HP: Dance of the Veela

988 ARR…

The galaxy was settling into a very unstable situation as the Rift Alliance powers solidified their own position, fortifying their borders and building up their armed forces. The New Separatist Alliance was improving on their aging fleet and army, upgrading their technology while using a stripped-down version of the old Commando Droids to replace the dated B1 Battle Droids while upgraded versions of the B2 Battle Droids were their heavy infantry. All the different states that made up the Alliance were improving their own forces, not least the newest faction the Pasdisahah Imperium which was far behind the rest and needed desperately to catch up. The faster hyperdrives were spreading this technology around their space and their infrastructure was a major priority, but the Navigator Guild which had feared it was going to be replaced by the new and better drives had found a new purpose, they could find usable routes through hyperspace better than anyone and now were forming the vanguard of deep space explorers for uncharted space.

There had been other developments, the surveillance post on Dathomir was now fully operational and keeping a close eye on several Imperial sectors, Merrin had brought lightsabers to the Force Witches and Nightsisters who used the local bloodstones as their crystals, producing a smoky red or sometimes green blade that aided in focusing their magic.

The Underworld Alliance also was flourishing now it finally had access to a supply of weapons and equipment of not just reasonable quality but also that wouldn't bankrupt them to purchase and worked reliably.

On the planet Tsevuka the development of the primitive but strong willed Tsevukans was going well, now wearing Goblin steel armour in the Mandalorian style which they had altered to fit their bodies and industrialisation was starting to take shape, they had the facilities but kept them separate around smaller settlements while many of the species remained nomadic, riding the plains of their world on their five-metre tall eight-legged mounts the Kivaroa.

They were finally ready to join the fighting which for now had calmed down but that was only for the moment, the Mandalore alongside the other dukes and duchesses had recently decided it was time to expand once again and this time it was much more targeted and a much larger scale invasion than they had mounted before even with their previous expansion.

The build up for this was taking some time especially when they wanted to keep it hidden from the Empire until they were ready to make their move and the Empire was itself dealing with Kalderan raids on their colonies.

- x -

Imperial Palace, Coruscant…

Tarkin was screaming as he was personally tortured by the Emperor, the man had used numerous techniques on him so far but now he was resorting to force lightning to take out his frustration and Tarkin was now learning firsthand how little he understood the force and how much he underestimated it.

Force Lightning was Palpatine's personal speciality, in the use of this particular power he was a true savant and knew nearly everything there was to know about it. He could make it only sting slightly or the worst pain imaginable without any danger of killing you however much you wish it would.

Tarkin was screaming at the top of his voice and had no words left to beg for his life as the Emperor punished him for all the mistakes he had made, the Kalderans first and foremost who was now becoming a major problem for the Empire as they raided Imperial and foreign outposts. The only reason that Tarkin wasn't going to be killed for this was that it had actually given Palpatine plenty of argument to increase security on certain worlds and increase military spending. Until he could ensure that the regional governors had direct control over their territories and he had no need of the senate any longer.

This carried on for a number of hours until Tarkin was carried out to spend time reflecting on his failure and his demotion, he was no longer Grand Moff of the Outer Rim Territories and Palpatine had already appointed a replacement for him and Tarkin would need to prove himself to have that particular office again.

Palpatine smirked, glad to have put the arrogant man in his place and while the man was useful it was good to remind him just who the master really was in the Empire.

H'ratth, Inner Rim…

"The Hidden Path was looking for rumours of any surviving Jedi when we learned about an anti-Jedi operation here." Kalifa told Allara as they piloted Allara's Firespray towards the planet. It was covered in lush forests, rocky mountains and deserts like many other planets.

"Any more details than that?" Allara asked, not sure exactly what 'Anti-Jedi' operation meant since it could mean many things. Kalifa could only shrug as they had no idea exactly only that a sizable force had been sent there and according to Masters Kagame and Cordova the planet had once been home to a Jedi Temple where healers were trained but it had been abandoned for centuries. They didn't even really know if the temple had anything to do with it but there had been Purge Troopers sent here that they did know and that meant Jedi.

"Great." Allara said as she piloted her ship down towards the surface, she and Kalifa both felt something in the force, a chill running through them and without even thinking Allara piloted her ship towards the mountains which was the source of the disturbance.

There was a slight plateau alongside the rocky mountain tops, the sight of Imperial Sentinel class landing craft showed them they were in the right place, they landed a short distance up the mountain before sneaking over to look at the scene.

There was no one around which was suspicious but there was no obvious reason for them to be here which confused them both but then Kalifa tilted her head slightly and saw to her astonishment that there were slight openings in the rocks that would be almost impossible to see if you weren't looking at it from the right angle.

She grabbed Allara by the shoulder and showed her just what she had noticed and both shared a look of confusion before slipping down the cliff face and with a great sense of foreboding they both slipped inside the nearest opening.

They had expected a natural cave but instead there was clearly a manmade tunnel and they crept along it, their lightsabers in hand as it seemed like a good idea right now. They slowly went on and then saw a body surrounded by others lining the passage, Purge and Stormtroopers laid dead but then they came to the body on the floor that they recognised.

