Shadow Diplomacy

[Lady Vader]

*So much time had past since LV had left the dealings of TSO to do some "outside" work. Not to mention it having been a long time since Live Wire and she had done a mission together. But today that changed. Today they were in route to a planet for a bit of visiting and diplomacy.*

*LV sat back in the pilot's seat of the Cat's Claw, watching the stars streak by in the familiar surroundings of hyperspace. Soon they would be at their destination. But until then, a bit of long overdue chat between two close friends was well under way.*

*LV laughed at LW's last comment, reminiscing.*

I still can't believe we did that to poor Gav at the Luau! I bet the boy still has nightmares about it! Either that, or they're dreams he can only imagine could happen again!

*They bothed laughed. Those had been days when they had been so carefree. But those days were gone, and they'd grown. These days things seemed more serious and TSO quite demanding. It was a job neither one would leave, not until death took them away. And even then, they'd be sure to haunt the hell out of the remaining members with their etherial images.*

*Their laughter dieing, LV looked over as the tiny alarm indicating the count down to the reversal to real space went off. She manually shut down the beeping and concentrated on piloting, LW at the copilot seat. Both a team. As always, from the beginning.*

Exiting hyperspace... now.

*The stars retruned to their normal tiny pinpoints in the inky black void, as a blue-green planet loomed before them.*

[Live Wire]

Poor Gav, indeed.

*LW laughed hard, remembering how they'd tied up the boy for his "crime", if one could call it that. Still chuckling slightly as the ship returned to real space, she looked at her instrumentation, seeking a place to land.*

There... near the equator. There's a small patch of open land. A meadow of sorts.

*She directed the coordinates to LV, who expertly brought the ship through the planet's atmosphere and landed the ship without so much as a shudder on the ground.*

*Standing before LV did, LW moved towards the aft of the ship, and hit the gang plank switch. With a hiss of releasing hydrolics, the gang plank lowered, softly settling down once it reached the planet's surface. Walking out onto the long, plush grasses, she looked about, alert.*

How long did you say since you've been here?

[Lady Vader]

*LV stepped beside LW, the gang plank behind her raising and the ladning shields activating to protect the ship.*

Too long. The last time I was here was before I left to seek out my destiny in the universe, just before I joined TSC.

*She heard LW whistle, indicating that was long.*

But I have been keeping in touch through the outdated comm station they have here. Voice only. And it's a weak signal. I even had to position several comm antennas just to pick up the signal back at Corellia.

*Again she saw LW shake her head in disbelief.*

Yeah, well, I'm sure they'll be happy to see me again... I hope.

*Taking the lead, she began to walk in a westerly direction, heading for the familiar lake she knew so well. They wound through several forests and meadows, all the while taking in the scenery with awe and caution. They had only been walking for about a half hour when they heard a rustling noise to their left. both stopped in their tracks, taking a defensive position. Then another rustle alerted them to look at their backsides. This time they took a defensive position, back to back. Soemthing had alerted their danger senses.*

[Live Wire]

*LW had wondered why LV had kept this part of her past so quiet. Maybe it was to protect the area. She was pondering this when the rustling alerted her to whip out her lightsaber. She kept it off, but still at the ready. Aagain another rustle, this time sending warnings of danger through her mind.*

*Standing back to back with LV gave them the advantage of seeing all around them. But they were not prepared for what was to come next. The area began to fill with a thickening mist, surrounding first their ankles and then their entire bodies.*

Can you see anything?

*She heard LV acknowledge that she couldn't, nor could she access the Force to see beyond the fog.*

Something seems to be blocking our Force abilities. But it's too strong to be one something... it feels... it feels like several somethings.

*Just when they thought the fog couldn't get any thicker, it began to subside, their vision being able to see ahead of them again. But what they saw did not look like a welcoming party. More like an army.*

[Lady Vader]

*LV winced as the fog faded and she saw what lay before her. She mumbled to LW.*

Maybe i should have visited sooner?

*All she got from LW was a moan.*

[Gethwyn Tajki]

The warriors surrounded the two trespassers, taking in that they were female and strong with the Force. But they were no match for the combined forces of the witches. She could see her warriors wanted to strike out, but she raised a hand, commanding them in her native tongue to hold their ground.

Gethwyn looked down at the trespassers from high atop her rancor, as they in turn looked up. She knew who they were, having read their minds earlier as thier vessel had flown through the planet's atmosphere. That was how she had known where to direct her warriors to their current position.

She smiled at them, though the smile carried no warmth, and certainly no comradere. They had just gone from trespassers to prisoners, and perfect playing pawns in her little game of chess. She spoke in basic, to accomodate the prisoners.

Welcome... to Dathomir.

[Live Wire]

*LW looked wide eyed, still not able to fully grasp at the Force. With so many minds blocking it's usage, they were basically sitting ducks. Sure they could fight of a few without the Force, and certainly take down their share of the women warriors. But they would not survive the onslaught of the horde, nor those gigantic beasts they road.*

*She nudged LV lightly with her elbow, using what little orce she could to communicate with LV telepathically.*

I thought you were in contact with them through the comm and had warned them of our arrival?

[Lady Vader]

*LV returned the telepathic link.*

I WAS in contact with them! This is something totally unexpected! I remember this Gethwyn eager to have us come visit, but I didn't expect THIS!

*She looked up at Gethwyn, the elected Clan Mother of the tribes she had been in contact with, and spoke to her in basic, her understanding of the native language being rusty.*

Gethwyn! What is the meaning of this? We had an agreement to negotiate a treaty and entrance into the Sith Order's fold!

[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn's voice took on a hard, savage edge.

Impudent insect! You do not speak to me in such a manner! You are my PRISNOERS, therefore I ask all the questions and YOU answer!

She waved a hand, making the ground tremble, toppling LV and LW to their knees.

See that you d not lose your place again!

She softened her voice, taking in the glares from both women, and relishing in their refusal to give in. She admired strength. But her patience was only so long.

Yes, we did have an greement, but I do not need to follow by your rules. Soon we will be space born and conquering our own systems!

You are merely pawns in this game. Once we are through with you...

She let the last sentence hang for a bit before continueing.

You are our guaranteed ransom. Once your precious Sith Order finds out you are our prisoners, they will have to heed to our demands. Unless they want two of their esteemed Sith to be shipped back to them... in pieces.

She spit the last word out and then spoke a few quick words to the surrounding warriors. All of the woman began to take on a far off look, and the mist began to grow around the two Sith once more, this time being cut off completely from the Force.

Until then, we shall travel back to the Black Lake fortress.

She looked at LV before the mist surrounded them all.

Perhaps you may even get to see your old room.

With that, the mist surrounded them completely, and the warriors moved in, subdueing the prisoners. Once the task was compete, the entire horde disapeared into the fading mist, back to there home.

[Gethwyn Tajki]

(An hour later on the planet Dathomir...)

Having placed the prisoners in a room, sealed with the combined forces of several Dathomirian warriors to prevent them from escaping, Gethwyn turned to the other witches present. Each one lead their own respective clans, but Gethwyn had been chosen to be the Clan Mother that lead them all. She looked at the warrior leaders present at their clan council meeting and spoke.

Success had been given to us today, and we are victorious. But our victory is not as of yet complete. We have the two Sith Order women. Now we must send a message to the Sith Order informing them of our demands.

Asking for space worthy ships and weapons is a must. But what else, say ye, shall we ask for? Remember, we hold two of the members from their groups Council. It would be unwise for them to refuse us.

[Kar'awyn Lai]

A dark haired woman, her face untouched by the purpling bruises common on the older Nightsisters, stood from where she had been sitting near the wall. Her voice was like a smokey fire, full of heat and wit, and as smooth as new honey.

Leaning against the wall, the Nightsister of the Blue Hills Clan placed her hand on her hip. "Blessed Clans Mother, I have traveled many days just to be here...and you have not yet secured the women's own ship? Or if you have, are you hiding it from us? I would very much like to see this thing that will take us beyond the stars to the planets beyond." Kar'awyn stood against the wall almost lazily as a few other clan leaders began muttering amongst themselves.

"However, if indeed the plan works, and this Sith Order gives us our ships...should we not also require trained people to fly them?" Kar'awyn spread her hands in respect, "It is my suggestion, Clans Mother."

[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn nodded to the sister of the Blue Hills Clan. She was young and newly appointed, rash to say the least. But wisdom would come with age and experience. For this, Gethwyn treated her with patience.

We cannot take their ship for it has been hidden from our view. They may have fallen into our trap, but they are not stupid.

As to abled pilots, that would not be a problem. Our outdated comm station here in the fortress allows us voice messaging and print of words. I have been researching this piloting. Teaching it to those willing to take the challenge will not be a problem. Also, ships sometimes come with flight droids or autopilots. Until some feel more accostumed to piloting, they can utilize these features.

She eyed the rest of the leaders before her.

[A zi Kaii]

A'zi, sat quietly and listened to the murmurings around her. Absently she ran a hand through her hair, the light caught a slight streak of silver. Then she spoke in her usual quiet calm voice,

It is not enough to get ships for going beyond our home, nor is it enough to get weapons to arm ourselves against the heathens of the outworlds, but we must also prepare our homelands here.

It would not be good to venture out from our homes and leave them unguarded. Nor would it be good to only rely on the comm station to stay in contact with our homelands.

I suggest we not only ask for ships and weapons, but for shielding and communication systems... lest we return one day and find someone else has taken our homes from us while we go beyond the stars.

[Damara Kejii]

Damara Kejii of the Shadow Forest Clan, listened to the proceedings quietly, absently running a finger down the length of her bow that rested at her side. She was not as excited about these ventures into space like her fellow Nightsisters. Only when Clan meetings were in session did Damara even left the comforts of the forest to represent her people. Perhaps she was too entrenched with the old ways, but that was how one like her was raised.

She remained observant until A'zi had finished

"Me feelings lie with Sister Kaii, Blessed Mother. Our Dathomir comes first before anything. Shields and weapons to defend ourselves I must agree with."

Her other view was left in silence. She was in the minority and all present knew her disapproval of space travel, but would relish in the fact the Sith must meet their demands

[Virrana'h Tei]

Rising from the highbacked chair covered with a thick woolley hide, Virrana'h Tei paced agitatedly. She was not one for negotiations - she liked actions (and had a reputation among her Sisters for being rash to the point of recklessness). While she felt discussion was necessary, she was eager to show the power of the Clans to the Sith Order and its dark minions.

"I agree with these suggestions. We must take TSO for all we can."


She stalked the room. Her spiked armor bristled as she moved. The Leader of the Wailing Swamp Clan was as barbed as her clothing. Tei's smouldering eyes took in each NightSister in turn acknowledging them and their coments. Stopping before Gwethyn Tajki, Virrana'h inclined her head in respect to the Clan Mother as she said forcefully.

"Kill one of the Sith women and send the body back to her Order. NOW is the time to show strength and determined purpose. The Sith Order must be shown we will not be denied!"

[Darth Vader]

<center>The Jyad System</center>

:: Prowling over a barren moon, the foreboding silhouette of the star destroyer Veritas cast a dagger's shadow upon the moon's crater-scarred face. On its bridge, the Dark Lord of the Sith waited, pensive yet indefatigable...for news from Dathomir. He felt a ripple in the force...a disturbance. Turning his gaze from the stars, his dark visage met the eyes of Captain Torwald. ::

Captain...set a new course for Dathomir. Full speed.

:: The feeling grew, and Vader's ire grew exponentially. But behind the immovable mask and under the lifeless voice, his anger lay unseen like a stalking predator ::

[TSO Naval Officer]

Torwald raised an eyebrow at the order. It was an understatement to call it a reckless one.

Captain Torwald: Milord, Dathomir lies perilously close to New Republic and Jedi space. The presence of our warships there may provoke an attack.

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[Darth Vader]

:: An outlet for his silent fury was found in a scapegoat. Vader silently raised a fisted hand ::

No Captain...our lack of presence has already provoked an attack.

:: If it was possible for his mechanized voice to grow darker in tone, it did ::

As has your hesitation.

[TSO Naval Officer]

Captain Torwald: Hnngk..gaaarrrrrgggggggh.....

