The Battle of Cathar

[lordocelot]

The Biizaantine was orbiting around the frozen planet of Hoth, waiting for the sith emperor as he was supposedly meeting with an important ally.

“Captain it’s the Reaper, she’s coming our way” informed a technician.

“Open the hangar doors and give our emperor his greeting,” ordered the captain from the bridge of the Biizaantine.

The Reaper touched down on the glossy hangar floors of his most prize possession, his ship. Opening up the cockpit hatch to see dozens of sith surrounding his ship, some were knights, others soldiers, and some were technicians but all bowed as Tiberian leapt out of his star fighter and onto the hangar floor.

“Lord Coale?” said one sith technician hesitantly coming forward to address the sith emperor.

“Yes?” asked Tiberian politely.

“Console Sparky has been hailing our ship the last hour, he wants you to contact him as soon as you can. He says it is urgent it is about the system of Cathar” informed the sith technician.

“Thank you, send word to the bridge I am on my way and want Sparky there waiting for me” ordered Tiberian as he passed his men who all saluted their emperor and general.

“Yes sir” replied the technician.

“Welcome back Lord Coale, I hope all went according to your plan” welcomed the Biizaantine captain greeting Tiberian at the turbo lift doors as the rightful captain of the Biizaantine step on board of the bridge to see all positions stand at his presence and there waiting for him patiently was the presence of his hologram console Sparky.

“Report at once Sparky” ordered Tiberian taking his seat in the commander’s chair.

“Lord Coale, our intelligence believes another dozen republic star ships have taken shelter within the neutral planet. From another recent Republic defeat and we can confirm that many more of those are indeed Jedi knights and masters. My fleet can launch an invasion and bombardment on the planet to teach them what neutrality really means,” reported Sparky.

Tiberian shook his head as his hands rested in his lap, “this is quite unfortunate that the planet of Cathar has chosen to go down such a path that only ends with their death and annexation. Hold off any invasion and bombardment Sparky, but feel free to shoot down any republic ships trying to get to the planet. I will see to this matter personally,” ordered Tiberian.

“I will be most delighted my lord” responded Sparky as his hologram faded.

“Captain set coordinates for Cathar,” said Tiberian calmly.

“Yes sir” replied the captain barking the sith emperor’s orders to the pilots as the Biizaantine jumped into hyper-space leaving the frozen planet of Hoth behind and on their way to Cathar in the expansive regions.

[lordocelot]

A Senator shuttle descended in the Cathar atmosphere to a ground of large trees, with high branches that held up the cities for the Cathar people. As the shuttle touched down onto one of the landing platforms of the city with senator Tabeera walking down the loading ramp where she was hastily greeted by two Cathar nobles all of which were slim with sand colored fur and feline facial features.

“Senator Tabeera we are glad you have come, please follow us the tribes are in meeting with the Jedi masters as we speak” informed one of the nobles, Tabeera only bowed her head allowing the two nobles to lead her down the wooden stairwell and into a great hall carved from within tree.

Wooden tables and seats all were filled with important Cathars and in the center of the ring of seats was a long table, one side sat twelve Cathar tribe leaders. But these Cathars were built differently then Tabeera and the female nobles that accompanied her. These Cathar were the males of the species, they were both tall and burley, bodies of warriors with thick and vibrant manes around there head and neck. On the other side of the table were a handful of jedi masters and knights two were humans, two were other Cathar dressed in jedi robes and the last one was a mon calamarian, he seemed to be their speaker. However all had stopped when Tabeera and the two nobles arrived, all within the hall gave their senator their undivided attention.

“Senator Tabeera it is good to see you” commented one of the Cathar tribal leaders, who sat in the middle of his side; he bowed his head to Tabeera.

Tabeera smiled before curtseying towards the respectable tribal leader, “I am sorry I could not come later Arkin, please what have I missed” responded Tabeera as Cathar servants provided three more seats for the Tabeera and her nobles who sat in between the jedi masters and the Cathar nobles.

“At our last count about twenty jedi knights and masters and another hundred republic soldiers have taken refuge here from sith onslaughts. In this time Master Ackbar has been trying his best to recruit our planet in the war effort, as if saving his life from sith capture was not enough” responded a teasing Arkin smirking at Ackbar.

“Leader Ackbar I have dire news, I have just come from Coronet” began Tabeera but she soon had to stop as all in the hall began conversing with one another, the jedi masters were muttering anxiously to one another.

Arkin raised his paw and the room fell silent, “and senator?” asked Arkin.

“He did not say so directly but I am sure that the sith emperor Tiberian Coale is aware of what we are doing and I fear that it is only a matter of time until he comes with an armada to re-capture the jedi” reported a hesitant Tabeera as many of the Cathar seemed to begin to panic, calling for the jedi to leave immediately and booing that they were ever granted sanctuary from their planet.

“Cathar is a neutral planet I have my doubts that Tiberian will lead an armada of sith soldiers to such a planet. When he talks of peace and nobility within his war and battles” commented one Cathar noble leader.

“He is different, this sith is cunning I am sure that he could come up with a proper excuse to why he sent so many forces to us. Mainly since we are harboring prisoners of war, which sadly is illegal for neutral planets to partake in times of war,” warned Tabeera.

“Ha! There are no rules in war, let him come! We will call are warriors for battle, no sith soldier or knight can match the ferocity or strength of a Cathar warrior!” proclaimed Arkin standing to his feet and flexing his muscles, his opinion was met with mix responses amongst the other nobles but it seemed that the majority of the tribal leaders agreed to him and this would be key for future decisions being made.