"Stass Allie!" Allara said in horror as they saw the Jedi Healer lying dead nearby, Kalifa in shock herself looked at the chamber just beyond and saw even more dead bodies, many stormtroopers and purge troopers mixed in with Jedi corpses, some they recognised from the Temple on Coruscant.

"This must be one of the hidden temples Master Yoda set up for Jedi to hide in." Kalifa said with worry that one of them had been discovered! How they had managed to find it confused her and deeply worried Kalifa as if they could find one then they might find other places too.

"No kidding." Allara said looking around and saw some of her own class of Jedi among the dead that both horrified and angered her at the same time. "The force is so…twisted here; I can't feel any survivors. Do you?" She asked and Kalifa shook her head.

Then they heard a noise to their right from one of the passages, they looked at the passage it came from and lit their sabers, blue and yellow blades springing to life expect more Imperials only to be surprised when a wounded Krevaaki stumbled into the chamber, one that both of them remembered from the temple.

"Master Baas!" They both cried out and rushed over to him, he was badly injured with a large number of extreme bruises and burns covered his body. They helped prop him up against the wall and he was breathing heavily as damaged carapace cracked before their eyes due to the burns it had received.

"Too late for us, destroyed anything that could lead them to other temples." Master Baas told them obviously in great pain before pressing something into Kalifa's hand. "The Tedryn Holocron, keep it safe! Now run! Before he comes!" Baas said urgently and Allara asked him trying to remember anything she knew about his species but they were so rare she had no idea how to tend to him and given how Kalifa looked as powerless as her she assumed she didn't either. But then just what he wanted them to run from became apparent.

A loud and creepy breathing sound reached their ears and they looked over to see the dark figure of Darth Vader appear out of the shadows. They sheer cold of his presence in the force was terrifying to both of them who tried to pick up Master Baas to carry him away but the Jedi Master used his own powers to push them away, they stumbled and saw him trying to use the force to push Vader back but it only irritated Vader he grabbed the Jedi Master with the force and choked him before snapping his neck with the force.

Both Allara and Kalifa held their sabers ready, suppressing their fear while Kalifa put the holocron in the pouch on her belt. The red blade of Vader appeared and his breathing sound just filled chamber before he launched his attack.

Both staggered as he hit them with the force and he then chased after them swinging his lightsaber at them, it hit hard and both were struggling to hold it back. He grabbed Kalifa with the force and held her by the throat, she grasped at her neck but just couldn't breathe, Allara tried to push him back with the force to break the hold but he withstood it and she was forced to try to attack him with her saber, drawing on everything she had learned and managed to glance his arm.

He cried out in pain and released his grip on Kalifa but then he blasted them back with the force into the wall hard, slamming into it with considerable force. They both felt extreme pain but could not let up and did something crazy in desperation.

They both called on the force together and pulled hard at the ceiling above Vader, it cracked and rocked began to fall on him, Vader was distracted by the sudden collapse and the two young women used this as a distraction to run as fast as they could out of the temple as it started coming down around them and Vader.

They barely managed to make it out before the blast of escaping air sent them both flying, Allara nearly went over the edge of the plateau but Kalifa managed to catch her hand and hold on.

Pulling her back they both looked at the temple and breathed hard before they felt the cold presence of Vader still alive inside and raging inside the collapsed temple.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Allara said with disbelief that he had survived that but Kalifa said quickly knowing if he did get out here, they didn't stand a chance.

"We need to get out of here!" Kalifa said urgently, which Allara fully agreed with before both made their way back to the ship and barely managed to get away before the collapsed entrance was forcefully blasted open and the landing ship thrown over the side as Vader emerged, damaged and infuriated but very much alive.

At least there were old Jedi texts here that he could deliver to his master he thought, still infuriated that the two Jedi had managed to escape especially with the valuable holocron. He had killed thirty Jedi as well so he could gladly report that to his master too.

They would find the other Jedi hiding places he thought, one by one if they had too but they would find them. He would relish wiping them out he thought darkly.

Reijar, the Ordo System…989 ARR…

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The crowd said as they gathered to celebrate one of their own finally coming of age.

Lelia Ordo was at last turning sixteen years old, finally a full legal adult in Mandalorian society and was at last celebrating not only that but her promotion to Akaan. She was smiling broadly as she had her party and her ascension as Duchess Qarl, while Lelia Ordo was her name, she held the title all the same and would from today take full responsibilities for her holdings.

That would she thought regretfully cut into her time with Duke N'Val who had been teaching her a great deal about ship design, he had helped her take her primitive sketch and start turning it into something. Taking the best elements from the Aden and Keldabe class warships and combining them into a new and much more powerful design, something that would one day be the best and strongest warship in the Mandalorian Fleet.

She received her gifts and smiled broadly, her siblings, nieces and nephews not to mention her in-laws and friends all around her and sharing her special day. She had all her favourite foods and music, her favourite activities and everything else you could imagine.

But as she turned to Haron, Deera and Vysa she had only one question she wanted answered.

"Will I be attending the meeting tomorrow?" She asked them pressingly, wanting to know if she would be for the first time allowed to attend the meeting of the House Leaders and Ministries. It was a critical one too, the one where the plans for the invasion of the next sector would be finalised before the invasion was launched. As it was her first time attending such a meeting, she was eager and yet nervous at the same time.