Torvald collapsed, clawing at his throat in a futile attempt to pry away the invisible hands that now strangled the life from him.

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[Darth Vader]

:: As the dying Captain's last breath hissed out in a death rattle, Vader stooped down, stripping the captain's rank insignia bars from his uniform. He stood and turned, pressing them into the hand of an understandably-astonished Commander Prak. ::

Congratulations on your promotion...Captain Prak.

:: Vader strode away, speaking in a venomous tone as he exited the bridge for his meditation chamber ::

Now carry out my orders...

[TSO Naval Officer]

Prak's brow wrinkled in cold fear, as he stammered for a response to his commander.

Captain Prak: Ah, um, at once, Lord Vader...

He collected himself, tersely giving orders, as his life very-well depended on it.

Captain Prak: Set direct course for the Dathomir system. I want maximum hyperdrive now!

Without delay, the Veritas sped toward the planet.

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[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn nodded at the suggestions brought forth from her children. though they were not daughters of hers by blood, they were most definitely her sisters and her cares.

It is true that we will protect our home before we venture forward.

She turned to face the clan leader from the Wailing Swamps.

Virrana'h Tei, you're idea may be a solid one, but it is also rash. We do not want to bring down the wrath of the Sith Order before we have carried out for our demands.

She eyed them all, feeling that those that wished to speak had spoken. Now was the time to tell them of her plan, and see if they approved.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

After a lengthy explaination, Gethwyn eyed the daughters of Dathomir before her. Most agreed with the plan and also relished in the thought of there being a battle. They were hungry to test their strengths and abilities.

She looked across the room to see one of the members of the Black Lake Clan come in, prompting her to report to the rest of the witches

While we have been discussing our stradegy, my blood-daughter has sent our demands to the Sith Order. Soon our plan and conjoined forces will bring us victory.

She turned to look as the warrior reached her side.

Daughter?

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra Daijo had appeared from the main door, walking to stand next to her mother. Yes, the demands put upon the Sith Order had been sent, along with pictures of their comrades, still alive, but barely. All Sith Order frequencies, ships and planets, would receive their message. Soon they would have their answer.*

As instructed by my Mother, I have sent word to all of the Sith Order about our demands. If they do not heed to them in one standard Dathomirian hour, we will start dismembering their females... one digit and apendage at a time, at every half hour after that.

*There were approving nods and murmmers from the gathered warrior women, and even some cackles that would send even the most trained warrior's neck hairs to stand on end.*

*Until then their demands had been met, the prisoners had been moved to the lower levels of the fortress, away from the light, down in the damp corridors where the isolation chambers for past prisoners were. It was a laberynth down there, and one could easily get lost if they did not know the way. Each had been locked in seperate rooms, blocked from their precious Force, in the dark, and helpless. Only their Order could save them now.*

[Virrana'h Tei]

Virrana'h did not like that her suggestion had been dismissed, but the outlined plan from the Clan Mother, did much to appease her - and in her own mind conceded it a much better idea.

As the young Sel'arra Daijo relayed what she had set in motion, Tei, along with her Sisters smiled in anticipation of the battle ahead.


Under her breath, she expressed her pleasure at finally taking her clan to war.

"At last..."

[Kar'awyn Lai]

Kar'awyn watched and listened as the older women planned. She had much to learn, it was true, and yet she also had a lot to offer this group. In time they would learn not to dismiss the Blue Hills Clan so easily.

The older woman sitting beside her was her advisor. Disfigured mightily by large bruise-like splotches on a once beautiful visage, the elder Nightsister of the Blue Hills Clan, Hanai Fah'irrgo was content to watch from her young pupil's side. Kar'awyn had been groomed for the leadership she held, and was wise to hold her own counsel as the Clans Mother explained her plans to the Clan leaders.

Hanai grunted a little at the end of Gethwyn's speech, her crooked hands folded underneath her heavy black robes. Kar'awyn spoke after Virrana'h, her own voice confident. "I support this scheme. And," she smiled, "I am more than willing to assist with the dismembering of these Sith females. I have heard they allow men to hold authority on their planets." She clucked her tongue, and made a rude gesture. "Once we conquer their planets, we will teach these men their proper place." Kar'awyn laughed, and then waited to see what her Clans sisters had to say.

[Darth Vader]

:: Minutes later, the menacing hull of the Veritas split the black ether of space, plunging forward as it slowed from hyperspace. The mobile fortress bristled with offensive capability, as preliminary flights of TIE Interceptors launched, for quick system reconaissance.

Deep within the spartan confines of the warship, the Dark Lord of the Sith sat within a cocoon of black durasteel; his meditation chamber. His feelings searched outwards for the presence of Lady Vader, or for Live Wire. Neither could be divined. It led him to a singular conclusion.

They had been killed.

His hatred ebbed and flowed within his impassive features, like a storm surging with quiet potential for omnipotent destruction. He sat silent, motionless, and reveled in his fury. It would make him powerful, when the time came to use such power on the enemies below.

At last, in a gasp of servomechanisms, the meditation chamber opened up. Vader's face tilted to an activating communication monitor. ::

Captain Prak...prepare for surface assault.

[La'drii Katj]

::La'drii Katj had been assigned to stand watch with a few of the other sisters in various clans. They knew once the people of The Sith Order recieved word that two of their council members were being held they would come seeking a quick resolve of the matter through any means possible. She stepped away from the group for a moment streching her aching muscles. The waiting game was not one she enjoyed. But before she could get far she heared a cry. The Sith Order had arrived. Once the information was confirmed she took off running. La'drii came through the door into meeting of her honorary sisters breathless. Her eyes were wide and her hair was windblown around her redened face::

"My sisters! The waiting is over! It has begun. The Sith Order has arrived with a warship."

::They had arrived quickly and she could see from the looks on her sisters faces that they were eager for the events to begin::

[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn came to full alert status as La'drii gave the report.

Good work, my honor-daughter.

Turning to the rest, she spoke in a strong clear and commanding voice.

Alert the rest of your clans. Mount your beasts. Prepare yourselves.

She snarled.

We are going into battle! Victory to the Clans!!

The witches all shouted in unity and sprinted for their respective groups they had brought with them, sending off their fastest riders to inform the rest of their clans. It would take time for the Sith Order troups to land. In that time, the sisters would come together in a massive battle group.

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra waisted no time in running through the halls of the fortress and out of the massive concrete building. With a graceful leap, she mounted her Rancor, Tucta, and was rallying up the rest of the Black Lake Clan troops to do the same. Within moments, she had the massed force of the entire Black Lake Clan behind her. Gethwyn would stay at the fortress with a few aids, directing the battle through their powers in the Force, but Sel'arra would lead the Black Lake warriors into battle.*

*She looked from her gathered warriors to La'drii, who had come up beside her on her massive Rancor. She spoke to her second in command.*

Our Mother has ordered us to a clearing not far from here. It is there that the Sith order troops are to land their assault, in hopes of surprising us. We shall split the group, one coming from the North, and the other from the South, closing the gaps. We shall trap them in that clearing.

Relay the order through out the clans battle groups.

*She saw La'drii nod her head in acknowledgment, and head off to tell the other groups. Sel'arra herself turned to the gathered Black Lake warriors and gave them the order to advance to the clearing she would lead them to.*

[Virrana'h Tei]

The Wailing Swamps were the closest logistically to the Black Lakes than all the clans. They had not much territory to cross in order to be deployed for battle, as their Clan Leader Virrana'h had commanded, herself being instructed from orders delivered by La'drii Katj.

Tei left only a token force to watch her back borderlands, and those were mainly to send word of the other Clans progress passing through their regions where they too, if they had not already, would join the battle. Normally there would not be free passage into the Swamps. They were clan sisters yes, but as in all feudal systems, there was much room for distrust and suspicion. Virrana'h was victim to this. She was warlike, and paranoid both - but this event was different. Any NightSister that did not rise up and join in loyalty to the Clan Mothers call would face the wrath of all the witches unified. There was no need to fear internal threat.

Sitting regally on her Rancour, she viewed her forces. They were in a flanking position to where the Sith and the Black Lake Clan and other Clan warriors were ammassing. They would move down as the battle begins and add to the massive confusion the Sith would encounter at being assaulted from all sides.

With her war-beast (http://abberition.homestead.com/files/beast.jpg) bounding on the ground beside her, its incessantly slavitating mouth swinging from side to side in motion with its great broad head, hungry for bone and flesh to rip and violate.

Raising her emerald sword high - her distinctive voice rang out to her family:

"We will smother our enemies as the thick rank fogs of the Swamp smother its inhabitants. They will find no releif - No Mercy! To the Glory of our Clan Mother!!"

[A zi Kaii]

:: As all the clan leaders and warriors moved into action A'zi silently motioned to the rest of the warriors from the Crystal Lake Clan. Silently and quickly the handful of women made their way out of the fortress to where others were waiting with their Rancors. None of them spoke and each wore a grim face focused at the task at hand. ::

"T'zkia," A'zi spoke as they walked quickly, "have all the preparation's been completed?"

T'zkia, a young woman with the same blue eye's and features of A'zi replied, "Yes, Mother, the 3rd, 5th and 6th units have stayed behind to guard our homelands to the far north and are under S'irai's command. The 2nd and 4th prepared enough catapaults and vats of oil. The 7th, 8th and 9th are already here with the supplies and awaiting your orders."

As they all mounted their Rancors, A'zi studied her oldest daughter. She was efficient and A'zi let a slim bit of pride show through, "Good, ride ahead and start moving them into position opposite of the Black Lake Clan. We must move quickly."

T'zkia nodded her head and quickly was gone. A'zi watched her leave then paused for a moment to look up at the sky. Her bones ached as they did before any battle.

"She takes after you," C'lia spoke and held A'zi's helmet out to her. "She'll make a fine leader of the Clan someday."

"Someday," A'zi smiled at her childhood friend. "Sooner than that." She took the helmet and they began moving the rancors out following the path that T'zkia took.

"How so?"

"I've decided that this will be my last battle. I've lived far too long, seen too many battles, held too many good warriors in my arms while they died. When we succeed the battles will move off of this planet and out there," A'zi motioned to the sky. "Out there will require younger blood than mine."

They arrived to find the Crystal Lake Clan warriors already moving out towards their position. A'zi placed her helmet on and smiled at C'lia, "But down here my blood is more than hot enough to handle these outlanders."

A'zi let out a warrior's cry that startled her rancor controlling him she then set him running towards the front, the other's followed her suite. The Crystal Lake warriors began yelling in kind as they saw their leaders ride by, "One last great battle," she thought to herself as the cries from her troops made her heart race with anticipation. "One last glory for the Clan."

[Damara Kejii]

Most of the Clans were already massing at the clearing to where the Clan Mother had ordered them to be. It would take Damara's Clan to prepare longer only because her territory was lay far past the swamps and lakes to where most her Nightsisters called home.

She had ordered them to keep a watchful eye on the borders and to be ready at a moments notice when she returned. Portents and vision had led Damara to believe that something essential to Dathomir was looming on the horizon. How could she have ever believed that today's meeting would turn from a debate on what demands to force upon the Sith Order to an all out battle.

Damara rode her rancor hard and the Shadow Forest Lands were coming up hours after leaving the Swamps. Already her people were mounting their own beasts and preparing for the orders that their leader brought from the Clan Mother.

Zak'ri heeled under Damara's command as she stopped several yards away. The rancor pawed at the ground, anxious for battle as was his Master. The link between them was unwavering and every shift in emotion was felt by the other.

The Matron of the Shadow Forest Clan unsheathed her sword and addressed her people

"Bows and steel we bring to the offworlder dogs that come to invade our home! Tis time that our seclusion comes to an end! Tis time for Dathomir to drink in the blood of our enemies! TO BATTLE!"

What were only small groups seen became larger masses of Witches on beast back as they melded out of the forest. Shadow Forest Witch was intuned with their surrounding home that they could in fact become one with the area. It was why the Clan was feared for one could not see a Witch stalking them because it was too late.


Damara led her people past all the other clans present. She had split her warriors into two groups. One for the Southern and one for the Northern regions of the clearing. Her Clan was notorious for their precision with missile weapons that they would be the beginning of the attack.