“Sith ships have dropped out of hyperspace and are blockading our planet! We have counted at least three dozen!” reported a scared Cathar bursting into the hall. With this news the hall exploded in noises of debate and shouting and chattering and in arguing.

“So the sith wishes to bind us, it seems that they are unaware of our people’s strength” Arkin remarked to some of the other tribal leaders who purred and chuckled in agreement.

“We thank you for your courage in protecting us honorable Arkin but we cannot allow innocent people to be killed because of our lack of action, we will turn ourselves into the sith. That is the life of the jedi…. Sacrifice” responded Ackbar and the other jedi knights nodded.

“No Master Ackbar it is to late for this it seems that the sith have made their decision and so have I. We will not release you into their possession they will have to fight us” roared Arkin and at this noble idea of protecting the jedi, the other Cathar roared their approval and began to cheer.

It seemed that the planet and people of Cathar had made their decision and that they were to fight and defend their planet with the jedi against the sith intrusion til their last breath. All they had to do now was to wait for the sith to make their first move.

[lordocelot]

“Arkin a sith fighter has left the blockade and is asking permission to land” informed a Cathar.

“It’s Tiberian,” said a sure but somewhat worried Tabeera.

“Alone? That seems odd for a sith emperor” remarked Arkin.

“Tiberian has killed more then any other jedi honorable Arkin. He is a one-man army, it will be unwise to under-estimate him” cautioned Ackbar.

“Then perhaps he has come on diplomacy thinking that we will turn you noble knights in. Well I believe it is time for you jedi to hide, disband the Cathar nobles and tribal leaders and lead him here” ordered Arkin seeing the nervous faces of the jedi knights but they did not seem to have a choice, eternally grateful for saving them once, they were going to risk being seen and ruin any plan for negotiations or at least a battle that they would be able to dictate on their terms. And the jedi masters and Cathar nobles as well as tribal leaders began to file out of the hall.

“As representative of Cathar I would not be doing my job if I were to let you meet with a sith politician without my presence” informed Tabeera when she had to move from her seat.

Arkin though did not seem to agree with this but when he opened his mouth to speak, a messenger came forward. “Sith lord Tiberian Coale” and with this poor instruction the towering leader of hundreds of planets and millions of soldiers, who had single handedly dealt the jedi and numerous other planets terrible defeats and considered the most powerful enemy that the republic had ever seen, entered Arkin’s hall.

Dressed in his usual dark sith robes, with a silver collar he looked around at the awe-inspiring carved hall and to the numerous guards stationed around the hall. All warriors that challenged Tiberian in terms of height and strength, their arms folded all of them watching the sith lord closely. “I hope I have not interrupted an important Cathar ritual,” remarked Tiberian.

“No you arrived just when we had finished up,” commented Arkin calmly.

“Good, ah senator Tabeera another pleasant surprise, I was told that you went back to Corucsant” observed Tiberian casually.

“This is my home Tiberian and it is no business of the sith assembly where I travel and stay” rebutted Tabeera.
Tiberian chuckled apparently entertained by the Cathar senator’s attitude, he waved his hand as a wooden chair came to him from the corner of the room, floating behind him allowing the sith emperor a comfortable seat. “It is good to see that you have not lost your charm from our last meeting”

“As senator of Cathar I demand to be told why the armies of the sith assembly have placed a military sith blockade around a neutral planet. Are your supporters back in Coronet aware of such an aggressive act, emperor?” responded the brash Tabeera.

Tiberian chuckled his arms resting on the arms of his chair, bridging his hands below his chin; he did not look as if he was being attacked. No he looked to have just been told a delightful joke, as the emperor gave an amusing expression. “Senator Tabeera, your planet has not been neutral in this war ever since you began harboring Jedi knights and Republic soldiers, now as a politician first I will ask for them nicely and I suggest that you take my act of kindness because I do not offer it often, to people who have been lying and deceiving me and helping my allies!” warned Tiberian.

“It seems that Tiberian with your armies recent losses, you will blame anyone for your leadership failures. Our people stick to our oaths and it seems that your officers and intelligence has simply been mistaken” lied Tabeera as deliberate and effective as most seasoned senators.

“I am sorry Lord Coale that you were dragged out here from the core-worlds but our senator speaks the truth. My people know that your armies are in deep conflict with the republic armies and we know the rules of neutral planets to follow during galactic unrest. My guards will show you back to your ship, I hope that you have enjoyed our planet” suggested Arkin standing from his seat and waving his hand to the door in which Tiberian entered with several guards coming out of it waiting for the sith lord to get up.

Tiberian did not move, he was rather disappointed with how the Cathar leaders were addressing this very serious problem and Tiberian had no other choice. He had come up with several options within his starfighter to best solve this problem but now that the Cathar had refused such pleasantries and peaceful negotiations. Tiberian would now be forced to humiliate the Cathar and to teach them a valuable lesson about under-estimating the Sith and allying with the Jedi. “Honorable Arkin I regret the foolish choices you have made, and with your judgments. I will make sure to advise your successor not to make such mistakes when dealing with powerful forces”

“You have said enough Tiberian! Now I am ordering you to leave,” roared an outraged Arkin with several guards coming to forcibly escort Tiberian out of Arkin’s hall.

Tiberian leapt from his seat, flicking his hand his chair levitated several feet off of the ground, snapping his fingers it burst into brilliant flames before being launched through the air at the charging guards. The flaming chair collided with the guards as they burst into flames with them howling in pain but their torture was short lived as they soon died. Two guards were able to grab Tiberian by his shoulders, roaring in his ears and squeezing his shoulders, flexing their claws into his flesh but Tiberian did not flinch. Fires of red and silver coughed into the hall, attacking the guards, stabbing them across the chest etching deep into their flesh as they ripped through all the way to their torso releasing their grip and fell backward dead.