"Of course, you will." Haron said to his sister who now technically was one of his vassals. She beamed with excitement which amused her older siblings who knew the meeting was going to be far from exciting.

- x -

The Next Day…

"House N'Val will be leading an assault on the ship repair facilities on Delvox, if possible, we want them captured intact for our own purposes. The new facilities will be placed in your holding for completion of this task." Haron said, gesturing towards the star chart of the target sector. The House Leaders and his own council listened as he outlined the plan for the invasion.

It was complicated with many different fronts and one of the largest operations they had mounted since this war began. It was a daring plan to try and expand their territory but this was one of the few times in thousands of years that they had been strong enough to attempt it.

"Then finally the real challenge, Rodia." Haron said pointing to the world that was the effective capital of the sector. It was an important planet given that reason alone and better yet many Rodians opposed the Imperial Occupation of their planet so it should be relatively easy to get them to join them in exchange of freedom/protection from Imperial rule. "I will lead this assault personally."

They all nodded and he inwardly smirked at Lelia who honestly was looking bored, she did her best not to let it show but as he had warned her these meetings could get pretty boring.

"Make sure all units that remain to defend our borders are on high alert for any Imperial counterattack, now to your stations. May the force be with as is all of Mandalore." Haron told them and they all gave him a bow before leaving the room except for his family both biological and extended not to mention whoever remained behind to speak with him as did Duke Korkie and his somewhat exasperated aunt Bo Katan.

"Mandalore. Is this right? Invading other planets even if it frees them from the Empire." Korkie asked him and Bo Katan who thankfully would be the one to lead their family's warriors this time rolled her eyes having had this discussion with him several times already. Haron raised an eyebrow as his hand went to his helmet which was resting on the nearby desk.

"Better us than the Empire. We take care of our people; we build hospitals, schools, communities worth the name. We bring the necessities of life to those we protect and keep them from harm. It is far from perfect but much better than life under the Empire." Haron said which was true as they invested in the worlds they took and didn't suppress liberties like the Empire did.

Korkie nodded somewhat reluctantly before leaving and Haron took his helmet and put it on. It was time to go to work he thought with a smirk under his armour.

Zaadja, the Outer Rim…Two Days Later…

Zaadja was an icy planet that could give Hoth a run for its credits in terms of inhospitality, no one lived here now given how harsh it was to survive and although the Geonosians had established a hive here during the Clone Wars to support a factory there but they had not been able to cope with the harsh environment and abandoned it after only a few months.

Those that did try to investigate the planet hoped there might be resources under the ice to exploit but if there was anything there it was hard to get too. The Empire had a team over the planet to have a go but they soon found themselves under attack.

The forces of House Yusagi led by Duke Ijaa himself arrived with the Keldabe-class ship Merciless, his own flagship for this invasion. He stood on the bridge looking down with cold eyes at the Imperials who desecrated this planet in search of minerals. They had only one Star Destroyer to guard it given its proximity to the Mandalorian Border but the Merciless was accompanied by Mirshko-class heavy cruisers which also served as the carriers of the taskforce, flanked by Crusader class corvettes.

They launched into the attack straight away, swarming the lone Star Destroyer which then discovered the special weapons fitted to the Merciless. The mass driver cannon fitted to the front section, it roared to life and fired harden projectiles straight at the Star Destroyer's exposed bridge, blasting straight through and leaving the ship effectively headless.

Ijaa felt a great sense of satisfaction as his forces ripped the Star Destroyer apart, this battle was small but crucial as it was the first step in conquest of this sector, once secured it would act as a rally point for their forces and allow them to spread into the other systems but also this planet was important to the Mandalorians for another reason…a much more personal one.

Once many years ago during the 'Time of Chaos' as it was sometimes known, when criminals had run riot across their territory and many splinter groups of Mandalorians had formed either to exploit the situation or to stop it. One such group, the Journeyman Protectors had sought to try and protect their people but a large group of them had been lured to this planet by the criminals and trapped in frozen caves till they died by either the cold or starvation.

They were still there and Ijaa intended to honour their memory by finding their bodies and returning them to their own territory for proper burial and to return the armour to their families if they had them or to at least make sure it stayed in Mandalorian hands.

It was the least they could do Ijaa thought with a mournful look at the planet where so many brave warriors had been denied a true warrior's death by such cowards.

- x -

Tythe, the Outer Rim…Two Days Later…

Din Djarin was leading a strike force to Tythe, once as beautiful as Naboo or Alderaan it had been ruined by the industrial plants constructed by LiMerge Power, an industrial production company who had reduced it to a toxic desert wasteland.

The old factories were once again in service but now to the Empire, fuelling the expansion of the Imperial Military, Ara Ordo stood with Din Djarin as they looked at the damaged and ruined world. She grimaced and vowed to terraform the planet back to its natural beauty and make it an agroworld instead once the factories were levelled. They would be of little use anyway she thought given the outdated equipment and limited facilities.

"All Gladius and Halberd class ships, arm missiles and fire." Din said as he stood in the command centre of the Lucrehulk Cassius. The heavy corvettes/missile ships he had brought with him did as he commanded and let rip with their missiles along their destroyer counterparts, their light laser cannons making it impossible for TIE fighters to get close to them.