She surveyed her warriors as they lined up and made sure the distance between each Shadow Forest witch was wide enough to let the ground forces pound straight through to the enemy when the time was right.

[Seth Darkserpent]

The stolen starship Wenntis II streaked out of hyperspace only minutes before the Sith Order's fleet had arrived. The pilot was a member of the Order himself, having received a message of distress through the Force. Much to his fear, he thought it originiated from the Yavin system which was not too far from this planet. A second attempt at meditation had produced a word that he could use to search. The word was witches, which led the pilot to believe this planet was Dathomir. At such a distance he could not decipher those who sent the message of urgency, but he was sure that a member of the Order was in trouble. The pilot, Seth Darkserpent hardly ever spared thought to what he was rushing into. He'd read about Dathomir before, about the Nightsisters and Clansisters. All of them were supposed to be Force adepts, quite a deadly army.

Darkserpent flicked on the scanner systems, locating various settlements and a huge amount of lifeforms amassing in one direction. This struck him as odd. He'd read the witches of Dathomir usually resided with their own clans, what would draw this kind of number together? There were only two answers to that question that Seth could think of. Either they were preparing for some huge ritual or they were preparing for a battle. While the former seemed to be unlikely, the latter made a lot of sense to him. Cautiously he began to direct his ship to the atmosphere when a large force that rippled through time and space shook his small starship.

What the frell is that? Darkserpent was knocked into his forward control panels with a sudden jolt. The Sith didn't even have time to look at the forward scanners to see what had happened. His elbow pushed the controls forward sending his ship into a fast dive toward the atmosphere. Darkserpent felt the impact on his forward shields as soon as his starship entered the atmosphere. He was hurled back into the pilot's seat, snapping whatever supported it. Both him and the pilot's seat went tumbling across the cockpit as his ship performed a spiraled spin toward the ground. Darkserpent could feel the mental klaxons blaring in his head, warning him of danger and death upon impact with the bed of trees that was below him.

The Sith scrambled up and dove for the controls of the starship. His slippery hands clasped the leather coverings of the controls and he pulled back quickly, in an attempt to upright his ship. No luck, the gravity was pulling it down and would not relent. Seth felt the fear rise in his being as the numerous alarms went to go on. His Naviscreen stated that he had twenty nine seconds until impact. Darkserpent scrambled through the ship and grabbed his equipment belt on the way. Near the starboard cabin there was an escape pod, his only chance of escape in this situation. He blindly dove toward the escape pod and slammed his fist down on eject. He sagged down to the floor wondering if it had worked or not. The last thing that crossed his mind was the reason of him coming here. He'd told himself it was for research and to check out this distress signal he received through the Force. Perhaps he'd been led here by higher powers to meet his death. The world faded away and darkness blinded him...

<center>***</center>

There was no doubt that the crash landing of Darkserpent's ship would attract the attention of the Dathomiri witches. The crash site was only a standard kilometer away from where the troops were amassing. Off in the distance the faint sounds of roars could be heard that probably belonged to the Rancors. It was no secret that Rancors were bred and tamed on this world for transportational purposes. There was a legend that told of one of the first witches healing a rancor. Since that day, Rancors told their young they owed a debt to the witches. Thus they would carry them on their backs and fight for them whenever it was needed.

The escape pod had been ejected and landed about twenty meters away from the crash site. The entrance and exit ramp automatically opened upon touching the ground. Sunlight filled the whole escape pod, as did the vision of an endless amount of forestry. The man inside, Seth Darkserpent opened his eyes slowly. He was immediately forced to shield them from the awesome power of the sun that was blinding his eyes. Being in space and darkness for a period of time could make one susceptible to the brightness of light. He allowed a few moments to pass by before he opened his eyes again. Dathomir stood before him, resembling the forest moon of Endor. Off in the distance he could see the outlines of mountains, and trees surrounded him in every direction.

Darkserpent gathered his equipment belt and clasped it onto his hips. He reached out with the Force but could not feel any lifeforms in the immediate area. Seth reached out further, allowing his mind to touch upon the forestry and all the life that it held. His head jerked to attention as he felt them, many of them. The witches, he could feel them no more then a kilometer away. Surely they'd been aware of his crash landing, and no doubt surveyors were coming. Seth broke his contact with the Force and rubbed his temples. They were all force adepts, all of them strong in the Force. Now...how to go about this smartly?

Outside of the escape pod, the air was fresh and the climate was warm. It felt good to be on a planet without industrialization and pollutants poisoning the air and the forestry nearby. Seth allowed himself a deep breath of air and let it out slowly. Above he caught sight of a fleet that he knew was property of the Sith Order. Darkserpent inferred that it was the fleet emerging from hyperspace that had sent a current of force through his small starship. The arrival of this fleet was not some insane coincidence, perhaps there was a member of the Sith Order on this planet. Seth could feel something drawing nearer. He spotted a group of logs nearby, which would act as a hiding place.

Something is going on here. I need to find out what it is. Darkserpent ducked behind the rotten logs and kept his senses open. The witches would sense him, but he would also have the advantage of sensing them...he hoped. He pushed forward with his feelings, hoping to locate a familiar presence from the Sith Order. No such luck in any direction. If infact there was a member of the Sith Order here, their survival seemed very slim right now. Seth could only hope that he would live, unscathed.

[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn sat at her throne, her eyes closed, her mind's eye seeing all that was transpiring on her beloved planet. She not only "watched" the land, but the seas and the skies.

A pinprick, no larger than one might think as an insect, began to descend from the skies. A ship, of small proportions and of little importance. One being on board. Force sensitive. Male. Gethwyn smiled maliciously and brought her hand up. In her minds eye, her hand was a massive object next to the insect-sized ship. She gave the ship a quick flick with her index finger, as one might do to an insect. Instantly, the ship began to buck and dive for the planet, it's velocity increasing with each centimeter it fell towards the planet. Bringing her hand down, she watched the ship fall and a small craft jetisoned from it's bulk. The Force told her where it would eventually land, and she sent a message to Sel'arra through her mind.

(Daughter, there is a small annoyance to the east of your presence, not terribly far from the clearing. Have the warriors spread themselves, and have the Shadow Forest Clan warriors spread themselves even further into the forests. They will not be detected until it is too late.)

With that, she fell silent, feeling the strength of all the witches readying for battle.

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra recieved the message instantly the moment her Mother had sent it out. Pulling her Rancor to the side, she made her way to where La'drii was speaking with one of the warriors.*

La'drii, see to it that the warriors spread themselves. We are to cover as much ground as possible in this area.

*With that said, Sel'arra brought Tucta around and headed to her post to await further orders. She knew the Shadow Forest Clan were experts at hiding among forests, and even though she could sense them slightly, she could not physically see them. She would contact their leader by mind.*

Damara. Send a few of your warriors to the east of my position.

*While she spoke, she also sent an image, letting it translate into Damara's mind.*

There should be a crashed ship, and a being. Male. See that he is captured. I don't need to tell you to have your warriors hidden until the last possible second. We shall see what this intruder wants.

[La'drii Katj]

::La'drii acknowledged the order and headed her rancor, Jhula, towards the group of clan sisters. They were eager to hear that one of the male force users was actually on planet. The trap had been set and the sith order was walking right into it. Once that group set out into the forest she made her way over to the Shadow Forest Clan to give them their instructions. As the last of the clans moved into the forest she headed back towards Sel'arra.::

"The groups are moving into position. They are ready for the attack."

[Gav Mortis]

History has an impeccable ability to repeat itself, no matter how much one feels that coincidence is the deciding factor in such matters, Gav knew that was not the case. The puppeteer that controls all, otherwise known as "The Force" has a familiar pattern and this is a classic scenario; two headstrong, young women go gallabanting off to a planet riddled with mystery and legend which tell of curious Force-using femme-fatales and one would not expect something negative to come of it? Predicting the future has little to do with the Force is many cases and more to do with common sense, this being one of those cases.

Therefore it was only natural for Gav to shadow the diplomatic duo on their way to Dathomir, he purposely remained out of sensor range not wanting them to think he distrusted them or their judgement - he had felt the wrath of the pair combined, under less confrontational circumstances, nevertheless they were a handful to say the very least - and decided to stay in orbit until they had at least landed the ship and left for the negotiations. So from a distance he watched, peering through the force as his ships sensors were useless with the cloak activated.

Some time later, he'd averted his attention momentarily as he sensed a presence, one so clear that it was undoubted that it would be one of four individuals and he was nearing, Gav smiled to himself. When he returned his attention to Dathomir he'd found there was no sign of Lady Vader nor Live Wire - this was disheartening to say the least - and he proceded to deactivate the cloak and scan the planets surface with the ships limited sensor array. Within a minute, the ships sensors went wild, reporting mass movements of large beasts (no doubt Rancors) being ridden by women all about the planet's surface.

Gav would have to make another orbit of the planet before he could begin the landing cycle and so sat, waiting very impatiently due to both curiosity and anxiety. That presence was so close now that Gav recognised it as Seth, one of his two remarkable disciples, he was now entering the system but at the same time sensors onboard began to flash with reports of an approaching Star Destroyer, one belonging to the Order. Gav's eyes widened with suprise, leaning forward he realised it was moving at full speed straight towards Dathomir. Something had happened, and he still had no idea as to what.

By the time he had returned to the other side of planet and had started the landing cycle; Seth had plummeted to the planets surface, his ship crashed but he had escaped. Closing his eyes Gav now saw through his apprentices eyes, he was moving towards a pile of rotten logs where he would hide, Gav heard his brother's thoughts and by now, Seth, if he'd opened his sesnes would hear Gav's. Secondly, the Star Destroyer had dropped out of hyperspace and was now above the planet, waiting ominously.

The infiltrator began it's descent, breaking the atmosphere and heading towards Seth's location. Sensors displayed that there was a herd of Rancors also heading there; he'd recieved a transmission from the TSO vessel and along with Seth's thoughts he had came to the accurate conclusion that the Rancor-riding habitants of Dathomir had taken the two Sith women and were now after Seth. The ship's velocity increased but then curiously Gav sensed something else, an unseen power looming over him, over the ship. He could feel a dark force nearing almost like an enormous hand, it's fingers outstretched lingeringly, and it began to weigh down upon his ship.

The infiltrator began to tremble, slightly jerking but it was gradually becoming worse. But Gav knew from Seth's experience, this was not a mere problem of navigational controls. Although he wasn't prepared to be swatted down quite so easily. Closing his eyes his focus was diverted from that of the physical and he became more attuned to a subconcious realm where this threatening presence was unveiled. A enormous, dark hand was closing in about the ship, like an ominous shadow it moved over him. Gav grew irritated, someone was hiding behind a smokescreen somewhere thinking they can play around with him.

<HR>

A churning started in his stomach, innitially it was like a prelude to vommiting but soon enough that churning, fueled by the surrounding, penatrating dark side of the Force began to burn. The burning sensation moved up through his body, into his chest; a fiery power, a dark power. Looking up at the black hand, Gav moved his hand as though to touch it and he could now see what looked like the lower half an arm attatched to the enormous hand. Suddenly, the Sith lashed out and a second hand of shadow was seen and grabbed the wrist of this interfering force. Upon contact, the second hand errupted into fire; a brilliant, roaring hand of red flame siezed the dark hand which immediatly began to writh in panic then snatch itself free and dissipating into nothingness.

<HR>

Opening his eyes Gav returned to his seat, and piloted the now calm ship towards Seth's location. He took one last reading of where Live Wire and Lady Vader had left their ship, he was going to need to get off the planet now. He rummaged in a small case behind him, hands fumbling until the grasped something round and small. He grined wickedly and proceeded to set the ship to continue it's current pace to crash land at appointed co-ordinates. He then left his seat and the cockpit and made his way into the large cargohold to the rear of the ship.

The Infiltrator swooped extraodrinarily low over Seth at an alarming speed, but he saw emerge from a lowered ramp at it's rear a speeder carrying the man he immediatly recognised as Gav, coming towards him. By the time he had pulled up next to Seth they both saw the ship soar into an approaching band of Rancors and witches, upon crashing there was a blinding light accompanied by a ferocious explosion, echoing all around. Where the Dathomir residents once stood there was a sea of fire and scorched land stretching the plain. Thick, black smoke billowed up from the crash site and scattered ship remains could be seen. The ship hadn't simply crashed, it had exploded.