Crimson and silver lightning now was grappled in Tiberian’s hands he leapt towards one guard, tackling him into the wall and stabbing his red saber into his chest and his silver into his shoulder. The Cathar warrior squirmed and moaned in pain but could not budge being pinned against the wall. Tiberian shook his head disappointed by the lack of fight that these famous warriors gave; he put his fingertips to the hilts of his red and silver saber. Hisses of lightning emerged from the fingertips snaking around the hilts of Tiberian’s saber before slithering around the red and silver fires and grappling onto the flesh of the Cathar warrior who soon went limp from the sith jolt.

Arkin looked on in horror in a matter of seconds the sith lord dismantle and butcher all of his Cathar warriors and now with his last one being dealt with ferocious storm. Arkin, Tabeera were all that remained within the hall with an angry Sith lord on the prowl. Arkin took a step in front of Tabeera to protect her from the evident sith rage.

Tiberian examined the skewered Cathar, seeing the fear in his eyes and after a quick, “tsk” he pulled his lightsabers from the corpse of his last victim and turned around to see Arkin glaring at him standing in front of Tabeera. Tiberian was rather surprised and disappointed that the champion of his people was not one of the foolish guards who had charged the sith lord trying to confront him and force him to leave.

“This is the way of your people Arkin, and do not worry I will show myself out but I will be back and I am afraid that all those loyal to the jedi and republic will be destroyed, no exceptions” Tiberian put his sabers back within his cloak and casually walked around the charred corpses and mangled bodies of the Cathar warriors and disappeared.

[lordocelot]

Thousands of Cathar warriors stood patiently on the plains of their planet; behind them were the famous giant trees of their planets where they made their homes. Republic soldiers had been able to take off the turrets from their ships and placed them high above in the tree branches. Arkin stood in front of this impressive force that had gathered here, with him was Tabeera, Master Ackbar and the numerous other tribal leaders, all of whom were looking up into the sky for any sign of the sith armada. Arkin still remembered what Tiberian had done to his team of personal warrior-guards; some of whom he had called friends and Arkin was anxious and willing to meet Tiberian onto the battlefield. Even though Master Ackbar had advised and ordered the Cathar warriors to allow the few jedi knights to try to deal with Tiberian.

Master Ackbar calmed himself from any feelings of stress or worry, as he stood idly by patiently waiting for the sith army to come. Even though the Cathar warriors were sure that there were no forces that the sith could muster that stand the might of a Cathar warrior. Master Ackbar was wise not to overlook that the one who was leading the sith, is an army unto himself, with devastating power and force, the sith emperor would prove to be the challenge in this battle. There were only 7 jedi knights with Ackbar all leaving from other failed missions or fleeing a loosing battle, Ackbar earlier in the morning had given all of them clear and simple advice, stay together, keep your mind focused and work as a team. Ackbar could feel the strong overwhelming presence of the sith lord, he was coming and fast.

“Arkin look!” shouted one Cathar pointing up in the air, as dozens of sith shuttles began spitting into Cathar Atmosphere and descending towards the Cathar army. The simple Sith vessels began landing in a tight linear formation, only dozens of meters ahead of the Cathar.

“Where are their warships? That will carry their tanks and speeders? Those are just shuttles used to transport soldiers?” observed the senator from Cathar who could hear the grumbling and muttering behind of her, equally confused Cathar warriors.

“Perhaps the sith armies have not put the heart into this battle” proposed one tribal leader, as they watched more shuttles now landing behind the first wave of shuttles, in a precise formation.

“No it is unwise to underestimate these armies, I have fought many battles against them, these soldiers are trained with such discipline and are able to execute most of their battles into victories. These are formidable foes, be weary” warned Ackbar.

“Yes but they have never fought against the people of the Cathar!” shouted Arkin raising his gun as the soldiers began purring and growling in agreement all eager to tear apart these invaders and force them off their planet.

The Cathar army soon fell silent seeing the shuttle doors beginning to open, as roars began to echo through the battlefield. To the astonishment of both the Jedi and the Cathar, the sith emperor did not bring sith soldiers he brought wookie warriors to fight with the same intensity and strength that Cathar warriors prided themselves on.

Dozens and dozens of these sith-wookie warriors shuffled out of the shuffles and into marching columns all ready to fight. Raising their guns and bowcasters over their head eager for a good challenge but soon the wookiees fell silent and parted their columns to allow a cloaked figure walk past them and as he did, the wookiees fell to one knee in respect to the sith emperor who proved to be their greatest warrior. Walking behind the sith lord was his own apprentice Argon, the two stopped halfway between both armies.

“It seems that your gods have blessed with Jedi Arkin, since I know you are innocent of their presence here on your planet. I will raise this compromise one more time just to prove to my enemies of my patience and good faith, hand over the Jedi and the republic soldiers and my army will leave this planet and none of your people need to be hurt” reasoned Tiberian.

“We will not let republic allies and servants of the senate be sent to slavery or worse their death! No Tiberian we Cathar have made our choice and our ready for what it is to come next but I advise you to worry more about your own forces then mine” replied Arkin angrily.

Tiberian laughed, “So be it. Your people will be a fitting example for what happens when you break the rules of our government! I only know that the next Cathar leader will be a far better pet!” said Tiberian red and silver fires swirled around him like birds before resting in his hands.

Arkin raised his spear while growling loudly, before charging Tiberian and the sith wookiees. The Jedi pulled out their own sabers before focusing their energy and strength to have the force guide them, as they to left their posts with Cathar warriors behind them but it fell on the Jedi to stop the powerful sith lord.