Modified Munificent-class and Dreadnaughts provided heavy firepower to engage larger warships protecting the planet but this was all a prelude to get the Imperials to adopt the tightest formation possible.

Then Din gave the order.

"Bring Silencer to bare and fire." Din ordered.

Outside the modified Silencer ship emerged from behind them and made sure that they had a clear shot, the megalaser roared to life and let out a great blast at the Imperial Fleet.

The laser made contact with the first and closest star destroyer and the massive blast ripped through the Imperial ships.

The Mandalorians averted their eyes from the explosion as the Silencer shut down, they still hadn't managed to overcome the issue with overheating and couldn't manage more than one shot at a time hence why they had needed to get them so close together for this to work.

Din saw to his relief that the Silencer had done its job though and the fighters launched from the Cassius would make sure none of them escaped before they pressed on with securing the surface. He honestly was astonished at some of the weapons they had to fight with and glad of it as it made fighting so much easier.

- x -

Iego, the Outer Rim…

The world of a thousand moons had been largely abandoned during the Clone Wars but some people did still live there, trading some spice to survive but it was also the sole source of a cure for the Blue Shadow Virus which had long ago devastated the Mandalorian people. It was for this reason while some would have ignored the insignificant world and its many moons, the Mandalorians had not. Neither had the Empire who had a base there to control the spice trade but there were no heavy ships, only fighters launched from ground bases.

This meant it was a battle largely fought by fighters and smaller ships.

Fenn Rau piloted his Mark 3 Viper through the dense but surprisingly stable field that surrounded Iego, his own ace pilots like him in either X-Wings or Vipers as they moved around the field engaging Tie fighters all across it. Fenn smirked as he managed to weave his way through a tight part of the field in his much more agile fighter and when the Tie fighter tried to follow it was not as agile as he was and smashed into an asteroid.

He smirked as he and his ace pilots made mincemeat of the enemy, proving not only were they the better than their Imperial counterparts but also that they had far better ships. The Viper ran rings around the Ties and the X-wing could to a lesser extend while having greater resilience.

On the surface of Iego Duchess Ceta Farr led Kom'rk transports, U-Wing bombers and D-77 Dropships which sped down towards the surface of Iego, warriors dropping by jetpack once they close to support the landing. The ships opened fire on the limited Imperial forces and missiles started scattering their troops or taking out light walkers to make way for their ground units.

- x -

Christophsis, the Outer Rim…

The planet of Christophsis had be a prize both Republic and Separatist had fought over in the Clone Wars and the Empire had for some reason taken a great interest in the planet. They were also strip-mining it, looking for large crystals with great intensity and shipping any they did find to a location that even the local Imperial Regional Governor didn't know.

Whatever the reason though they had no less than three Imperial class Star Destroyers guarding the planet with accompanying support ships, this had left the Mandalorians little choice but to deploy the Null Cannons against them, one ship for each Star Destroyer under heavy escort.

Duke Harlan Caduruso and Duchess Morli Kast led the force sent to this planet, comprised of modern ships this time. Aden and Mirshko class ships flanked by Gladius and Halberd class support ships. They both watched as the Null ships fired their purplish blasts of energy that shut down the enemy ships on contact. Morli who had never seen it before was wide eyed, Harlan smiled, the duchess had little experience in leading campaigns but would gain that with time.

That was not to say they weren't taking losses Harlon thought with a grimace, the Crusaders and fighters were working hard but due to the enormous amount of Tie Fighters they were finding ways through their defences, the larger Aden and Mirshko class ships had impressive defence systems that kept them away as did the corvettes but the Null Ships did not. Two retreated from the battle and leapt to hyperspace but the third found itself completely surrounded and being continually strafed by the Tie Fighters and before the corvettes could reach it, their shields failed and the heavily armoured hull began to buckle under the strain before proton torpedoes from Tie Bombers finished off the stricken ship.

It exploded, killing the crew before they evacuated which pained the Mandalorians greatly and filled them with anger, deciding not to take any prisoners in retaliation. All Imperials would die here this day whether they gave up or not on the ground or space.

The locals though were excited by their liberation and agreed to join them immediately to ensure their protection after being let down by the Republic/Empire and being attacked/invaded by the Separatists, hoping for something new and shared with them the curious obsession the Empire had with obtaining large Kyber Crystals.

- x -

Erai, the Outer Rim…

Another system known for crystals was nearby and the Empire had been going through the moons of Erai in hopes of finding some of the incredible rare Eralam crystals, a very powerful and rare form of Kyber Crystals. They had been found on the third moon of the planet until an ancient Sith bombardment had shattered it and now the Empire was hoping to find more on its remaining moons or among the rubble.

They were finally striking it lucky on the second moon when the Mandalorians attacked.

This force was commanded by Duke Sarek Ralmiz, leading the force alone in a display of his own arrogance and need for glory which was a mistake but not as much as the fact that he was such a traditionalist he had eschewed all the more modern ships and charged into battle with the old and outdated Janus class heavy cruisers and only a few almost as old support ships. Ones Haron Ordo had detailed for home defence duties due to their outdated technology and considerable limitations and worse he hadn't told anyone in the main force that he was doing it.