"Good morning Seth," Gav said cheerfully with a smile, he looked back, "It's fortunate that the ship was carrying explosives. Fortunate for us of course! Do you think the infamous Dathomir locals have been aquainted with thermal detonators before?"

Both smiled and Seth stood from where he had been hidden behind the logs.

"Care to join me?" asked Gav, gesturing to his speeder, "We should make haste, there are other forces at work here other than Rancors and amazons."

[Seth Darkserpent]

~ Master Gav Mortis! ~

Seth dropped to his knee in a bow of respect that lasted only for a few moments. After all, he did not want to take up Gav's time with the simple procedure of a bow. Seth had not expected to see Gav here, but he should have known better. Had he payed more attention to the Force around him, and not just in front of him he would have probably felt Gav. A feeling of slight relief washed over him as he realized that Gav was here now, and had answers to some of his questions. His choice to speak through the Force was to keep silent from any listeners. He doubted anyone would be close enough to hear him at this range. The closest ones were probably dead.

"There are other forces at work here other than Rancors and amazons."

His confirmations sunk deeply into his skull as he considered them openly. Seth's premonition was absolutely right. The Star Destroyer, Gav's presence and the witches that had been sent for him. Seth linked his mind through Gav's and felt them in large force. Not only could he feel the witches, but he could also sense Lady Vader and Live Wire.

Using his deduction skills, Seth was able to figure out the rest. Lady Vader and Live Wire were on-planet and with the witches of Dathomir. The Star Destroyer overhead suggested they were not on Dathomir under friendly terms, which made them prisoners. He surmised Lord Vader was on that Star Destroyer and was probably preparing to launch his first wave of troops. That will work as a good distraction. The witches that were approaching, before Gav had "stalled" them with his explosives, knew he was capable of using the Force to his advantage. They already knew too much by simply sensing him through the Force. Seth silently cursed himself for allowing his presence to be noticed by those he did not want to notice.

~ Well done, Master. I suspect we won't be receiving immediate trouble. ~

Seth allowed himself a grin at his Master's famous use of tactics that usually ended up with good results. Mortis was one to use every bit of material he owned to his full advantage. He'd taught Seth more then anyone had ever bestowed upon him, or allowed him to learn. Seth was prepared to serve his Master at every turn, no matter what Gav required. Even if death was necessary, he supposed.

Checking that he had his sword still secured to its sheath, Seth allowed himself to breath. The rapid pace in which these sudden events had occured were overwhelmingly surprising. Seth had a feeling that he would be seeing a lot more of the Witches of Dathomir that day. He couldn't help himself but wonder what their skills and techniques were like. He'd read somewhere that they used spells in the past. He did not know if this fact of information still held through. Spells require time to speak properly, pitiful fools. Perhaps some of these "Witches" possessed more ability then he did. If they'd been able to capture Live Wire and Lady Vader, he counted on it.

~ I will go where you go. The witches will send reinforcements, I am sure of that. They are probably interested in hearing what has happened to their trackers and warriors. ~

Seth paused for a moment and looked both ways. He could see or feel nothing in either direction.

~ Perhaps on the way to wherever we are going you could explain to me in detail what is going on? I am afraid I have been a bit lax in current news. I see this as a grave disadvantage. ~

The Sith waited silently for Gav to respond and no doubt lead the way.

[A zi Kaii]

A'zi and her followers looked to the sky as they saw a first ship streak across the sky burrning up in the atmostpher. A smirk spread across her face. She continued ordering her troops into the formations they knew so well. Then there was a explosion in the forrests on the other side of the clearing.

T'zkia rode up quickly beside her, "Should I send a scout?" she asked motioning to the column of black smoke that was rising.

A'zi stretched out her feelings then replied, "No, they do not concern us. Another is taking care of them, she will not be merciful after that last display. Outlanders," A'zi shook her head in disgust.

A'zi, then stood up on her rancor and began her final inspection of all her troops. Row after row of women spread out before her, each willing to give their lives for the clan. A'zi had ridden into battle with many of them before and she knew all their names.

Yelling at the top of her lungs, "I don't need to remind you all that the future of our planet rests on your shoulders! This will be a day to tell your daughters and your granddaughters and your great granddaughters about!" The troops amassed began yelling their battle chants.

A'zi continued, "Today all Dathomire unites! LONG LIVE THE CLANS!!!" The troops had almost worked themselves into a prebattle frenzy, just the way A'zi like to have her troops. Hungry for action, for the kill. Seeing that they were all in position and ready for battle A'zi sent word through the force to Gethwyn.

"We are ready, dear Clan Mother, and await your orders."

[Kar'awyn Lai]

The adrenaline of battle rushed through her body, and Kar'awyn Lai leapt onto the rancor she had raised from its birth. The males of the Blue Hills Clan were readying themselves in case the Sith decided to strike at this small, and decidedly unimportant settlement. Far from the center of the battle in the Black Lake Clan's settlement, the Blue Hills clanleader felt confident in taking her entire battle group into the fray, leaving only the males, children, and fifteen Nightsisters behind to guard their homes.

Even on board their rancors, it would take several hours, perhaps even a whole day for them to reach the fighting. If indeed fighting had broken out by then. Hanai pointed to a flash in the distant sky, and Kar'awyn tracked it with her sharp eyes. "An offworlder's ship."

Kar'awyn grunted with pleasure as she muttered an incantation of seeing, the crash visible to her mind's eye. Hanai gave the call to join battle, and the one hundred and fifty warriors on their rancors started out.

As the second ship entered the atmosphere, Kar'awyn could see that the occupant was fighting the spell which had ripped the first ship from the skies. She gasped as the ship freed itself, and then crashed anyway, the fireball visible even without the seeing spell. Hanoi moaned, and the warriors muttered as they felt the departure of so many of their sisters.

The elder woman continued to carry on, until the clanleader snapped, "What is it now, old woman?"

Hanoi, the wizened Nightsister wailed, "I have felt him!"

"Felt who?" Kar'awyn was stern, and then she trembled with excitement as she also reached out towards the far away crash. She knew the answer even before the Nightsister confirmed it.

"They are two male witches." Hanoi shuddered, "Bringers of doom!"

"Stop your drivel, woman." Kar'awyn cowed the older woman, "They will give us great daughters." Her eyes glittered as the herd of rancors ran forward. "It will be so."

[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn jerked her hand back as though it had been burned. The male witch aboard the second incoming ship was strong in the Force, and had forced her mental hand to let go of her hold. She massaged her physical hand, as though it had been injured. No matter. The male had crash landed none the less. Unfortunately he had brought several exploding devices with him.

She spoke calmly, though with command, to the leader of the Shadow Forest Clan.

(Damara, daughter, see that those male witches are captured. They shall bring us strong daughters for the future.)

After sending the message, she directed her attention inward, and focused on the world outside of Dathomir. The looming behemouth had parked itself above the green world of Dathomir, and was just sitting there. Gethwyn's danger sense began to naw at her. Something was amiss. Something terrible was about to happen.

Silently, she sent all the warriors stretched out along the forests a warning. They must be alert... alert for anything.

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra heard the Clan Mother's warning, and looked skyward, her Rancor becoming restless beneath her. She too had sensed the other ship orbiting their planet. She could only begin to guess what those on board had planned for their assault.*

*She spoke to the warrior nearest her.*

Spread the word that if it becomes neccessary, we shall combine our strengths utilizing our powers to stop whatever evil befalls our home.

*If need be, all the clans could unite and with their combined strengths, hinder the massive ship.*

[La'drii Katj]

::La'drii rode up just in time to see another warrior ride off. Sel'arra turned to her as she pulled her rancor up beside her. She frowned as she heared the message the Clan Mother had relayed to her::

"I too sensed the male witches. The second is the stronger of the two and together they make a formidable opponent."

::She smiled at the thought of the strength of the daughters the two male witches could give them. Two more captures from the Sith Order would also give them great leverage with this invading force that was amasing over their home.::

"My sister, should I go with the group to capture the two male witches?"

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra looked at her fellow sister and saw how much she wanted in on the hunt. She was eager to capture something or tear something to pieces. She smiled.*

Yes, La'drii, you may go. Act as commander in my absence for the group going towards the two male witches. Be sure to remain hidden until you have them in plain sight. And if need be, use your combined powers to subdue them.

[TSO Naval Officer]

Aboard the Veritas, the command deck thrummed with the business of war. All around, technicians prepared, and dozens of officers manned their stations. In the crewer's pit, Gunnery Sergeant Tolen lined up the main battery projection of the ventrally-aligned turbolasers. They could focus a fearsome volley onto a planetary location. Above, Tolen noticed the calculating pace of his overseer...the Dark Lord Vader. He would be pleased to know of such progress.

Sergeant Tolen: Lord Vader, all batteries report in. We are in attack position now. Bombardment shall commence on your order.

Tolen logged the target into the targeting system. It was a small vilage, noted as the "Black Lake Clan" on the intelligence maps.

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[Darth Vader]

Good. Begin your attack at once. Full power.

:: The Dark Lord walked to the forward observation post, the light from the streaming turbolaser blasts reflecting in the dark orbs that covered his eyes. He watched hell and destruction rain onto the witches from afar. They would rue the day they attracted his ire.

He sensed...other presences as well. Through concentration in the Force, he could determine them to be Gav Mortis, and Seth Darkserpent...formidable warriors within the Order. Truly, the foolish witches knew not what they now faced. And soon, he would join them on the planet below, and the Witches of Dathomir would meet their destiny! ::

[La'drii Katj]

"Thank you sister. We will bring back the two Sith Males."

::With a nod of respect La'drii took off on her rancor heading for the group that was preparing to move in on the two males from TSO. They saw her ride up and she informed them that she had been sent in Sel'arra's absense to command the group. They nodded in acknowledgement and La'drii led them off deep into the forrest. She could sense the two males. Their combined strength was formidable but the group of clan sisters would prove to be too strong for them. She closed her eyes and mists began to roll in shrouding them from view as they spread out slowly encircling the location of the two males.::

[Gav Mortis]

Seth, whilst on the back of Gav's speeder, unfortunately did not receive the answer's he was looking for, after all, Gav himself was very much unaware of what exactly was transpiring. All in all it was a strange sequence of events, but they were all stringed together, weaving a web of danger for them both and Gav feared that the very same web had caught Live Wire and Lady Vader. He was certain they could take care of themselves, yet this planet was swarming with rancors and their riders.

"All I know, Seth, is that Live Wire and Lady Vader came to this planet on some sort of diplomatic mission. I was unaware of what exactly they had in mind, but when I discovered they were coming here I took it upon myself to follow them without them knowing. Dathomir is treacherous. Now there's no sign of either of the two, the habitants of this planet are amassing strategically and were closing in on your location, a TSO Star Destroyer has appeared in orbit and your added presence told me that this mission has been less than diplomatic."

Behind them trailed a cloud of dust as they sped off in the opposite direction of the approaching forces. It wasn't long after they had set off, that Gav suddenly slowed down and swerved to a stop so that they could look back. Surely enough, once the speeder's engines died down they were able to hear, in the distance, the screaming soubd of a turbolaser bombardment. The horizon, beyond the hill was illuminated red and white.

"I don't think we shall gain anything form going in this direction Seth, it seems the opposition is beyond that hill there. But look carefully, the crest of the hilltop is tainted a dull grey, a heavy mist creeps gradually closer and it is not of any natural occurance. That is where we shall find the enemy and beyond, is where we shall find our two companions from the Order. My ships sensors aspied that beyond that hill lies a valley, a dark shadow risides within but resting at it's belly, a stagnant lake, void of life but at it's centre stands an old Imperial Fort. I believe that is where we'll find Live Wire and Lady Vader."

Even whilst he spoke the mist had moved over the hill and had reached the bottom, soon they would be upon the scorched plain of land where the infiltrator had crashed. It wont take long before their enemies would be upon them next. Hastily Gav stepped from the speeder and turned to Seth to whose suprise found a thumb on his forehead. Gav then closed his eyes, gently pressing his thumb in the centre of his apprentices forehead.