Tiberian though was un phased by the charging Cathar warriors he casually turned to his apprentice. “Do not fail me again”

Argon ignited his red saber twirling it above his head to signal to attack the charging Cathars. With one last roar the wookiees charged their bowcasters spitting out blast fire. Beginning the battle of Cathar.

[lordocelot]

Heavy rounds of cannon shells began penetrating the Cathar earth at the attacking wookiees, dirt, rock, and wookiee corpses flew into the air as the strategically placed cannons up on the high tree branches of the Cathar trees obliterating the first wave of wookiee warriors. Even though heavy guns of the Republic had titled the battle at the moment in their favor, wookiees were still crossing the lines of the battlefield and engaging with the Cathar Warriors, carnage was everywhere.

“Hmm” thought Tiberian to himself looking up at the high branches he could sense the gunners and the positions of the republic’s heavy guns through the force; he could count them, thirteen of them. Calling upon the force which climbed up the high trees of Cathar rummaging through the branches, the invisible hand of the force wrapped itself around the republic cannons and with one quick tug the cannons were silent. Gunners cried out in fear as they plummeted out of their safe canopies exposed to angry wookiees and gun fire, many though simple met their fate upon crashing into the ground. In one swift move by the sith lord every republic cannon had been disarmed with every gunner killed.

Tiberian smiled upon seeing the fate of the republic gunners, the battle was waging all around the sith lord, defensive Cathar warriors fighting till their last breath against the fierce wookiee invaders. Growls of Cathar warriors against roars of the wookiee invaders echoed all over the battlefield, the Cathar armed with their blasters and the wookiees with their bowcasters but many of the outcomes of the skirmishes between these two races did not depend on their weapons but of the strength and cunning of its warriors.

A Cathar upon seeing the sith destruction of their heavy cannons, led a handful of warriors to charge the sith lord hoping to catch him by surprise. Discarding their blasters, these warriors were now only armed with their tribal swords which were durable and strong enough to hold its own against the lightsaber. Two of the warriors leapt into the air their swords high over their head hoping to catch the sith lord by surprise but they were wrong. Tiberian spun around to see the charging Warriors; putting his hand out in front of him he summoned the force to him and unleashed a furious force wave that rippled through the air smashing into the two warriors out of the air and into the ground.

Another warrior dashed his way through the carnage that the sith lord had just made and growling loudly he swung his sword at the sith lord’s head. Tiberian grabbed the Cathar’s hand that held the tribal sword, amazed at the strength of the sith lord, the warrior looked into the intimidating eyes of his killer. A spark of sith lightning escaped the fingertips of the sith lord which then unmercifully clung to the body of the Cathar warrior who growled and screamed in agony trying to escape the sith lord’s grip but he could not. His knees finally buckled and his head fell forward, examining the standing corpse, Tiberian let go and watched the warrior fall backward onto the blood soaked ground of the battlefield.

“Lord Coale your fight is with us!” commented Jedi master Ackbar as he and four other jedi knights cut their way through the battlefield to confront the sith emperor. Blue and green lightning appeared around the sith lord.

“Foolish Jedi, look at what you have done! These lives are all on your hands Jedi!” said Tiberian igniting his own silver and red fires. “Now come jedi if you defeat me, you will all be heroes and this war will be over and all will remember your names. Then again if I am the victor, none will remember your name, mere victims of my blade” contemplated an amused Tiberian.

“We jedi are not in it for the glory Tiberian we are here to serve the galaxy and defend it from those such as you” replied a calm Ackbar.

“Consider your job done” as Tiberian lunged forward at the jedi, red and silver fires swirling at his sides. Master Ackbar and two of the other knights were able to leap to the side in time but the two Cathar knights were not as lucky. Tiberian stabbed his red blade into her abdomen while cutting upwards towards her chest and heart before the saber reemerged. Tiberian’s silver blade with one motion severed the Cathar’s head as it popped up before falling to the ground with the body coiled around it.

The other jedi knights and Master Ackbar were disillusioned at seeing their friends being killed with ruthless tenacity by the sith lord in only a few seconds and what seemed worse Master Ackbar realized that the sith lord was not even trying. Tiberian slowly turned around facing the three remaining Jedi, a wry smile at his lips the sith lord looked ready and poised to finish off these Jedi.

“Come Master Ackbar let me see if you put up a better fight then your own apprentice” commented Tiberian who was able to sense the pain within Ackbar at the reminder of his slain apprentice.

“He is one with the force now Sith lord, I do not regret my teachings to him”

“Come Jedi I have others to slain as well” responded Tiberian summoning the force all around him, to let loose a powerful fury of sith lightning towards the three remaining Jedi. Who used their sabers as rods to block and drain the sith lightning but the lightning that Tiberian let loose was more powerful then what the two jedi had suspected and were unable to summon the strength needed to continue to block the lightning, their sabers exploded in sparks of shrapnel forcing them to their knees. Tiberian chuckled, “Same old jedi! I will bring you your doom” he said extending his hands forward before tugging them back lifting up the two squirming jedi, who were panicking unarmed and un able to control their emotions.

“Put them down Tiberian” shouted Ackbar leaping between them towards Tiberian trying to save the two jedi knights.

“Ah patience Ackbar all in good time” replied a toying Tiberian summoning the force aiming it towards Ackbar before unleashing the brutal force wave. Ackbar tried to dodge the sith lord’s wave but it prove folly as Ackbar was hit by the wave and flew backwards tumbling onto the earth meters away from the sith lord and his two latest jedi victims.