The reason? Because it was the tradition and all the ships that he had brought were purely Mandalorian designs and without most of the upgrades modern ships received, determined to show that their tradition would triumph over their enemies without the need for 'tricks'.

He had soon released his mistake.

Two Star Destroyers with plenty of support ships were guarding the system and the ten Janus class ships found themselves faced with a modern and entrenched enemy. The heavy turbolasers of the Star Destroyers tore into the old and slow ships which struggled with fighting back, being torn apart by the swarming fighters and heavy ships that closed in around them. Although heavily armoured and well-built the ships were beginning to fail, breaking apart and exploding around them. Duke Ralmiz scowled as he realised that he had made an error of judgement but would not order a retreat, true Mandalorians didn't run from a fight he thought with disgust at the mere idea and ordered his helmsman.

"All ahead, full sublight." He called out the helmsman along with all those left on the bridge when they realised what that would mean but all nodded and did as he ordered.

The leading ship, the Crusher blasted it's still functioning sublight engines to full power and headed straight at one of the Star Destroyers. The ship shook as more weapons fire hit it but nothing could stop its momentum.

The ships collided with the Crusher smashing the control tower of the ship clear off with the collision and the force of its explosion on impact, beheading the ship and finally then one of the Janus class ships managed to get a distress call out for reinforcements now the duke was dead to not countermand the order.

House Orius picked it up and rushed to their fellow Mandalorians aid, arriving in time to see their forces in disarray and Duke Ge'Hark Orius took in the situation and scowled at the loss of so many on the actions of outdated opinions but scrambled his ARC-170s and X-Wings to engage the enemy from the Lucrehulk he was commanding while ordering the Providence class ships and others to harass the enemy.

The Providences were old but had been completely upgraded with modern technology and more pressingly had fighter support not to mention corvettes and light cruisers to engage the support ships and mop up any Tie Fighters.

It was a bloody scene Ge'Hark thought with sadness, wondering not just about how many warriors they had lost but what would become of House Ralmiz with its leader gone?

- x -

Velabri, the Outer Rim...

The planet Velabri had been enslaved by the Empire and its population used as a labour force, the locals were not that different from the Mandalorians in some respects warlike and with a strict code of honour but also a distaste for crime. Many of their people had been sent off world for some 'construction project' for the Empire only to never be seen again, something that was increasingly common across many systems.

The Mandalorian Special Forces had been extremely busy across the sector and Neville had been running several operations at once, this one would be carried out by Gundark Team led this time by Trilla Suduri.

Her team went straight to the largest slave camp and Trilla leapt from the ship followed by her warriors and used the force to cushion her fall before she started conjuring curses with one hand while using her lightsaber in the other to deflect blaster bolts away from her, her curses disabling or killing Stormtroopers while her troops followed, sniping or using heavy ordinance to clear the enemy.

Arriving at the gate it was firmly shut but with a wave of her hand, Trilla used the force to make it open. The Velabri inside watched astonished at the display especially the Mandalorians mowed down the Imperials, the enslaved people looked on in awe and joined the fight as quickly as they could. Grabbing weapons dropped by the Stormtroopers.

When it was over and Katale Ma'Gard contacted Trilla to let her know they had secured the other slave camps. Trilla and her warriors found themselves being treated as heroes by the locals who like them were warriors and appreciated them for their strength and honour and would be eager to join them.

- x -

Sevarcos 2, the Outer Rim…

Another world famed for spice, the Empire had taken firm control of the trade and its population to make the most profit possible from it and the Spice Lords were complicit in this as they now could make more without having to worry about short changing the clans of the world.

A squadron of Victory-class Star Destroyers stayed in orbit to enforce this blockade and occupation force, threatening to destroy any settlements that rose in revolt.

But using the Ordo's Revenge to provide up to date target data as the ship under cloak had approached the planet while the hyperspace missiles were being fired from an adjacent system.

Each missile was devastating as it hit each ship, smashing their hull to bits before ships belonging to Houses Lok, Yarlton and Ti'harn arrived. Duke Mors Lok, Duchess Amili Ti'harn and her husband Kyle Yarlton led the force, easily mopping up the devastated enemy before sending their forces towards the surface.

Warriors joined by Skytroopers of various models and Basilisk war droids dropped to the surface, attacking the Imperial occupational forces and their Spice Lord allies, the large Rancor models using heavy blasters and missiles to smash through Imperial Walkers and light tanks while Warriors, Skytroopers and smaller more traditional Basilisk models used lasers and grenades to cut down enemy soldiers.

When the battle was finally done at the end of the day, the clan leaders began negotiations with the Mandalorians who would embrace them and help them form a new government system to share the planet's wealth and to advance the planet's infrastructure and education and proper amenities for the planet's population, something the clans struggled with due to the Spice Lords edicts and would only make them eager to embrace their new freedom.

- x -

Carajam, the Outer Rim…

The galactic position of Carajam should have made it a galactic stopping point for ships moving through the sector but since it had limited facilities and small population most travellers would just ignore it. Not to mention the vast and inhospitable desert on its surface but would be a useful testing site for new weapons. But it would also serve as a military launching point for future expansions into enemy territory so it had value beyond what lay on the surface.