"Listen carefully to what I am about to say, feel the words and when I remove my thumb from your forehead, the next person to touch you shall feel the very icy fingers of the Ziost winds.

<CENTER>Shillada aliumecto inuco castechuve
Teda daneci kannuldi uthar umutedar
S'doulli soshira-kommapeh</CENTER>

The next person to lay hands upon your flesh will turn stone cold and die. I suggest you exercise caution until then, it will only work on one person, no more, but may prove useful."

Gav removed his thumb from Seth's forehead then climbed back on the speeder bike. The engine started up again, and they sped off back towards the crash site, hoping to get to the lake without problems. Of course, one should prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

[Seth Darkserpent]

The recent topic of wonderment was why Seth Darkserpent had been brought to Dathomir in the first place. His skills were considerably powerful, but they weren't Galaxy-spanning. Initially he viewed the Force as a means to live day by day. It gave him considerable strength to deal with his mental problems and continue on. After he had been cured, the Force became somewhat of a tool and a great ally in obtaining what he wanted. Rarely did he ever listen to what it had to say to him. This hardly came close to explaining why it had led him here. The words were still burning in the back of his head and had been for almost a half of a day now. Those who did not believe in the Force mocked the superstitious believers that so openly praised it with phrases such as, "Thank the Force" or "May the Force be with you." Seth thought of the non-believers as fools. One would only have to look at the superbeing skills of the Jedi to see that the Force existed.

Perhaps I should trust this gift that so few have and stop using it as a tool. He reflected upon what Gav Mortis had taught him during the past year. All of this power that he'd been instructed to summon from the deepest bowls of the Force was overwhelming. He experienced things in his life that some would never even see in a lifetime. To consider half the people that wanted what he had was mind-numbing. Most would use it to aid their conquest in Galactic domination, but only one person had been capable of that...Emperor Palpatine. He took a more inconspicuous approach to power, Seth remembered from the history texts. During his lifetime he managed to build an Empire. Seth wondered exactly what his primary goals in life were...

But now is not the time to get philosophical. He grasped the hilt of his sword with one free hand, examining the weapon. He had not bore in quite a while, and didn't expect to really have to use it on this trip. Thus far, Seth had used the Force to manipulate his attacks, rather weapons or "lightsabers". He had the privelage of seeing a Lightsaber in action quite a few times. It was an impressive weapon, but Seth never bothered to make one. This sword that he bore was a fine enough weapon to keep him alive whenever he needed it. That and the Dark Side.

They were nearing the crash site with considerable speed. The speeder was not exactly a rusty old model and had proved to be a useful device for crossing land and forestry. Furthermore, Gav Mortis was an excellent navigator. Seth wasn't sure whether it was his aptitude in the Force or natural born reflexes, but he easily dodged trees and shrubbery in a manner that would put professional swoop racers to shame. Seth took a moment to survey the area and related it briefly with a gray memory of the distant past. During his time as Naga he visited Endor a couple of times. This place bore close resemblance, save for the fact that it was void of Ewoks.

"I find it interesting that the witches would actually be foolish enough to hold Lady Live Wire and Lady Vader in their custody." Seth commented, causing Gav to slightly turn his head. "I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't suceed in freeing themselves before we arrived. Forgive me for being somewhat of a theologist, Master, but I do think there is more to this story. Either these witches wish to be slaughtered by our sizable navy," Seth directed his eyes upward for a moment, only to watch as the ground assault continued, "or they believe that they can prevail."

He extended his hearing capabilities through the Force. They magnified considerably, allowing him to hear all of the wildlife around him. Ahead he could hear voices, those of the witches. They still gave pursuit to him and Gav Mortis, Seth noted with surprise. I wonder if they plan to bargain with us? What would their demands be? It was hopeless to think like the witches or try to determine their thoughts.

"Master, I feel that we will be forced to fight in the near future." He grasped his sword even tighter with his one hand, ready to pull it out whenever it was needed. "What course of action will we be taking?"

[Virrana'h Tei]

A rider had arrived - a young fledgling who showed much promise for the future - to update her leader on the positioning of the Clans. Many of the clans, including both the Shadow Forrest and the Crystal Lake Clans had deployed their ranks strategically so as to inflict the most casualties and exploit the natural surroundings as much as possible.

Virrana'h shifted impatiently on her Rancour "Tor" and responded to the messenger.

"What other news? The explosions to the north - what of them?"

Measuring every word of the report uttered by her subordinate, Virrana'h was supplied with a clear idea of what had transpired. Use of the Force could supply her amply the things she needed to know, but Tei preferred to see what the junior witch had wisdom enough to note and report to her. The young witch told of a TSO battleship in orbit above the planet and also of the arrival of Two Male witches that had aroused considerable excitement.

Gethwyn Tajki had sent a force of her Sisters to deal with the impudent devils that had instigated the explosion and was pleased that the males would get their due.

"Two only? The mighty Sith Order had TWO only that will come and fight face to face with us?? What!!! The others prefer the safety of their armored ships and fight parsecs from where their enemy is!!? A mockery of the term "WARRIORS" are these Sith Order."

Virrana'h directed her thoughts via the force outwardly to any and all users that would be sensitive to one seeking a communication in such a way. In proud and impatient challenge she shouted her invective,

"COME DOGS! MEET YOUR ENEMY LIKE A TRUE FIGHTER AND NOT REMAIN HIDDEN FROM DANGER IN YOUR STARSHIPS. COME THE DATHOMIR WITCHES WISH TO PLUCK YOUR COWARDLY EYES FROM THEIR SOCKETS, SO THAT EVEN YOURSELVES CANNOT SEE HOW YOU FEAR US!!"


Virrana'h began to draw ancient runes with her fingers of her left hand in the air before her. The intricate spell she wove was one unique to her clan and passed down from generations to them.

In a low lilting chant, the Witch summoned the essence lanes of the planet, tapping into those that ran deep in the black Earth, the rancid Vegitation, and the vile Creatures of her Swamp home, and called from them in order to harness their dark energies. Her army, following her lead, did likewise and in a domino effect each witch began to craft the same incantation. Gradually, about every set of fingers a gathering of pale grey particles began, growing ever bigger as the spell increased in momentum and power. Evenutally the particles thickened to a faint mist.

The individual pockets of moisture grew ever thicker and joined one to another creating a deadly poisonous blanket. It began to rise, as commanded by the witches, and drift above the Wailing Swamp clan and hang there until such a time as they chose to unleash it. To all but those who knew better, it was just a low lying cloud or heavy mist, common to many planets - but in reality it was a weapon of ancient roots and one that had not been utilised upon any but those who were the enemies of Dathomir.



Virrana'h chomped at the bit, much as her war beast snarled and slathered in violent appetite. Under her breath she taunted.

...........COME, DOGS!........

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra jerked her head around and her Rancor bucked, looking in the direction of where the cannon fire was devestating the forest. She snarled. Cowards. Only true warriors fought face to face.*

*The warriors were arrayed, waiting for the troops, and none had come. She was about to suggest to the Clan Mother that they should do a joint attack, utilizing their powers, againts the starship in orbit, when she heard in her mind the words Virrana'h sent the infidels.*

*She let a ferral grin cross her lips and yrged her Rancor towards where the other witch stood vigilant. When she reached the small patch of raised land Virrana'h stood upon, she addressed her.*

Do you think they will answer your challenge in the fashion of a warrior?

[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn screwed her face into a ferocious frown. She did not like how their foe was fighting from the safety of the skies. If they had been true warriors, they would have come down to face them honorably.

When one of herdaughters, Virrana'h Tai, sent out the message to the outworlders, she sent a message back to the witch, encouraging her words and commending them.

It was then she thought of sending her own message to the gathered witches in the forests.

(If they do not come down to us, we will bring them down by force. But out of honor, we shall await they're reply.)

Half of her wanted the infidels to answer, but the other half relished in the thought of bringing them down with force.

As an after thought, she sent a message to La'drii, to see how the hunt for the male witches was going.

[La'drii Katj]

::La'drii too had seen the fire from the sky and snarled in response. Cowards! Watching the forest burn made her determination to capture the two males on planet that much stronger. They would pay for the actions of their organization. As they were closing on the location of males the clan mother asked her how the hunt was going::

"The hunt is progressing clan mother. We are closing in on their location. Their movement is fast but we have managed to surround them as some distance and are closing in."

::She could sense the two males as they closed. The clan sisters would heard them and there would be no place to go. La'drii vowed that she would be personally be the one to capture them. TSO had angered her and she was going to make her anger known and present them both as prisoners to her clan mother. The males were strong in her mind and the fact that they were both strong in the force would make their capture that much sweeter. The net grew smaller and smaller and the males had nowhere to go. They had to fight.::

[Gav Mortis]

No sooner than Seth had asked the question had Gav begun to slow the speeder down to an eventual hault, he climbed from the vehicle and had still not answered his disciple's question. His eyes narrowed, they had turned into the thick of the northern forest in order to avoid the oncoming swarm of witches and rancors, and now he was scanning his surroundings for he could feel a presence all around them, no doubt Seth could feel it too, a hostile presence. It was everywhere. They were trapped.

"It seems we don't have any option as to what our next course of action will be." Gav's answer meant the inevitable, the enemy had found them. It was time to fight. Gav unclipped the lightsaber hilt and held it loosely in one hand awaiting whatever was to present itself.

They could now see, creeping closer all around, the fingers of the mist they'd been avoiding, it soared high through the trees and slithered along the floor, it was so thick that it was impossible to see what was waiting within. Soon it would be on top of them but Gav wasn't going to wait for that to happen, most of these witches were mere amateurs playing with forces of which they have no real comprehension. However there were a few, likely to be the leaders of the groups who were particularly strong in the Force, namely the Dark Side.

He frowned for a moment, perceiving behind the mist a presence that seemed in some way familiar to him, yet distant, it was a queer sensation but he didn't let it affect his concentration. He peered further into the smoke screen, then the ground began to tremble - rancors - this is going to be tough. A second later and sensed the presence of a pair of rancors up ahead, he saw them and without hesitation attacked. Gritting his teeth, he cupped his hands downwards and with a grunt lifted them upwards as though they carried a great weight. Suddenly, two large, fallen tree trunks were thrown up into the air and into the mist. The dead silence was broken by two thunderous roars, a crashing which died off into two pathetic whining sounds. If they had been carrying witches, they'd be dead too.

"Be ready. They will regret ever challenging the might of the Brothers." He said, turning to Seth.

[Seth Darkserpent]

As Gav Mortis removed himself from the speeder, Seth knew their journey had come to a hault. This was as far as they were going to go and thus, the witches would eventually catch up to them. Gav began to scan the area with his eyes and through the Force, which gave him a sort of double effect. What his eyes did not see, the Force picked up on. Darkserpent took note of this and also stretched out his feelings. Strong presences were approaching from all exits with hostility and determination. Obviously these witches were not coming to give them a warm welcome, although one could not get their hopes up with indigenous planets. Dathomir was so under-advanced, free from the shackles and dangers of industrialization and society. All of this did not dispute the fact that these women were approaching with weapons. Not only weapons, but some of them rode the deadly Rancors. A Rancor could disassemble an AT-ST walker if it was quick enough.

Seth spared a glance at his Master who seemed to be deep in thought. Gav's emotions took form to create one word that explained their whole situation, trapped. Seth Darkserpent nodded to himself in realization, knowing what needed to be done. If that wasn't enough, Gav voiced Seth's exact thoughts on the matter.

~ "It seems we don't have any option as to what our next course of action will be." ~

Darkserpent watched as Gav unclipped his lightsaber, a common weapon among Force users. He himself had never built one, but never felt the need to build one in the first place. On the Dxun moon of Onderon, surrounded in a clay tomb he found a damaged Sith sword. Seth used his knowledge in weapon crafting, along with a few books from the Sith Order's library and rebuilt the weapon. It wasn't any lighter then it had been when he found it, but inside of the hilt there was a Dark Side crystal. The sword was a great asset to him, although he barely ever used it to kill.