Tiberian smiled watching the Mon Calamarian jedi bounce and tumble onto the hard earth of Cathar before the sith lord turned his attention back to the levitating Jedi. “Let’s finish this” he said igniting his silver and red fires and with one tug of the force he pulled the two screaming jedi to him. The Jedi passed the sith lord at each side, to silence them Tiberian extended his arms outward and with a fluid strike split them in half their torsos and legs crashing onto the battlefield. Withdrawing his sabers back into his cloak, the sith lord continued to stalk the battlefield looking for the last remaining Jedi Master.

Ackbar felt his two remaining jedi knights become one within the force, Ackbar rubbed his head gingerly before sitting up. To see firsthand the carnage all around him, wookiees and Cathar warriors shooting, slashing, killing one another with no mercy, streams of blood began trickling through the battlefield, the pain in the force was overbearing for the
Jedi Master. Who could feel countless wookiees and Cathars every moment join the force but a sensation through the force dwarfed the painful one he felt. It was such a powerful sensation within the force it almost knocked the Mon Calamarian on his back, he had no doubts that this powerful aura belonged to none other than the sith emperor. Looking forward the Jedi master spotted the shadow cloak of the sith lord red and silver fires of rage in his hands cutting down numerous Cathar warriors with ease, making his way towards the Mon Calamarian jedi master. “What have I done” thought Ackbar to himself a feeling of guilt and gloom consuming him as he got to his feet.

“It is only you and I, Ackbar you will see that I am not as clumsy as my apprentice” remarked Tiberian spotting one Cathar warrior who seemed to be trying to avoid the sith lord’s attention, Tiberian stabbed both of his sabers into the warrior’s chest, a gasp of escaped air left the lifeless corpse as Tiberian withdrew his sabers back into his cloak before approaching the jedi master.

“Good I needed a challenge; I was disappointed at the lack of skill shown by your apprentice I only can hope that he did not pick up all of his master’s traits” commented Ackbar as blue fire flashed before his face angled at the unarmed sith lord who continued to approach the jedi master.

Calling on the force, to surround him Ackbar released the force to a powerful force wave at the encroaching sith lord. Sensing Ackbar’s force attack, Tiberian pulled his hand from his pocket with a casual flick stopping the force wave and pulling out his other hand he brought the force wave to him, and brought of the force to him and with an awesome power of force it jolted out of his hands, ripping through the air, at the jedi master who was defenseless against this unique force power which hit Ackbar in the shoulder. Ackbar’s feet left the ground as he corkscrewed in the air. Tiberian leapt to his feet, using the force to push him higher up then the spinning Ackbar and calling upon the darkness of the force, Tiberian relinquished sith lightning onto the still spinning jedi master, frying him and pulling out his two lightsabers, red and silver lightning stabbed the spinning scared jedi master and with the momentum of the stab the jedi master and the sith lord plummeted back to the battlefield, Ackbar landing with a loud thud forming a crater in the backfield the sabers pinning the corpse into the ground as dust was kicked up in the air. Tiberian towering over the Mon Calamarian body, examining the corpse of the jedi that had iniated this battle, he shook his head; “Jedi arrogance” before pulling out his sabers from the lifeless body. But there was still unfinished business that he needed to attend to; Senator Tabeera and Arkin were the only two who stood in the way of Tiberian finishing this battle. So the sith lord began his hunt once more for the two remaining Cathar warriors.

[lordocelot]

What little advantage that the Cathar warriors thought they would have against the sith soldiers seemed to detieriate. The Wookiee warriors in many regards were what Cathar warriors had long respected within themselves, strong, cunning, fierce, but noble warriors. Even though the Cathars were fighting to protect their home planet a key advantage to any battle, the wookiees were better skilled and better adapted for this fight and to the surprise of the proud Cathar people, their warriors were beginning to fall back and retreat, the wookiees were overwhelming them.

Arkin watched in horror as the wookiee columns smashed and flanked the Cathar warriors lines of defense, which had only bent but not broke but it was too much pressure for the Warriors. Their lines had been breached and the Wookiees were now slaughtering Cathar warriors at will with ruthless speed and gritting tenacity. “Fall back to the trees my men! Fall back!” shouted Arkin as his people disengaged from the wookiee invaders and began retreating towards their large trees hoping to find cover and regroup. But not all of the Cathar warriors seemed willing to leave, many tried to fight the wookiees perhaps sacrificing their own lives to save their people, and to Arkin’s dismay one of them being senator Tabeera. “Senator you must retreat now!” ordered Arkin pushing his way through his retreating soldiers getting to Tabeera who had just stabbed one wookiee in the chest before cleaving its head off.

“I am not going anywhere Arkin” said a determined and bold Tabeera.

Arkin shook his head, “Yes you are senator, you must go back to Coruscant and tell the people what has happened here” replied Arkin grabbing the senator and pulling her away from the battle much to protesting and shouting.

“Master Arkin the shuttle is ready for you, its waiting on your private platform” informed two Cathar Warriors running towards their tree villages.

Argon swung violently like an untamed beast his red fire burning and stabbing many Cathar warriors. Argon roared triumphantly his foot on a dying Cathar’s warrior’s throat, coughing violently, the warrior had lost all strength to fight the wookiee sith since being stabbed twice in the side. Argon slammed his red blaze within the heart of the Cathar warrior reveling in its last dying breath and shouts. “Cowards!” he shouted watching many of the Cathar warriors throw down their weapons and begin running towards their trees for safety. Hundreds of supposedly noble warriors retreating from battle that was not the way of a warrior in the eyes of Argon and his wookiees only the way of the weak, when scanning the warriors he spotted the Cathar senator with their leader the two culprits to this bloody battle. Pulling his red fire out of the corpse and over his head, he slowly lowered it pointing at the retreating warriors. The wookiee warriors roared their approval aiming their bowcasters and fired upon the retreating warriors and chasing them to the trunks of their large trees. The wookiees knew the rules, they were to save any Cathar who surrendered, and should not be trying to wipe out the entire species for that would not bode well with their master.