House Kane had moved quickly to secure the planet, eager to control such a vital planet for themselves. Eliza smirked as she deployed her pride the Gondwana and its new sister ship the Aay'han, using their drone fighters to take down the few Imperial vessels present. They had been stretching themselves thin to try and repulse the invasion but too thinly as Eliza thought with a smirk.

Her wife Vysa stood at her side with a smile, but it was dimmed slightly by who was leading the ground portion of the battle.

"She will be fine." Eliza reassured her wife but Vysa was still worried.

"It's her first battle." She reminded Eliza who shook her head at her worry for her sibling.

"She's been well trained and it has to happen sometime." Eliza said to her sadly, letting her see the real her, the only one she ever would. She just held her hand to comfort her, hoping she was right.

The dropships meanwhile rushed towards the surface; Lelia sat alongside her warriors feeling more nervous than she had ever felt in her life. She was now commanding the ground forces for this invasion. It was a low level one but still it was her command and she wouldn't have her siblings to bail her out this time. They had stepped back to let her see for herself just what command was like and she really wishing she had admitted that she would have liked one of them to be with her right now.

Too soon they arrived and the hatches opened, she took a deep breath and launched herself into the battle.

Overhead as fighters fought in the atmosphere, filling the sky with intense dogfights and explosions echoed all around alongside laser and blaster fire. Lelia had seen holos of battles before but to see it with her own eyes was both incredible and horrifying. She saw people on both sides getting cut down while Canderous Assault Tanks tore their way across the field, running some people over who couldn't get out of the way to make a clear path for their warriors.

A starfighter crashed nearby and the field seemed to go silent despite the incredible fighting going on all around her, Lelia was frozen for a moment…not able to fully grasp what was happening before a warrior knocked her as he left the dropship, shaking her back to the moment and she took another deep breath before drawing both her blasters and leaping into the fight head first.

It was strange as the force plus all her training took over, letting her act like a computer and stay focused on the task at hand. She engaged her pack and flew into the battle with her warriors, landing on top of an AT-AT walker, using her lightsaber to cut its cab open and with the force throw the section she'd just cut out before jumping inside, stunning both drivers with red blasts of magic from her hands before turning its heavy blasters on the troopers and lighter walkers below much to the cheers of her warriors.

It was so strange, she felt detached from everything as she blasted them despite knowing they were living beings. She and her warriors forced the Imperials back towards the deadly and harsh desert, a place that would be impossible to survive without special supplies that they didn't have. Lelia saw many soldiers surrender rather than face that desert which she allowed, they would be processed later and either released back to the Empire in a prisoner exchange or put on trial if they were guilty of anything.

The few that didn't Lelia gritted her teeth as she gave the order.

"If they don't surrender, take them out."

She felt horrible doing it but this was war she thought, trying to reassure herself. Her siblings had told her this many times, the reality of life was that to survive and succeed that you would have to do things that you don't want too. She sighed before realising the fight was finally over, it had been faster than she had imagined given the limited Imperial presence on this planet but it she still had the adrenaline pumping through her body and the force making her feel more alive than she ever had before. She leapt through the hole in the cab of her captured walker and stood on top of it as her warriors cheered from below. She smiled under helmet, wearing the special suit her siblings had kept for her and held her arm aloft in triumph which they all echoed as they cried out in joy at their victory.

Lelia honestly was cheering with them, feeling a bond with her warriors and eager to fight at their side again.

- x -

Rodia, Sector Capital…One Day Later…

The last holdout for the Empire in the sector was Rodia, the capital of the sector it was the most densely populated planet and home world of the Rodians. Many of their population protested against the Empire's occupation of their planet and other planets too but had no voice outside their own world.

One of the reasons the Mandalorians had given it such importance, so much so that Haron Ordo was commanding this battle personally.

"Aggressor, focus primary weapon on Star Destroyer Behemoth. Harbinger and Titan's Rage engage also." Haron ordered and watched as the brand-new Aggressor class ship brought its enormous main weapon to bare on the Imperial Star Destroyer.

The large ship took a moment to build up power for the main weapon before the large blue ion cannon fired first, its enormous blue burst of energy hitting the star destroyer and causing a temporary shutdown of all systems before another burst erupted from the second barrel beneath the first, a red plasma blast to be specific. With its shields down the ship had no chance of escaping the blast which ripped hard into the hull. Then the Providence class Harbinger and Star Destroyer Titan's Rage which they had captured earlier in the war began firing their own heavy turbolasers and flack guns into the stricken ship while the Aggressor did the same with its own secondary weapons.

Impressive, Haron thought as they tore the enemy ship apart before turning his attention to the rest of the battle.

"Aden focus all fire on Star Destroyer Ajax, Hammer and Anvil Squadrons provide support." Haron ordered, the large warship ship doing as he commanded with U-Wing and ARC-170 fighters being to strafe the Star Destroyer while it exchanged fire with another battleship.

Haron stood on the command deck of his command ship, the Leviathan a Lucrehulk they had refitted and using the holographic interface of the battlefield to direct their forces in battle. At his side to see his first battle was Markus Ordo, twelve years old he was here to learn how to manage a battle. His young face was looking at the battlefield display with great interest as he watched his father command the battle.