With a loud slicing sound, Seth unsheathed his heavy weapon out in the open. The blade itself did a poor job of reflecting the sunlight above, unlike the golden hilt that shined openly. Darkserpent brough the weapon into both hands and held it up firmly, examining the jagged shape. Old Sith writing was evident along the side of the Sith blade. It marked the story of when the blade was forged, which was well over five thousand years ago. Undoubtedly, Seth determined it to be built during the Golden Age of the Sith Empire, before the Great Hyperspace War. Perhaps a Sith Lord once held the sword that he held and used it to battle for the title of "Dark Lord of the Sith". Whatever the sword was lifetimes ago, it was his now to wield.

They are nearing. Excellent. Soon they shall learn the folly of their overconfidence! The sheer thought of these witches and the determination that burned brightly within them was enough to anger Seth. Perhaps against Seth alone they would able to defeat him in battle, but against Gav and himself? Darkserpent clasped his hands around his sword tightly, allowing the anger to flow through him. He tapped the blackest parts of his soul, summoning the power of the Dark Side. Through the manipulation of the Dark Side he would be able to strengthen his blade to the equivalent of a lightsaber. Such a technique had taken him months to master, but it was worth it. He focused his energies and his anger, reflecting upon almost everything that made him angry. The crystal inside of the hilt reacted to the dark side that seemed to be seething from his body. A purple hue spiraled around the blade until it reached the top. The whole Sith sword was covered in dark side energy.

During his small ritual, Seth noticed that Gav had already attacked. Through manipulation of the Force, he'd attacked the Rancors up ahead. A series of loud noises, mostly roars and cracking ensued for a few moments until all went silent once again. Darkserpent held his sword up, now prepared to attack anything these witches dared to throw at him. He would effectively murder anything that presented a threat, but the weaker ones would be left alive. There was no use in a senseless bloodbath. Half of them are probably limited to simple parlour tricks, rather any real Force talent.

Gav spoke, "Be ready. They will regret ever challenging the might of the Brothers." His voice was filled with confidence as it took on a matter-of-factly tone. This was somewhat of an inspiration for Seth Darkserpent. Gav was right, Seth could feel it in his bones. The witches would regret their approach.

"Yes, Master Mortis." Seth spared a second glance overhead to see the Star Destroyer's situation. He stretched out with his senses, now able to see the witches approach from various sides. Yes they were boxed in, yes they were outnumbered, but Seth Darkserpent and Gav Mortis would hopefully overcome the odds against them. "Today, we shall show them what the true power of the Dark Side is all about!"

[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn winced as she felt her daughters thrown into the air. With her mind's hand, she had been able to soften the landing of the women, though they may have cuts and bruises. The rancor they had been riding had not faired to well. Both were dead from the massive impact to the ground, one having been impaled by a a jagged tree trunk, while the other's neck had been broken by falling on it's head. This angered Gethwyn, for they had been part of the family.

The two women she ordered back into the fight if they felt their performance would not be hindered. Both acknowledged that they would fight until death. This made Gethwyn smile. Such strong and determined warriors, they deserved a warriors death.

Taking her mind to where the male witches were, she grabbed the lesser of the two and pinned him to the ground with a gigantic force of will. He squirmed under her hold, but could not remove himself. She knew at this point, the other one, obviously stronger, would eaither have to take the time to free his comrade or hold off the oncomming assault the witches would give him. She knew he would be hard pressed and weakened to do both tasks at the same time. Therefore, he had to choose: his comrade's life, or his own.

[La'drii Katj]

*La'drii clenched her fists in anger as she saw the two rancors fall dead. The clan mother informed her of her actions. Thicker mists rolled in shrouding the entire area in dusk. The area surrounding the two male sith went dark to them as they lost control of the force outside their small circle. Moving forward on her rancor La'drii called out two the males*

"Surrender now and we will spare your lives."

*She could feel the anger in the stronger of the two at the turning of the tables. He was faced with a dillema and it was about to get worse for him. This time La'drii addressed him by name.*

"Gav Mortis of the Sith Order. If you do not surrender without resistance the two members of your organization that we hold prisoner will be executed immediately."

*La'drii probed his mind gently.*

"I feel the turmoil of your emotions. You can not win Gav Mortis of the Sith Order. Chose now. If you make the wrong decision it means death for all of you."

*Gav was suddenly overwhelmed with feelings of terror. His heart pounded in his chest and he dropped to his knees gasping for air.*

"The fear you feel now is the fear of your beloved Live Wire. Her fate is in your hands and if you chose wrong her blood and the blood of the one you call Lady Vader is on your head. What is your decision"

*The fear and panic left Gav and in the back of his mind he heared a faint and familiar voice. "Do as she instructs. It will be fine. If you trust me and love me you'll surrender." The voice was genuine and so was the plea.*

[Gav Mortis]

Almost immediatly after Seth had spoken, he was suddenly pummelled to the floor with one mighty blow, there he was held by an unseen force. Almost simultaneously, a woman's voice could be heard, addressing him by his name, she knew his name but he was in too much distress to pay attention. The attack on Seth had also took it's toll on Gav, who although was not held to the ground had collapsed to the floor in agony. His breath had been knocked right out of him and he began gasping for air.

He recognised that distant strength as the same as that which had attacked his ship earlier, this time he quickly traced it's source and could see a lady upon a throne. In the Force she was strong, but not wise. Unbeknownst to her, Gav had shared half the force of her blow which she had dealt unto Seth, thus halving the effect of her efforts. He sensed her suprise as Seth was able to wrench himself free of her meddling claws. She couldn't divide the strength of The Brothers, no matter what she tried.

Seth had climbed to his feet at the same time as Gav, it was synchronised and uncanny. Together they could feel Live Wire's suffering, they sensed her fear together; what one felt, the other could feel. They were capable of thinking, feeling and doing as one. Instead of two people with a single pair of eyes each, it was one person with two pairs of eyes; eyes that were narrow and penetrating, looking onto the woman who spoke knew his name.

There was something peculiar about what they felt and what they were being told by this lady, more than likely another witch, to become another corpse. But something was holding him back, there was a sense of urgency in the voice he heard, a voice of honesty and somehow what they were being told made sense; "It will be fine." Will it?

<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#87CEFA">Seth, I don't believe these amazons are on a mission to kill. There's something else behind all this, surely you feel it too. We're clearly outnumbered and I believe they are true warriors, so why would they not attack? There is something else in this, I think we can afford to take a chance.</FONT>

"Very well. We are not prepared to endanger the lives of those we came to help any further. I will put my faith in your word, the moment I sense some sort of deceit-" As he said this, the Clan Mother, Gethwyn found herself suddenly ripped from her throne and hurled against the solid wall behind. She felt a firm grip about her throat and at her every attempt to release herself from the dark clutches of both Gav and Seth combined, she discovered to her discomfort that the grip only grew stronger, tighter. "-your beloved Clan Mother will no longer have the head for confrontation, literally. Heed my words, any further attempt to harm a member of our Order, I'll break her neck."

His face was stern, he was irritated and would rather snap Gathwyn's neck out of pleasure rather than due to a breach of negotiated terms.

"So what do you have to say?" He asked La'drii impatiently.

[Seth Darkserpent]

Seth immediately felt the urge to laugh at these paltry tricks, but refrained from doing so. This head witch, Gethwyn was rather strong in wielding the Force and had certainly taken Darkserpent by surprise. All of that was irrelevant, as long as Gav Mortis was in the vicinity. Although, she was not aware that Seth Darkserpent did not only have to rely on his own strength to best his enemies. With the added strength of Gav Mortis, he was able to dispell her black magic that threatened to choke the life out of him. Then, as easily as he'd been pinned down, he stood up and wiped the dirt off of his black clothing. Gav followed in suit, as if both were trained to react in synchronization with each other. Through the honed senses of Gav, Seth could feel Live Wire and the suffering that she was forced to ensue.

What the witches failed to realized had become most obvious in the past few moments. Their inability to consider an opponent dangerous, because it contradicted what they felt through the Force was a weakness of theirs. Seth took note of the way that they stood, the very posture of the warriors gave off body language that was unspoken. Even though he did not have the answers to all of the questions that floated about his confused head, Seth felt that he was aware of at least some of the situation. Live Wire had really been captured by these witches, although their intentions still seemed unclear to him. Through Gav's thoughts he could sense that the Sith Master suspected something on a much larger scale.

"Seth, I don't believe these amazons are on a mission to kill. There's something else behind all this, surely you feel it too. We're clearly outnumbered and I believe they are true warriors, so why would they not attack? There is something else in this, I think we can afford to take a chance."

Darkserpent nodded quietly to Gav's thoughts. He kept his mind linked with his Master's and added his own power in the Dark Side. Gav used both of their powers to counter-attack the Clan Mother Gethwyn on her throne. Both oft heir powers seemed to be enough to hold the Clan Mother at bay. Seth could feel that Gav wanted to snap Gethwyn's neck out of pleasure. His own reason for wanting to kill this Clan mother was for deliberately attacking him. His unspoken hate for her fueled the power that Gav shared with him.

Gav spoke to the witch nearest to them, "So what do you have to say?"

It felt to Seth as if he were speaking those words himself, although his lips hadn't moved. With evident anger creased across his face, Seth stood silent, still holding his sword. He wondered if these witches were open to any negotiation at all.

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra rocked in her Rancor's harness, feeling her Mother's agony and straining. Snarling, she closed her eyes and brought her mind to where the Clan Mother was. She decerned that she was being held by an invisible force; a powerful force, more powerful than even her Mother. But not anymore powerful than herself, and she made it known.*

*Though the distance was great, she used her powers to wrench her Mother free, and send a back handed slap to the one that had inflicted such a hold. She watched in her mind's eye as the elder of the two men went down to his knees, the back hand beginning to leave a welt on the side of his face.*

*She snarled a message through to his mind, interupting his thoughts, with a commanding tone he knew well and had heard before, though veiled.*

Impudence! Never EVER lay a hand on my Mother! So help me, if you do this again, I WILL not be responsible for my actions!

*She was seething with rage, the boiling anger rolling off her in strong torrents. Unable to control the rising furry, she screamed and let a volley of Force destruction errupt from her dark soul, and sent the seering hot orb into an old, bent tree. It exploded brilliantly, shattering into millions of pieces, the ash raining all around.*

*Still breathing heavily with anger, she looked to the astounished witches in her vicinty. She waved her hand, indicating she was alright, and sent a quick message to La'drii.*

Forgive me... but I cannot stand by and allow such foolish actions to be taken... even by HIM.

*With that, she cut communication and sent a reaching tendril to the Clan Mother, receiving a confirmation that she was alright and back in control.*

[Damara Kejii]

The sound of the rancors dying still were tolling heavy inside her soul. Not only did the Shadow Forest Witches belong to the trees of their land but every creature brought into the fold was part of them as well.

Rancors were blessed creatures and Damara hold body became taut. The slightest movement would almost certainly break a limb because her every limb was so rigid.

She was not the only one to feel the pain deep that was swelling inside. Her people were crying in outrage inside her mind to kill the male witches as a sacrifice to appease the dead souls of their brethren. Every arrow that was being readied by her people and pulled back was seen inside her mind.

Normally, Damara wouldn't have thought twice about killing them but things were different now. The one called Gav was attacking the Clan Mother through his own power. Itchy fingers were ready to let loose the poison tipped arrows from her people that were unseen and not sensed in the shadows of the forest. Mentally she called out to her Clan.

HALT! Hold your bows!

Each Witch obeyed, under protest of course. These two Witches were clever and deceitful. There was no telling what else they would under such pretense and besides, there were plans for these two that even she had to obey. Under protest much like her own children.

Dathomir be blessed that at least the true Daughter showed some back bone and punished the two males. She could feel that the Clan Mother was all right and that was a feeling conveyed to the Shadow Forest Clan.

It appeased them......for now but if even one of them slipped up again they would bring back their corpses riddled with arrows....

[La'drii Katj]

*La'drii was not happy at his actions against the clan mother but as a warrior she both understood and respected the courage it took to do so under such circumstances. Once she recieved word that the clan mother was once again released she breathed a small sigh of relief. She heared Damara hold back her warriors and she called out reiterating that command.*

"Dont shoot!"

*This was not a situation that she wanted to escalate out of control. Keeping her own anger in check was a tall enough order without having to diffuse a further worsening situation.*

You have a deal Gav Mortis of the Sith Order.