A smirk came to the sith lord watching the Cathar warriors disengaging from their battle realizing that they were no match for the sith armies. These lives could have been spared and this battle avoided, the people did not have the right to blame Tiberian for what has happened to them, but should be blaming their own leaders. Especially Arkin and Tabeera but Tiberians thoughts stopped when he caught the sight of those two annoying and proud Cathar warriors scaling the trees. Looking further up Tiberian noticed a shuttle powering up and Tiberian smiled looking amused. “They think they can run” he commented to himself before walking forward towards the Cathar trees.

Climbing the last steps the relieved looking Arkin looked up to see the shuttle’s doors opening. Behind Arkin was senator Tabeera and two other Cathar warriors, “we made it, now come let us hurry!” he said to the others who all nodded thinking that they had escaped the horrors of battle and the four of them began running onto the wooden platform and towards the open shuttle.

Tabeera stopped turning to her right to see an opening between the thick and wily tree branches. High in the air, Tabeera began walking towards the ledge, hundreds of feet up this was the frightening view of the carnage of the battle. Thousands of bodies could be seen littered around the battlefield, and to Tabeera’s horror she saw her noble people surrendering their weapons submitting to the sith and their wookiee slaves.

Arkin turning around to see that Tabeera was not with him, stopping at once, he looked to his right seeing her approaching the ledge. “Tabeera we need to go!” he shouted urgency in his voice.

“They are enslaving our people!” was Tabeera’s reply turning to him tears in her own eyes that began to trickle down her furry cheeks. “Because of me” she said sounding defeated.

“Now is not the time to mourn them! Come we go to the capitol there our people can their justice” reasoned Arkin turning to see that the two other Warriors had stopped behind him.

Tabeera nodded, overcome with grief and guilt as a politician it was always her goal to avoid war and battle and the slaughter of innocence. But her own pride and hatred towards the sith ruler doomed her people and ravaged her land. As she began walking back towards Arkin and the two other Cathar warriors seeing their relieved but fearful faces. Tabeera though stopped suddenly upon seeing the two warriors beginning to rise in the air, as they began growling and shouting in panic, taking their leader’s attention. It seemed that both Arkin and Tabeera realized it at the same time, they were not alone.

A sinister laughter rained down on them, surrounding the panicked Cathar warriors, engulfing them with fear, who were unable to locate the sith presence or free themselves from his grip.

“Let them go Tiberian! Your fight is with me! Show yourself damn it!” challenged Arkin holding the tribal sword of his people.

“Calm down kitty I will get to disemboweling you and your rude girlfriend in good time” replied the sith’s voice hiding his physical presence from them, enjoying the game. And when he finished speaking the Cathar warriors were released as they both fell to the ground, showing only fear and slight bruises from their brief grip with the sith lord.

Tabeera like the other Cathar warriors pulled out her sword and now all four of them were looking all around them in hopes of trying to pin the sith’s presence. “Tabeera go to the shuttle we will hold him off! Your mission is to Coruscant” said Arkin refusing to allow Tabeera to help him or risk her life in this fight with the sith lord.

Tabeera wanted to protest she wanted revenge on the sith lord but with revenge steaming in her heart, fear resided in her mind at the thoughts of such a deadly presence so close so untamed so ruthless who would strike with cunning at any second. So Tabeera nodded passing the two warriors with Arkin behind her she went to the shuttle. “Thank you Tabeera” said Arkin standing next to the shuttle looking very relieved by the senator’s choice as she walked past him and onto the shuttle.

Tabeera shook her, “Thank you Arkin” she said hesitantly but looking past Arkin and the two warriors she found him. The evil of the galaxy, the monster of the sith, was standing casually on the platform as if he was a simple bystander of this battle and not the culprit of the ruthlessness that he showed in leading this battle.

“You can’t leave senator especially not to Coruscant. They don’t recognize sith planets there you see” replied Tiberian casually alerting the other three Cathar warrior’s of his presence. All three of them turned around just as surprised as Tabeera was to the sith’s non chalant presence on the platform, his hands in his pockets, his robes tussling in the mechanized air coming from the shuttle’s engines.

“Close the shuttle doors! And get out of here” ordered Arkin to the pilot who saluted the Cathar warrior from the window as the shuttle’s doors closed on the protests of the senator shielding her from any possible sith attack.


“Oh No! I am finished! Once that shuttle leaves this battlefield my sith will be exploited as true warriors and the Republic will have its vengeance. Woe is me! Doom will come to my cause what is an evil sith emperor to do?” remarked Tiberian playfully watching the shuttle levitate off of the platform before flying upwards trying to escape the sith lord. Tiberian smiled, “actually I know what I can do” he said bringing his hands out of his pockets and pointing them towards the ascending shuttle. Tiberian could feel the force flowing around him as the sith lord called more and more of its power for his sinister purpose. Reaching through the force Tiberian was able to get a grip of the shuttle that was flying dozens of meters over him trying its best to escape the Cathar’s orbit. Looking up it would seem as if the shuttle had hit a wall it was unable to move forward you could hear the straining of the engines as the panicky pilot was trying his best to break free but it could not slip away from the discipline grip of the sith lord. Tiberian was to strong, taking his attention away from the shuttle he looked forward at the Cathar warriors all of them looking up at the sky with awe and fear before they too turned to the sith lord. Who simply smirked at the dumbfounded Cathar and with one quick tug of his hands the shuttle began descending rapidly back down towards the platform.