Haron himself smiled; his boy was twelve now. Merlin he was getting old he thought with exasperation, Harry thought but it was time now for his son to learn to direct the forces he would one day command. Markus watched intensely, hoping to learn as much as possible but still listened when Haron passed on pieces of wisdom.

"Preparation and deception are key tools in warfare." Haron explained to his son. "Making sure you cover as many points as possible but making sure you can keep the enemy guessing as to what you are going to do." Haron said, smiling as despite the situation it was nice to share something with his son.

- x -

As the ships in orbit were being brushed aside, the ground battle was equally as intense.

Along the roads of Rodian cities the battles waged, Canderous Assault Tanks and Basilisk war droids moved in formation through the streets while warriors, Mark 2 Destroyer Droids and Skytroopers moved with them in support. U-Wing gunships flew overhead with other starfighters battling Tie Fighters in the atmosphere high above.

The Mandallian Giants were in the vanguard of the attack using their large laser cannons and portable shield generators in their familiar two by two attack pattern. Deera who had been given command of the ground segment of this battle flew alongside their men and those of House Takan which had joined them for this assault.

"Missiles on the barricade at point two zero three." Deera ordered as she saw the Imperials had set up a barricade ahead, armed with heavy laser cannons, rocket launchers and mortars. She saw them bombard the Mandallions and seeing some go down irritated her so she and her people flew down and let loose with their missiles.

The missiles exploded on contact and scattered the barricade, sending the Imperials flying, leading to a cheer from her warriors as they pressed forward.

But then they found something else waiting for them.

A group of ugly looking aliens with twisted grey skin and faces, each holding up a large blaster rifle in one arm and a seemingly ridiculous physical shield in the other, large and round but resilient as it absorbed blaster fire well.

Deera wondered if these where the Ogami that the Empire now employed as mercenaries, she saw why they were fast becoming feared across the galaxy as they had had little fear, great strength and determination not to mention ruthlessness in spades.

"Drop grenades behind them, if you have rockets do that too." Deera ordered seeing it was pointless to try and break through their shields, so instead she would go over them.

She flew over them, dodging their fire while throwing grenades down behind the Ogami, going off right next to their backs and either knocking them off their feet or killing them outright, breaking their lines and letting her forces push on.

"Order the Mandallians to pull back and tend to their injured, Tsevuka units take over in the vanguard." She ordered and their newest troops eagerly took their place to prove themselves in battle. The Mandallians didn't like to retreat but they had to tend to their wounded and so obeyed the order. Looking ahead she saw the real target of this assault come into view.

The Senatorial Palace and the heart of Imperial Occupation, the large protective dome might have been a problem but she had brought something special to deal with it she thought with a smirk.

Two MZ-8 Mobile Pulse Cannons rumbled into position and the machinery inside whirred into life before they fired their purple pulses of energy at the dome. It shattered like glass under their power and left the way open for them to proceed.

Entering the palace Deera was uneasy, she shouldn't be as they were winning the battle but something in the force disturbed her. She hadn't felt anything like it before and it worried her. She kept her wits about her and pressed forward but with great anxiety.

Arriving at the trophy room where the late Senator Onaconda Farr had stored his trophies of the stuffed animals he had hunted in his youth, a snap hiss was the only warning Deera got of the danger. She raised her gauntlets in the direct of the hiss and it was only just enough to block the red lightsaber blade that had appeared from nowhere. Her beskar thankfully held and let her block the attack that would have taken off her head!

"So, the rumours are true." The human woman holding the red lightsaber said, she had red hair although it was more crimson than normal with startling light blue eyes which looked like an iceberg. "The Ordo Family are all force users. The Emperor will be intrigued by this." The woman said with complete calm, not excited or arrogant but as if she was merely stating fact.

"You won't get a chance to inform him." Deera said as she blasted her back with the force, the woman recovered swiftly but it was enough for Deera to draw and ignite her own viridian coloured blade. The two sabers met in a shower of sparks and then swiftly they began to exchange blows with each other. Deera was surprised as the woman held her own in the fight and asked her. "What are you? You are no inquisitor."

"Indeed, I am the will and might of the Emperor himself. His hand in all things." The woman said and they continued to engage blows and whoever she was Deera thought with gritted teeth, she was sneaky, using underhanded tricks to try and get the upper hand and strong in the force as when Deera tried to disable her with a body bind curse, she overcame it much to her surprise.

She had never seen anything like her and Deera then tried another tactic.

"Lumos Solem!" She called out and a blast of bright light emerged from her hands right as she engaged in a saber lock with the 'Hand' as she designated her. The woman screamed out in pain as it was right in her face and blinded her immediately while Deera was protected by the light filters in her helmet.

Deera took immediate advantage and severed the hands of the Hand while she was still crippled and pushed her against the wall with the force to keep her contained until they could question her properly but then without any hesitation the Hand activated a suicide implant that she had. She spasmed and then seized up before going limp.

Deera looked at her in astonishment, shocked that she had immediately killed herself rather than take the chance of being interrogated and potentially giving up information. Force sensitive assassins that were highly trained in both fighting and the force and fanatically loyal to the Emperor.