*In Gav's mind again he heared the voice. "Thank you" La'drii moved forward on her Rancor and they moved out of the fog into view. Her eyes were cold as she looked down on the two males. The rest of the forces stood just inside the perimiter their weapons ready but not drawn.*

"I am La'drii Katj sister of the Black Lake Clan. Please come peacefully with us. They are awaiting you back at the village. Do not resist and you will be well treated."

*She could see that they were not happy about this development but they were going to try and trust that the women were not lying to them. They had tasted the power of the clan mother and they knew that they were vastly outnumberd. La'drii herself was very strong in the dark side and she was not the only one. The combined powers of the strongest of the clans would easilly over power two. Four sisters on rancors moved into flank the two males.*

"If you would be so kind as to relinquish your weapons to me."

*She held out her hand palm side down indicating they were to lay them on the ground and she would take them.*

[A zi Kaii]

A'zi watched the hell fires rain down from the sky towards the Black Lake Region. The bolts of energy seemed to scream through the air and shook the ground when they hit. The forest was erupting with explostions of dirt and fire. Hot liquefied rock and burning rubble rained down upon the Crystal Lake Clan.

A'zi grimaced as she heard the cries of pain from those hit. Cries of pain, but no screams of terror from her tribe.

So, they would rather fight from afar... hmm... A'zi thought to herself. Reaching out she learned of Gethwyn's wish to wait a bit longer, to give the outlanders one more chance at honor. I hate waiting, she growled to herself.

T'zkia!, gather your stongest witches and head towards the fires! Call upon the mountain mists and northern rains to quench them... they but scorch us and do not yet realize that while they burn the land, the sky is ours, let natures tears will quell these fires! Her oldest daughter nodded and grimly set off about her task.

A'zi then turned to her counselor and quietly spoke,

C'lia, come with me to speak with the GrandMothers.

A'zi was not the strongest Witch when it came to using the dark magic of old, but she was cunning in utilizing the talents of those around her and rallying her people. She had prepared for possibility that cowards would come to fight from their floating palaces far above.

C'lia and A'zi rode towards the tribes make shift camps for her troops. Arriving at the center was a well guarded tent with elaborate decoration. As A'zi dismounted the guards stood at attention while she and C'lia entered. After entering C'lia and A'zi both paused and kneeled. A'zi spoke quietly. Dear Grandmothers, we have come to ask for your assistance.

A small group of women sat in the center of the tent around a small fire to keep them warm. It wasn't often that the warrior women on this planet grew to such age or wisdom, it was a mark of great cunning and strength. One did not dismiss a life time of learning within the Crystal Lake region to the far north. For each generation was built upon the knowledge and strength of the previous.

The eldest one spoke, Speak, my child... we have been waiting for you. You wish us to help, in this matter.

C'lia and A'zi rose, Yes, there is a ship in orbit. With many who would destroy us from a far.

We have seen it.

The Clan Mother wishes to wait.

Yes, a wise decision, the Clans do not throw away their honor when fighting the dishonorable.

True, Grandmother... but I wish to help the dogs find their honor.

The old women began to cackle. You are a cunning one, Kaii, A'zi... your mother would be proud.

Thank you Grandmother, I try to do her memory honor. With that said, A'zi and C'lia turned and left.

C'lia turned a quizzical eye to her friend. What exactly are they going to do?

Just make things a bit more difficult for them to stay lazy in their battles. A gust of wind hit A'zi and she looked up to see dark storm clouds gathering on the horizon. T'zkia and her warriors are making progress I see. A'zi tapped C'lia on the arm and motioned that they get quickly back to the front lines.

Within the tent the old women concentrated and focused their energies. Delicate strength and stealth were required for this mission. They reached out and softly probed the minds of the countless technicians aboard [the Veratis], a mear flutting of a feather, the catch of a sigh, the brush of a whisker. They stole secretly along the plated decks and quickly traced energy routes with the gunnery mates. To find the weakness without alerting the powerful Sith to their plans would take a soft touch.

Floating far above the planet unseen by anyone a wire started to smoke deep within the belly of the mechanical fortress. Soon the insulating wiring began to turn black, then it burned a way exposing a raw wire, then another, then another. Soon an entire specific power route lay vulnerable, from wire to wire leading from one section to the next. It only needed the right spark.

A low level technician thought he heard an old woman's laugh, but when he turned around nothing was there, shrugging his shoulders he went about with his work.

Aboard the command deck Gunnery Sargent Tolen sat at his consol monitoring the progress of the planetary bombardment. A warning light began flashing, "What the," before he could react the console erupted in his face.

The force of the explosion threw his burning body into the far wall, there it collapsed motionless. Technicians and droids scrambled to douse the fire, but it was too late. The primary targeting systems aboard the Veratis had become fused beyond repair.

[edit1 - grammar mistake, edit2 - spelling mistakes... =P]

[TSO Naval Officer]

As Tolen's last breath escaped from his lips, Crewman Talz immediately rerouted gunnery control to a nearby workstation. However, primary bombardment control had been disabled at the source, as if somebody had trimmed the warship with a scalpel.

Crewman Talz: Lord Vader, we've lost the primary ventral bombardment computer. A complete system failure.

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[Darth Vader]

I am aware of our predicament...crewman.

:: Vader's ire rose, the edge grating on his voice like a steel razor. He stared at the planet below in the viewport, his metallic timbre low and menacing. ::

The witches are using their trickery magic. It will only delay their fate.

:: The Dark Lord spun on an ebony heel, his voice rising thunderously. ::

Colonel Chak, deploy your ground assault immediately, and prepare my shuttle.

:: Vader strode off the bridge quickly, his dark cape flowing behind him ::

[Kar'awyn Lai]

Kar'awyn arrived back at the Black Lake in time to deal with the rubble left from the attack from the skies. The Sith males chose to kill without proper honor, as a Clansister would understand.

Yet, their tactics were not unlike one of the Nightsisters. Cunning and devilry went hand in hand when one walked the shadows. She dispatched her warriors to assist the Black Lake clan, while their own warriors brought in the two male witches. She sighed, realizing that they would already be claimed before she ever laid an eye on them.

[Virrana'h Tei]

The conflict of obedience versus action.

A delicate balance and her NightSisters had managed it well.

The male witches were now apprehended and soon the intruding army would be deployed.

Virrana'h thought the Clan Mother would be pleased and looked forward to proving herself worthy of her Sisters. She twisted her emerald sword and awaited the opportunity to use it.

[Gav Mortis]

The moment Gav and Seth felt someone interfering with their hold on the Clan Mother, they both relinquished their strong grip in order not to damage the foolish creature. Although not as half as foolish as the person who had not only attempted the impossible task to save her against their combined strength but had simultaneously risked her own mother's life and had Gav been serious when he made his threat, the great Clan Mother would've been dead now. Unlike she who had interferred, he had self-control and that showed when she had the gall to backhand him through the Force. Nevertheless, the impact of the blow was halved between Gav and Seth once again, their heads were turned at the blow but no significant damage done.

"It seems," he said, turning to Seth, "That these amazons could be taught a lesson in manners, frightfully rude people!" No doubt his tone was patronising, but he kept his patience with the primitive creatures, for now.

<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#87CEFA">Come peacefully! Well treated? Have these women forgotten what has just happened? Something very strange is taking place here.</FONT>

Seth shared his thoughts, as though they both had thought it. Then they heard that voice again: "Thank you" it says, a familiar yet distant voice. They were equally curious to find out what was going on.

Gav dropped his saber hilt to the floor and that was all; he didn't carry any other weapons and if on the rare occasion he did - he'd make sure they wouldn't be seen with or without the Force. He had nothing to say, he was hoping to draw blood but the peculiar sequence of events had prevented that.

[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn rubbed at her throat at the same time sitting down at her throne. The male was indeed strong. He would make good breeding stock.

As she settled back in her chair, she opened her mind once again to what was happening above their planet. Within the massive floating fortress, she sensed much moment and preperation. One of her daughters had inflicted some pain on the metal beast, causing it to lose it's sting. Soon, smaller vehicles began to leave the ship, heading for the planet's surface. Excellent. They had come to see the true path of a warrior. Soon they would be imersed in hand to hand combat.

She sent a brief message to Sel'arra.

(My Daughter. Prepare the warriors. The infidels have seen the light and are coming to fight in hand to hand combat as warriors should. Be wary, for they will no doubt have weaponry that will sting. Be sure all warriors have their dragon scales shields with them. This should protect them from the stings.)

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra shifted her weight on Tucta as the message from the Clan mother came to her. Once the message was finished, she relayed the orders to the clans present and also opened her mind to those clans that were stationed further away.*

Warriors, the time has come for battle. At this moment, the enemy is decsending from the skies, and we shall finally have the warriors battle we have longed for.

Be wary, however, of their stinging weapons. Use your dragon scale shields wisely. And above all, fight well. Fight honorably! Fight for the glory of Dathomir!

*Around her and in her mind, she heard the war cry of hundreds of warriors. Yes, they were ready for battle.*

[Virrana'h Tei]

The message from Sel'arra was recieved with much welcome.

As she bid them prepare, the Sisters of the Wailing Swamp Clan, as one, took the small crescent dagger from the ceremonial sheath each wore strapped diagonally across their body.

In one accord, each warrior sliced a fine thin line across the fleshy rise of their left breast, a sliver of bright crimson apearing from beneath each ones curved blade.

As they caught the scent of fresh blood, the Rancors the witches rode upon lifted their heads in a predatory snort, and the war-beasts that littered the ground around them strained on their chains.

Soon, soon - there would be blood to satisfy them all.

[La'drii Katj]

::After taking the weapons from the two sith males they escorted them back to the village. They passed Sel'arra who looked excited. She told them that the fire from the sky had stopped and that they were to prepare for a ground assault. La'drii could feel the blood rush through her veins as she heared her sisters words. A real battle! But before she could prepare for battle she must deliver her captives to the clan mother.

La'drii turned and looked down from her rancor at the two male witches and smiled. Yes the clan mother would be pleased with her. She planned on claiming the stronger of the two for her own if the clan mother would allow her too. His spirit intrigued her and posessing one so powerful would bring honor to her and her clan.

Dismounting her rancor she led her prisoners before the clan mother. Kneeling she presented their weapons to her.::

"Clan mother. I bring you the two male witches as captives and I present to you their weapons."

[A zi Kaii]

C'lia recieved the communication from the Clan Mother and spoke, Well they are on their way.

A'zi just grinned. Atop her rancor she surveyed her tribe. Sheilds prepped, swords drawn, archers, javalins, and catapults.

The rain came down and began quenching the fires in the forest and turning the clearing field into a marsh.

C'lia come with me to do a final inspection, we must not miss anything. A slim hint of stress in her voice leaked through, it will take more than our strength to defeat these men and their mechanical beasts.

[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn eyed the two males and stood, walking down from her throne to stand before the two captives. She looked at them for a moment, as though reading them. They had blocked her minds from her, but their facial expression told her what she needed to know. She shook her head and turned to face La'drii.

Daughter, perhaps you should take them down to the holding cells in the lower levels of the fortress. There I want you to question them.

She sent a private message at the same time she spoke with La'drii. La'drii would understand what to do with the males.

But make your questioning brief. We are preparing for a battle. The warriors will need you on the field fighting by their side. If need be, I will speak with the prisoners myself.

She sighed and shook her head, heading back to her throne to sit upon it. She had come to realize that the two males were clueless to what was happening. But, then again, what did she expect from males?

[La'drii Katj]

::La'drii bowed once more to the clan mother and with the help of two other clan sisters she escorted them down into the lower levels of the fortress. These two males would have to learn who was in control of this situation and La'drii was just the one to instruct them on the Dathomirian ways.

The farther down they went the cooler the air became. The passages were well lit and it wasn't primitive in the least. In fact if one didn't already know they would think they were walking down any other hallway.