“No! Stop him!” ordered an angry Arkin at his two warriors but it was foolish nothing could be done, looking up the two warriors thought it best not to charge the sith lord but instead try to find cover from the streaking shuttle. But where were they to run? The falling shuttle was not within their control it was in the control of a smirking monster, it was coming down fast on them, nose diving towards the platform with one purpose. One ominous purpose to crash, to kill all inside and to crush all those on the platform who was not of sith; It was close, Arkin could just make out the outline of the pilot from the viewport.

He was a young human, a man who never had experienced such fear as the fear that rushed through his body, that caused his fingers to tremble as they continued to bask against the control panel in vain. An attempt to override whatever was gripping them but there was nothing on board that could free the shuttle from the dark prison that it was in. The pilot had been flying senators for more than a year visiting dozens of planets each one more beautiful in the last, that was why he became a pilot trying to see all the beauty in the galaxy and now his life was to end so quickly and so painfully. His throat was dry from his constant tirades of cursing and shouting that he embarked on upon losing control of his ship to some outside power. Even though he could not see it nor explain it, he could feel this dark presence looming within the very shuttle, within the cockpit overpowering him, like a leach it seemed to feed off of his fear and anger, which would only make the grip more suffocating for all who was inside. The pilot could see the outlines of several Cathar people on the platform huddled together three of them, their faces seemed to be stained with fear, which seemed to paralyze their body for they were not trying to hide or run away from the shuttle and then taking his last breaths the pilot closed his eyes and accepted his death and blackness was all around him.

Like a falling star, the shuttle smashed into the wooden platform erupting in a shower of splintering wood, ashes, and flames. The Platform split in two as fissures began streaking around the wooden planks, groans could be heard from the support beams below which seemed ready to submit to the damage above them any second. But for now the platform rocked gentle, chunks of the shuttle and of burning wood fell between the growing cracks of the platform falling down onto the ending battlefield crashing into tree branches while many others plummeted towards the ground. Fires spat around from the shuttle parts and the wood of the platform that still remained enact, as suffocating smoke began to resonate forming dense clouds beneath the tree as well as rising upwards to the sky.

Tiberian stood motionless un phased by the shockwaves, the flames or the flying debris. His arms were folded into his chest; his gaze was on the flaming chunks of the shuttle that remained on the platform. He could see the mutilated corpses of two of the Cathar warriors, one was crushed under the weight of one of the shuttle wings. While the other lay charred a few feet away fried by the engine explosion, one kitty’s corpse was missing. Tiberian slowly began walking towards the shuttle wreckage not flinching from the numerous fissures that began rippling and spreading out throughout the platform, The sith lord did not seem to panicked at thought that the platform could crush at any moment.

Arkin groaned, his breathing came to him in a wheezing purr, every breath he took, felt as if he was being stabbed in his lungs. But it was not just his breathing his whole body was in pain. He pushed his head up slowly to realize that he only lay feet away from the shuttle, he might have escaped his death but he did not go unscathed by the crash. Coughing up blood, Arkin using his forearms pushed himself up into a sitting position where he looked down in horror at his mangled legs. Blood trickled down from his knee caps, matting into his dirty fur; layers of his skin had been ripped off or hanging on by a thread exposing his nerves and bones as blood began to topple over from his two torn legs in only a few minutes, Arkin was an inch deep in his own blood. He had failed, the jedi were dead, the republic soldiers were dead, Tabeera was dead, his people were dead and sith pets. And coming to that realization was more painful than his collapsed lung, or freshly sliced legs, or his other ailments. A rattle and clatter came from behind Arkin, who tried to turn his head to see what was happening, but it was too painful all he could see was from the corner of his eye of chunks of the shuttle beginning to fall through the cracks as the fissures only got wider.

“You are welcome Arkin” came the calm voice that was behind all of this carnage and death. Tiberian walked confidently around the wreckage and was approaching the injured and dying Cathar warrior.

“You are you not done, killing my people? Torturing me? Razing our lands! You now come before me so that my last seconds of this life are to be haunted by your presence” screamed Arkin with all his strength ignoring the pain from the insides of his throat which were scorched from breathing in so much of the engine smoke.

Tiberian stopped at Arkin’s feet looking down at the broken body of the Cathar leader, but it seemed that his spirit had yet to break, something Tiberian needed to address. “Do not be a fool! Do not try to be some martyr for the galactic republic! Some brave leader who tried to thwart the evil sith empire, trying to save his people! You dragged your people into war and death, not I. Your overconfidence led to the obliteration of your armies, not I. Your people will thank me when I kill you and a new leader is chosen one who has to clean up your mess” remarked Tiberian looking down to see that he was standing in the Cathar’s pool of blood, he could hear the buzz of insects beginning to settle in on the meaty flesh of Arkin’s legs.

Arkin groaned drowning in the sith lord’s shadow, seeing the seriousness within his eyes, his jaw clenched, his arms at his dies, his hands jittery at the opportunity to put him out his misery. “If you think you have won Tiberian then you are wrong. You have invaded a neutral planet within membership of the Republic! You killed a galactic senator, the Republic will not tolerate this!” wheezed Arkin.

“The Republic senate knows where to find me” observed Tiberian bending down beside Arkin, hearing the troubled rasps of the warrior, seeing his trembling arms, Tiberian had no doubts that they were broken to, as Tiberian lowered his hand down towards the Cathar warrior, wrapping his fingers around the warrior’s throat, whose only response was involuntarily gagging. Tiberian pulled the warrior to his feet, holding him several feet off the ground; he then walked him towards the end of the platform.