Something new to worry about she thought before going to secure the planet and have the body analysed just in case that they might learn something from it. She doubted they would but it didn't hurt to try.

Reijar, Ordo System…One Week Later…

Haron looked over the post invasion situation and nodded in acceptance as it had gone as well as he had hoped. With the Empire's forces stretched thin trying to protect themselves from the different forces of the Rift Alliance they had been able to operate as the overwhelming force they were designed to be. While they had been invading the neighbouring sector the different worlds of the Rift Alliance had been doing the same, launching operations to liberate worlds like Elom and others. There had been some Imperial Counterattacks but without a solid plan behind it they had been carried out by local Imperial commanders without official support or co-ordination.

Still Haron was uneasy as some worrying information had reached his ears.

Apart from the force sensitive assassin that Deera had faced on Rodia which worried him enough as Deera had virtually no warning of the attack before it came and if not for her armour could possibly have died. They had no idea just where these 'Emperor's Hands' came from or how well they were trained.

But then there was the death of Duke Sarek Ralmiz, he thought with unease. He cursed the foolish bastard for taking such poor ships into battle purely because of tradition when much better ones existed but apart from the appalling losses that they had taken at that battle including Duke Ralmiz himself, all the man's sons had been with him and he had no daughters so his entire line had been wiped out! Now the mantle of Duke Ralmiz fell on the ancient uncle who was he understood very sick and not likely to live long. There was no other member of the family that could take up that position and when the last Ralmiz died it was going to cause a succession crisis.

And finally, there was the strangest piece of information, the Empire had been looking for Kyber Crystals and extremely large ones too.

That confused him the most, Haron thought with a puzzled look on his face, not sure just what to make of it. He knew of their uses of course but not why they would be seeking out such large crystals.

Haron therefore descended to the holocron vault, he had the code obviously and felt the force surround him as he stepped inside. He approached the holocron of Revan, perhaps the most informative one they had and knelt, meditating with the force.

The holocron flared to life and lifted itself into the air, a projection of Revan appeared.

"Greetings Mandalorian. It has been some time since any one sought my knowledge but I sense your power has grown considerably since you last accessed this holocron. How may I help you?" Revan's projection asked, Haron took a breath before telling him.

"My enemies have been gathering large kyber crystals for a reason we don't understand. Has this happened before and if so, why?" Haron asked dearly hoping Revan could answer his questions.

Revan's projection paused for a moment as it went through its own records and then gave him what it knew.

"In the past large Kyber crystals have been at the heart of several superweapons used by the Ancient Sith and others who understood their great potential. If your enemies are searching for such crystals then they too might be creating a superweapon but what kind I cannot say." Revan's projection said before Haron nodded in gratitude and closed it down.

A superweapon, he thought with concern. They were rare and usually quite devastating but he had no idea just what kind of weapon they might be creating. He knew they wanted the crystals and more than one for whatever it was and that they had been taking slave labour from many worlds too so whatever it was it had to be big.

Haron frowned, they needed more pieces of the puzzle to see just what the Empire was up too but they were covering their tracks too well. He and Luna would need to see if they could gain any visions that might help give them some more clues because he had a great sense of foreboding about this, especially if the Empire was going to extreme lengths to keep it secret.

Kaitain, Pasdisahah Imperium…

Paul Atreides sat in his office looking at the immense number of documents that passed across his desk every day with a feeling like he was drowning, not matter how many he cleared there was always more coming in.

Handling the technological revolution that he was trying to implement didn't help matters, the Imperium was so far behind the rest of the galaxy it would take a minimum of ten years with concentrated effort and everything going right to catch up.

The Mandalorians were a big help in this, he thought with gratitude as they provided assistance and much needed lessons in modern science and technology. It was only thanks to them that his revolution was possible, he was facing a real uphill battle with the traditionalists who didn't want any change whether it improved things or not. Getting them to use datapads instead of paper was a struggle in itself.

Irulan had been a true gift from the force he thought with a great deal of relief that she was at his side during this, being trained in politics and the ways of the court she could twist this people around her finger with ease and get them on board with the advancements. Honestly, he wouldn't have made half the progress he had without her.

Something he was very grateful for.

Chani though was not taking to palace life so well, he thought with worry. She was used to life in the desert and so the ease of having everything done for you was difficult for her to adapt too. She was helping him in every way she could and had even done her best to befriend Irulan which was fraught with tension but at least they were trying.

Paul sighed as he just wasn't sure how to make things easier for her, he had already given her the job of helping overhaul the military but even that was perhaps not the best thing as while she did it with great effort, she was still a largely physical person so being 'office' bound was very hard for her.

At least though she had found some interest in it, he thought with relief. She had been helping to push their ship designers to create new and more efficient designs that would take advantage of their new technology and operate without ridiculous numbers of crew required which would let them spread the personnel out to more ships.

Smaller but more of them and of better quality.

Already they had been provided with the T-65 X-Wing which would serve a good frontline starfighter for their navy, especially given how easy to operate it was and to maintain but they would need more.

Then Irulan and Chani, both interrupted him by entering his office and despite the tension he was glad to see them, smiling at the women in his life and gladly left his desk to have dinner with them, taking one of each arm.

He could do this he thought hopefully, run this empire and convince these two beautiful women to accept him and each other.