew who the Republic would send, he would gather what knowledge he could about them, and then use Dun Moch to crush them before a single blow was struck.

************************

"In that case, we can help you. After the Battle of Setna, I left my X-38 in the Ackbar's hangar, and the Silver Eagle can best most starfighters in a dogfight." Komad suggested.

"If you wish, I could attempt to infiltrate the command ship and apprehend the Grand Admiral myself." Iyav added, drawing a look from Komad. "I know my way around those ships. I can be in and out before they realise he's gone."

"Alright then," Jun-la replied. "Perhaps also you would consider this in addition to your robes." To both Kalla and Tonatius, she held out a set of what looked like trackers. The kind that could attach to ship hulls. She said, "They may appear what you think they are but they have other uses. Just small enough to hide on your person."

She then smiled and left but not before turning and saying, "Lift off at 0300 at the Hawk. Matton is being punctual."

Tonatius waited until she left before grinning and saying, "Seems like Matton is back from whatever blue milk run he was assigned. This mission is something important if he dropped everything just to help the Jedi out."

"I'm ready," responded Andorra crisply. "Doctor Pradhes?" She could sense that the doctor was lost in thought. "Excuse me. I don't think Lenatha--er, the Doctor--is ready yet."

She stepped forward and laid a hand on Lenatha's arm. "Is something wrong?"

Xan chuckled again, this time picturing what Pestilus would do to the jedi after he took out the guardsmen. Now killing the guardsmen would be the fun part and hopefully Pestilus would let him have his fun.

"That shouldn't be a problem for me at all, after all I am the best at what I do."

---------

Wrath looked up when he heard the a new voice. It was the voice of a foe now turned friend.

"Greetings Kalla Kaltas, it is good to hear from you."

She had been deep in thought until that moment. Thoughts mostly about if she was capable enough to find a vaccine. She had jumped forward and had absolutely assured Reyvan that she could find a cure. Jumping in without giving a second thought, she thought to herself as she sighed. But it was no time to back out, she'd find that cure even if it was the last thing she did. As soon as Andorra's hand touched Lenatha's arm, she came back to herself. She turned to face Andorra and blushed a bit at her.

"Oh, sorry I was spacing out, no biggy", Lenatha said and looked at Kalla Kaltas. "Nice to see you again Miss Kaltas, I have everything. We're ready when you are".

Lenatha's expresion went back to serious.

I'm genuinely worried this time, I have to succeed, I absolutely have to...

"We'll be over shortly." Kalla replied, switching off the comm and boarding the Ebon Hawk. She immediately went to one of the dormitories, closed the door, and changed into her armoured robes. While the Geonosian climate didn't call for it, the armour was certainly thick enough to keep those monsters from trying to bite or claw through it. That's why they brought two extra sets of female armour. Andorra would still have to be careful, though. Like any other sword, Chetyrnadstat wouldn't cauterise the wound, and even the blood of the infected could be dangerous.

Tonatius was not that far behind in boarding the Hawk. He looked around the bulkheads, feeling the smooth metal. He then went into the dormitory to drop off his gear pack. Comming into the main hold, he saw Matton running a checklist and grinned, "Make sure we don't crash."

"That was my ancestor's curse," Matton replied grinning back. "Run a check on the hyperdrive. The droids did it but I prefer something more organic checking them."

Tonatius nodded in agreement and went to check on the hyperdrive.

Jun-la was running a warm up on the controls in the pilot's chair. She had some apprehension about this mission. The infection was strange and she wondered about it. She then got an idea that maybe the Shinigami would want to have a hand in helping out. She keyed the ship's comm to the dormintory, "Kalla, as soon as you can, contact Tavaryn. Use the frequency code named Shadow."

She had taught that frequency to Kalla and explained that it was a special comm link to the Shinigami, specifically Tavaryn. Grand masters at the temple knew the general coded frequency for the Shinigami but specific individual ones depended upon the member.

Chetyrnadtsat'. Don't fail me now. You are all that stands between me and the blood of the infected people and aliens, who are becoming monsters.

Andorra stepped far away from Doctor Pradhes and the others, taking a few practice swings and spins through the air. Even though her battle technique known as skorost' had been primarily lost when Darth Virul was defeated, she still remembered the skeletal basics of it. It had been hard-wired into her brain. What was causing this vivinecrosis? The Blade of Fourteen Slayings would find out if she herself could not. Resolve coursed through the Avalonian's veins.

Once Kalla finished putting on her armoured robes, she stepped out of the dormitory, and set the console in the main hold to the Shadow Frequency. "Tavaryn, it's Kalla Kaltas. How familiar are you with the Star Destroyer Cygnus?" She asked, hearing the ship stop again. We must be here to pick up Andorra and Lenatha. She thought. She immediately switched comm channels to Lenatha's apartment. "We're waiting at your landing pad now." She told them, if they weren't already on their way.

"If you wish, I could attempt to infiltrate the command ship and apprehend the Grand Admiral myself."

Belina shook her head.