But instead of dropping Arkin to his death, Tiberian had second thoughts he wanted the kitty to suffer a bit more especially after all that he had put the sith lord through. No simply dropping Arkin to his doom wasn’t the way Tiberian wanted to leave his mark on this planet, Arkin’s death was to be a reminder to both the Republic and his own armies what was the punishment for standing in the sith lord’s way. Tiberian could feel the fear fluttering within Arkin’s fading heart, he could see the terror within his eyes, but the cat’s time had come and could not have come soon enough.

Turning away from the platform, Tiberian hurled the screaming Arkin into the air towards the center of the crumbling platform. Putting his hands together, sparking the hatred Tiberian had for the Cathar leader into a crackle of lightning emanating from his hands and pulling them away he extended them towards the Arkin.

Casually yawning, Tiberian drifted his head forward to see the last sparks of his sith lightning disappearing as the almost dead Cathar was beginning to fall back down towards the platform. Raising his hands Tiberian called the force around him before targeting the Cathar warrior, holding his open hand above his head to release his powerful force which flowed up to the sky over the falling Cathar warrior. Tiberian closed his hand into a fist and like a hammer to a nail, the massive collection of force crashed onto the dying Cathar warrior dragging him down towards the platform as Arkin’s broken body and the massive pressure of force crashed into the platform.

The force proved to be much for the fledgling platform as its ends rose into the air like a closing flower, the branches underneath all began crackling and snapping off of the tree and began falling down towards the planet’s floor with the plummeting shards of the landing platform and the shuttle following close behind. Tiberian pushing himself with the force off of the platform and onto a nearby branch, just as the platform had surrendered to the sith lord’s powerful force hammer. Looking down Tiberian watch amused the shatter of fragments of the wood, sharp mangled scraps of the flaming shuttle knocking down other branches as an immense fall of destruction before crashing into the planet’s floor, the demolition and momentum was so powerful that a rather large crater formed from the crash.

“Hmm I hope my wookiees were not down there” commented Tiberian standing on a tree branch, before his thoughts were distracted from a soft whistle from his arm it was his apprentice, pushing a button Tiberian’s apprentice Argon appeared in front of his master, immediately bowing at the powerful sith lord.

“The Assembly and the Chancellor wish to speak with you, they are waiting for you on your ship” reported Argon.

“I am on my way down, contact The Carnage it will be their duty to round up the fit Cathar warriors and set them up for deportation” replied Tiberian.

“Yes Master, I will do so now” responded Argon as his image faded away.

Taking one last look at the damage Tiberian had done with his last show of force, he shook his head, “let them try to remember you now Arkin. But it would help if they could find your body or what is left of it first” remarked Tiberian.

[lordocelot]

The Biizaantine had landed on the Cathar planet only minutes after the people of the Cathar surrendered. The ship towered over the surrounding plains and the sith shuttles.
Walking through the corridors of his ship the sith lord was constantly being flanked with salutes from fellow sith officers as well as words of praise for the victory. But they all stopped upon Tiberian when he arrived to his war room and as the doors slid opened, Tiberian walked in to see eight holograms sitting around his table and they all stood upon seeing the sith lord enter the room.
These holograms represented some of the most important people within the sith empire they were the chancellor of Corellia Vala Ban, Tribunes of the Sith assembly Alec Eealor and Myrne Copa, Sith Magistrate Oden Baorta, two council members and two Aediles those four names escaping the sith lord.

“Lord Coale let me be the first to congratulate you on your triumphant victory on Cathar, may this be a lesson to all in the galaxy the fate of those planets who insult and show disrespect towards the sith empire” praised Vala.

“Thank you Chancellor so am I to take it that Argon has filled you in on the battle?” asked Tiberian taking his seat in his large black throne at the end of the table and as he sat so did the other holograms.

“Yes he did and he sent over the reports as well, I am sorry Tiberian but after seeing these reports for myself they do not justify invading this planet” remarked Oden Baorta coolly as several of the other holograms seemed to be chattering in agreement, only two did not seem to agree with them and they were Vala Ban and Alec Eealor

“Master Baorta it seems that you represent a strong following of those who seem not to have agreed with my decision?” commented Tiberian turning his attention to the human who had just spoken.

“Tiberian times are different! You have said that yourself, you invaded a neutral Republic planet in this war. And you justify it because they harbored a handful of jedi knights and republic soldiers. No Tiberian that is not a valid reason” replied Magistrate Baorta.

“So brash Oden, I imagine that you would not speak so ill towards our emperor if he was back in Corellia and listening to your discontent in person” observed a cold Vala.

“Yes Oden perhaps if you had done your job properly in the battles that you have fought in, the emperor would not have to clean up your mess” added Alec casually.

Oden folded his arms rather upset with the attacks that he was receiving, "I thought opinons and voices were to be treated with equailty and respect in your new regime Tiberian?" he asked rather moodily.

"They are and I look forward to all of your reports which I will actually be recieving in person" replied the sith lord.

"In person?" repeated Oden which followed a loud gulp, the magistrate tried to muffle into a poorly used cough.

Tiberian nodded, "yes I am returning to the capitol, our war with the republic is stabilizing and I believe that I will no longer be needed on the battlefield but instead within the assembly hall. I will be departing shortly" clarified Tiberian.

"I will inform the Assembly" said Alec.

"Good that is all" said Tiberian as the holograms faded into obscurity, leaving the sith lord alone contemplating his latest victory and his transition into the political area once more, hoping this time his armies would be able to hold the surges of the Republic army.