"There are two reasons why I would never let you do that. One: You'd probably die without even getting close to the Grand Admiral, with the second reason being that you probably wouldn't be able to pick out the Command Ship from all the other ships.

"Sorry." She said again, "but I can't allow it."





"Are you certain you haven't heard of Jedi Ashira-Li Starlighter? She was the first of our people to be raised and trained at the Temple on Coruscant and was a close friend of the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Alriana shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I've never heard of her. But you know of Master Obi-wan Kenobi? Can you tell me if he survived the purge?"

"You're right. Komad would never have forgiven you if you let me get myself killed." Iyav replied, realising the flaw in his idea.

"There is another option, though. New Imperial Star Destroyers use a wireless network to enhance tactical coordination between one another. It allows the crew of each Star Destroyer to access the tactical data of each other Star Destroyer. The system is secure enough that the transmissions can't be accessed without the proper codes, and they change too frequently to be of any use to anyone finds one. However, if something were to interface with one of their systems directly, a virus could be uploaded, and transmitted to every other New Imperial Star Destroyer in the area, without it spreading to your Star Destroyers." He then suggested. "That's brilliant." Komad commented. "Really bad design on the New Empire's part, but still."

"Really bad design on the New Empire's part, but still."

Belina shook her head again. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to destroy everyone of those New Imperial starships with my own fleet. No viruses, no capturing this new Grand Admiral."

"Believe me...I would like to use the virus idea but my orders come directly from the man who promoted me. I'm to destroy the Imperial fleet using ship-to-ship combat."

She thought for a moment.

"Now that I think about this more...Those orders do seem suspicous. I think I'll need to check into these orders."







Grand Admiral Beroc looked on at the few Republic vessels that were still in orbit. The ships were attempting to mobilize to try and take on the thirty or more Imperial ships that had just dropped out of hyperspace.

"Inform the fleet that they may pick and choose their targets at will. I want two Star Destroyers for every one republic ship. As soon as those ships are destroyed I want ground troops on the planet immediatly."

The gunners on the bridge all saluted and Beroc watched as green flashes of turbolaser fire slammed against the deflectors of a few of the ships before punching through.

He activated the intercom system of his ship and began issuing orders. "All ground troops will report to their transports and prepare for departure within the hour. I repeat: All ground troops will report to their transprts and prepare for depature within the hour."

"We're waiting at your landing pad now."

"We copy, we're on our way", Lenatha said as she picked up her bags and also picked up her silver case. She looked over at Andorra and Wrath. "Let's go, I have several things here you can use Andorra and I also took the liberty of ordering some clothes for you, they will send them over to us and you can return anything you don't like".

Lenatha said the last bit smiling and then opened the door to her appartment, heading out first. She went down to the landing pad to find the ship there and she looked around for a moment.

"This is the last I'll see of this place for a while. Hope this new path leads to more exciting things", Lenatha said mostly to herself. With her new found resolve she moved towards the ship's loading ramp.

Tavaryn answered his comm, "I read you Kalla. Cygnus yes I know of her. What's the problem?"

While he was talking to Kalla, Haruka was enlightening Alriana, "Of course he survived. He and Lady Ashira both did. They had a son. You've met him already I bet." Haruka was surprised this Jedi did not know Ashira. Being the the first of his people to be trained on Coruscant was the biggest news to anyone connected with the Jedi. He had read of her and her exploits traveling with Qui-Gon Jinn and other Jedi inan efort to keep the peace.

They were interrupted by the Togorian who growled, "Why don't you just kill me. You'll never be able to stop what is happening. The infection will continue and you," he pointed at Haruka, "are still wanted. They still want you."

Tavaryn managed to hear the conversation and with a deft movement of his boot, he nudged the injured arm to make the Togorian roar out in pain. "Shut it. I know what your masters want otherwise I wouldn't be here." He gave a cursory glance at the audience and continued to talk to Kalla, "Scuttlebut would be good Kalla. Give details."

**********

Matton finsihed his check and called out, "All hands take a seat. We're lifting off."

Jun-la made the necessary adjustments as co-pilot. "Lifting off and we're clear of moorings."

"Taking us out," Matton guided the ship towards space.

"Set a course for the Cygnus. We have two passengers to pick up before we get to Geonosis," Jun-la said.

"Roger," Matton geared the ship to move.

It was uneventful as they docked to pick up their passengers. Jun-la said nothing but just checked systems after lowering the ramp. She then unbuckled her seat belt and went to greet her guests.

"There's nothing left there but debris, and if you mean my father and Iyav, they're busy helping Commander Belina create a diversion for us, and even if they weren't, they'd take the Silver Eagle." Kalla pointed out, then returning to the comm. "After a bit of a skirmish on Geonosis, most of the crew on the Cygnus succumbed to a disease Andorra called Vivinecrosis, meaning living death. My father and Operative Dourden were able to get the survivors out and destroy the Cygnus recently. We believe we can find some answers at the New Imperial base on Geonosis." She explained.

**********************

"And who was that? A smart order would be to take out the New Imperial ships with minimal casualties regardless of what that method was." Komad inquired.

"And who was that? A smart order would be to take out the New Imperial ships with minimal casualties regardless of what that method was."

"It sounds like you may have a spy in your midst." Atora chimed in as he walked toward Belina and the others. "Sorry it took my so long to get here but I got a little lost."

Belina narrowed her eyes at him. "What exactly do you mean? The man who gave me these orders is a close friend, he sponsered my entrance into the academy and was responsable for promoting me to my current rank."

She turned back to Komad. "The man's name is Taran Geka. And he is the second best tactical genius the republic has. But to think of him as a spy...I hate to say it but it is possible. He disappeared once for a few days and no one knew where he was."





"Of course he survived. He and Lady Ashira both did. They had a son. You've met him already I bet."

She shook her head "No...I don't believe I have. The only person I really know from this century is Tavaryn and I still don't know all that much about him."

"Just once? More likely he's dead and someone has taken his place. If he was simply a traitor, he wouldn't need to contact who he's really working with in person, or if he did, those disappearances would be a lot more frequent." Iyav suggested. "There's a lot of different possibilities, about who the impostor really is, and who he's working for. He could be with the New Empire, or even something like Black Sun. It's also possible he wasn't someone they hired, but a clone they created for that exact purpose."

Aboard the ship to Geonosis, Andorra turned to Lenatha. "Doctor," she began, "what would you suggest is the best way to fight the infected, if and when we run into them?" She swallowed, but precious little saliva found its way to her throat. "I have my blade, but it's not a lightsaber, and it can't do everything. I know some combat techniques--including one that I learned while I was being controlled by Darth Virul. It's called skorost, and it's based upon speed."

She paused for a moment. "Still, I don't know if that will be enough."

Wrath followed the two girls to the landing pad and into the ship. He looked over at Andorra and chuckled. He waited for the doctor to speak before he said anything.

"If I could make a suggestion, I would recommend taking off the head."

-------

Xan heard the announcement of the intercom and got a little bit excited. He hadn't seen some action and days and couldn't wait to get off of this ship. He suddenly had another of his sick thoughts run through his mind.

"You said you wanted me to lure the Jedi to you...do you mind if I have my fun with them first?"

"Certainly. Fear is a powerful weapon." Darth Pestilus replied. Beroc is a fool. Even if we outnumber the Republic, their ships are in better condition. They'll be slaughtered, but he is an impediment to my plans anyway. He thought.

*********************

"I'd personally recommend you try to minimise blood spatter, though. It's logical to assume that the vivinecrosis, as you call it, is flowing in their veins. It shouldn't be too hard to modify Chetyrnadstat so the blade's heated enough to cauterise any wounds it causes. We've also brought a couple sets of armour for you and Dr. Pradhes, which should be thick enough to keep the infected from biting or clawing at you." Kalla suggested, still waiting for a response from Tavaryn.

Andorra winked. "Excellent. As for modifying Chetyrnadtsat', how would we do it so that the blade remained continuously hot enough to cauterize wounds? Is there some crystal we could insert into the hilt or the blade?" she asked. "As for the armor, I want to see how it fits. Mind if I slip into the refreshers and try it on? I don't want anything falling off of me in the middle of a battle, especially with a bunch of vivinecrotic crazies running around." She tried not to giggle.

"There's a lot of different possibilities, about who the impostor really is, and who he's working for. He could be with the New Empire, or even something like Black Sun. It's also possible he wasn't someone they hired, but a clone they created for that exact purpose."

Belina shook her head in disbelief for a few seconds before replying. "I always thought he was acting a bit...odd after he returned from wherever he went. I guess I just couldn't think of him as a traitor. I see now that I was wrong."

She grabbed a comnlink off her belt and began hitting a few buttons, she needed to get through to someone special.

"Tovak. This is Grand Admiral Belina aboard the Ackbar. Until we have a clearer idea of who's side he's on, you are to detain Taran Geka until I get back from Geonosis. He is to be held under constant guard."

She terminated the comn channel and then turned back to Komad.

"So...shall we get going?"




Beroc looked on as the last of the republic ships, a light cruiser finally burst into flames as the turbolaser barrage broke through it's shields and slammed directly into the bridge.

He smiled and turned on the intercomn. "Attention all crew. The last of the republic ships has been destroyed and we are now able to land ground troops on Geonosis. All drop ships are to depart as soon as possible. That is all."

Beroc looked down at the planet below and smiled again. Victory...for the moment was theirs.

"I have to agree with Wrath on this, severing the head would be the optimal solution. I'd recomend engaging at a distance. Which is why I brought blasters. But in your case Andorra I think Miss Kaltas' suggestion is excellent, making the blade hot enough to cauterize any wound it inflicts is a rather brilliant idea", Lenatha said and brought her finger to her chin as she always did when she was thinking. "Although it might get too hot for you to bear, I mean it would be incandecent enough to burn flesh".