Turning a corner La'drii opened a door leading into a small room. It was sparsely furnished but more comfortable then one would expect a prison cell to be. The two males walked in and La'drii closed the door behind them leaving her sisters to stand gaurd. There were more pressing matter to attend to and she would deal with the two males later. Besides she could keep her eyes on them from afar.::

[Live Wire]

*The Dathomirian withches had kept LV and LW seperate, seemingly for security issues. Of course that didn't prevent the two women from communicating discreetly. They had been talking through the force when La'drii walked in and drug her out by her hair. She swore when she got out of this predicament this one would be the first witch she exacted her revenge upon.

She took LW down the hallway and opened another door and threw her inside. She caught herself on her hands and knees and heared the door slam shut behind her. Yes, La'drii would be the first one to feel the sting of her lightsaber, once she got it back of course. LW got to her feet and looked up surprised to see who else was in the room.*

Gav?? Seth??

*She was happy to see them but the fact that they seemed to be in no better a situation then she was gave her little comfort. So much for a rescue party. She stood looking at Gav, after recent events she had been avoiding his company but right now she was truly happy to see him. Walking over she embraced him.*

Are the two of you okay? Those witches can be rather ruthless from what I've seen. Especially with the men.

[Gav Mortis]

The embrace was very awkward let alone the atmosphere. She had embraced him but he, not sure of how to react, remained still. Live Wire seemed fond of Gav after what had happened in the past, but to Gav, that's all it was, history. His heart was as stone, no feelings of their relationship past could he recall, he had tried hard so many times but what little things he could feel for her were a combination of a repressed fondness for her but not only that but from somewhere he felt an equal disliking of her, almost a resentment. This was caused by the Jedi Morgan Evanar, one time Gav had sworn to claim his life for it, now such feelings he found had been numbed since the ritual he shared with Seth and the others.

To put it bluntly, most of his personal identity had been lost, he knew before the ritual of the possible side-effects but this was difficult. What little he felt for her was enough to make him feel uncomfortable because no doubt Seth heard his every thought and felt his every emotion, as Gav did Seth's. Although Seth did not suffer from a lack of identity as Gav did, he had his own drawbacks - it was different for each of them.

"Greetings Live Wire," he said formally, it had been so long since he'd called her that, the embrace ended. "I...hope your time here hasn't been too...discomforting." It was difficult to find the right words, everything was difficult, something seemed wrong, but Gav knew not what that might be, Live Wire probably had a better idea of what was so awkward about the meeting.

[Live Wire]

*LW was taken slightly aback by his words. He hadn't called her Live Wire in a long time. Things had indeed changed. Her face grew cold as the mask she had worn for so many years once again fell right into place.*

I don't know how much you've been told but coming after me and LV like that was a rather stupid thing to do. TSO underestimated the ability of the Dathomirian witches. You're lucky the two of you weren't killed.

*LW sat down in the middle of the floor and filled them in on all the events that had happened since her and LV had landed. They listened to her talk quietly only interrupting when a clarification was needed. As she talked her body became chilled. Not because of the coolness of the air but more the atmosphere of the room. It was cold and the tension was so thick it was almost suffocating her.

The way Gav was looking at her made her want to turn away from him. Having finished her story she got up and pounded on the door. One of the witches opened it and LW walked out with no explanation. She just knew she had to get out of that room.*

[Seth Darkserpent]

Seth frowned to himself in the corner of the holding area. He felt very naked without some form of physical weapon at hand. His arms were crossed in a painful position that made it seem as if he was actually hugging himself. The cold air down here slightly bothered him. He'd been in much colder places in the past, but this place seemed to bother him more for some odd reason. It was dark and unpleasant, much like the whole situation on this planet. Live Wire had explained to them almost everything there was to know. Darkserpent uncrossed his arms like a snake recoiling from a tree branch. He let them rest at his side as he spared another glance at Gav.

Through the senses of Gav Mortis, Darkserpent was aware of the tension in the room. Up until Live Wire had left, there was a great awkwardness about. Instead of saying anything or doing anything to make it worse, he'd simply kept silent. This was none of his business, although he did wish that Live Wire and Gav would deal with their past. He was not very knowledgeable on this sort of subject, but he could surmise that nothing good would come from that. But who was he to play fortune teller? Eyeing something on the ceiling, he shifted off the wall and moved toward Gav.

"This is not really my idea of 'well treated'. It seems that these witches are as contradictory as they are cunning." Seth kept his voice in a low hush. It did not really matter if any of the witches heard him. He feared them as much as he feared a blind bumbling Gungan running at him with a toothpick. It was true that they could band together and find some way to dispose of him, but they hadn't yet. It was his understanding that if someone did not dispose of you right away, they still had some use for you.

~ What will our next course of action be? ~

Darkserpent simply made eye contact at Gav when he relayed the message via the Force. The link between himself and Gav insured that no one else would be able to pick the message up. Seth reflected on how useful it would be to be able to speak fluent ancient Sith. Currently, he knew enough to form some words, but that was really it. Unless these witches had found some sort of concentration talisman, Gav and himself would be able to speak freely without having to worry about eavesdropping.

"I cannot help but wonder what is happening above us." Seth remarked. He tipped his neck to the side, trying to rid himself of an annoying kink. Darkserpent was rather disappointed that he was not able to show his skills to these witches. Perhaps there would be another chance. After all, chances always presented themselves, one just needed to know how to recognize them. Darkserpent wondered if La'drii Katj was still in the area. Perhaps she'd joined the others in the upper levels.

Seth sat back down on the floor, "Why was it that Live Wire was allowed easy access out of this cell? Far be it from me to make assumptions, but there is another picture behind this picture."

[La'drii Katj]

::La'drii walked back down into the fortress after getting the reports from up above. Things were going well for the moment and Se'arra had headed towards the front lines. The conflict would start soon. She was hungry for the blood of those attacking her home and wished she could mount her rancor and join her sisters. But for now her duties were elsewhere.

Coming back to the room where the two males witches were being held she learned that Live Wire had been returned to her room. The two called Lady Vader and Live Wire had been a headache to them ever since they arrived. They were spirited and had a strong bond to each other that was understanable to the Dathomirians. They knew that it was dangerous to keep them in the compound but had no other place to hold the two women.

The guards opened the door for her and she walked in holding two plates of food. Walking over she set them both on the table.::

"I promised you would not be harmed or mistreated. A Dathomirian Witch does not go back upon her word. Please eat."

::The two men looked up at her with cold faces. La'drii was angry, angry that these people had the audacity to attack her home. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at them. Part of her wanted to rip them both to shreds especially the stronger of the two. He who had the audacity to raise a hand against the clan mother. But she restrained herself, she would have honor even if they did not.::

"I am La'drii Katj, honor sister of the Black Lake Clan. I know you are Gav Mortis and Seth Darkserpent of The Sith Order. Do not look upon yourselves as prisoners but rather our guests."

::The words stuck in her mouth but she kept her face neutral. The time would come for her to act and for now she would be perfectly polite.::

"There is much the two of you need to hear. While you eat I will attempt explain."

[Gav Mortis]

As Live Wire was walking out Gav raised his arm, he opened his mouth but nothing came out, she had not seen this and thankfully too for he just did not know what to say at all. He knew why there was tension, he had complete memory of his relationship with her but despite that, it felt like he had the memories of someone else and that's all they were, memories. The feelings which would normally accompany such memories did not in Gav's case, he was a new man, reborn to a cause greater any relationship or emotion for that matter.

His arm dropped and he cursed, he stood still and silent for a moment, then grinding his teeth with frustration lashed out and slammed a clenched fist into the cold wall of the cell with a cry, it trembled and there was left an indentation where there had been impact. His nuckles began to bleed and ache, his hand was red and trembling and under heavy breath said, "I've lost myself, Seth."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, it's not important."

Seth was equally frustrated as Gav about being down here, both were already tired of it. How easy it would be to blast the door up the corridoor and uproot the very foundations of this building if they wished. Angry at himself, Gav merely placed one hand against the wall, and leaned against it, his head drooped and he stood in silence. Seth was eager to get out and do something, he wanted blood but his restlessness and inquisitiveness did not help Gav's temperament.

Finally losing his patience, Gav turned, angry and spat out his words with venom, "I've already told you Darksperpent! Your persistent questioning is making my skin crawl, shut up!"

He stomped over to his Sith brother and firmly grasping him by the shoulder, shoved him down into a seat, "Sit down and wait, or is a little patience beyond you? When the time comes, Dathomir's green fields will be tainted red with the blood of these interfering Sith whore's, I swear I wish I hadn't bothered coming here!"

He turned swiftly, began walking then slowing, he stopped, hesitantly he turned to face his apprentice now with a much different facial expression, he almost looked regretful. He lifted his hands open in front of him apologetically, opened his mouth to speak but paused. Then with a sigh he turned away and shook his drooping head.

That was when La'drii entered, he had not time for arguing with her or discussing dipplomacy or who was right or wrong to attack. She was obviously annoyed at them both but had chosen to be civil, bringing them food. He took a seat, and began eating, ready to listen to what she had to say.

[La'drii Katj]

::If anything La'drii was grateful that these two had decided to cooperate for the time being. She let them both begin eating before she spoke.::

The two of you walked into the middle of a fight you know nothing about. I'm sure your Lady Live Wire filled you in on her perspective of events.

::She sneered as she said the sith mistresses name. It was clear she thought little of any woman who allowed males to occupy a position of power, much less demonstrate the affection towards one of them that she had shown towards this Gav Mortis.::

Now it's time you hear mine.

::Starting at the beginning she led them through the sequence of events leading up to the current battle. The males were confused at first but puzzle pieces slowly started falling into place. They were quiet as she finished talking.::

I think that’s all you need to know. Thanks to your bumbling there are a lot of clan sisters who would like to have your heads or at least claim you as their property.

::She turned and looked directly at Gav.::

Though I think the experience would be good for you.

::She caught herself after saying that and her face went back to its cold neutrality. There were some things that she was not ready to reveal to them.::

Any questions or have I explained things satisfactorily?

[Seth Darkserpent]

Gav Mortis' emotions flared throughout the room like an invisible force field of piercing heat. They seemed to have been channeled by their surprising meeting with Lady Live Wire. Seth wiped off the grim expression on his face before his master could see it. His non-stop questioning spree had just added to the flames like a canister of gasoline. A few moments later, they ignited like a small explosion. Mortis had personally instructed him to sit down and keep shut. Darkserpent's mind was still open to the force, and he could feel the tremendous power rising with each second. A few moments later, Mortis got a hold of himself. La'drii Katj entered with two plates of food.

Darkserpent ate at his food silently, not even caring enough to look at the female La'drii Katj. The stuff that had been served to them wasn't that bad. Darkserpent was weary of touching it, let alone putting any of the food inside of his mouth. He had a small suspicion that the Dathomiri witches had poisoned the food. After a few minutes of staring at the food and feeling the emptiness inside of his stomach, he relented. His eyes rested wearily on the dark meat at the edge of his plate. Carefully scooping it up, he tried it with much caution. It was not bad, he decided, but he had tasted much better. Within the next minute, he found that he had eaten everything on the plate. At the same time, the woman La'drii Katj had stopped explaining.

~ Any questions or have I explained things satisfactorily? ~

Moments of silence and unease floated past the room. For at least eleven seconds, no one spoke. Darkserpent pushed his plate aside and put both of his hands down on the table boredly. He had quite a few questions that circulated through his mind, but he decided to pick out the two most important. Just as soon as La'drii Katj was about to speak again, he rose up a hand.

"I have a few questions that are in need of answers." His eyes focused on hers, reading the hate written across her face. "Why are we being held here?" He let a bit of a snarl escape his mouth to add to the effect of his speech. His eyes seemed to change in color for a split second, assuming an orange shine. As soon as he blinked, they were dark brown once again. He was beginning to tire of these male hating attitudes that the witches possessed. "And where are our weapons? If anything has happened to my sword, I shall..."

Seth cut himself off halfway with a sudden change of attitude. Perhaps it was a bit of a force nudge from Gav, or his own senses gaining control over anger. He quickly became silent and gazed at the Force witch. He felt the pressure on both of his hands release themselves when they let go of the table. He glanced at Gav who had also finished eating his own meal.

"Lastly," He kept the control in his voice, but allowed a bit of firmness to escape, "How long do you plan to hold us here?"

Seth waited for answers from the Dathomiri warrior.

[TSO Naval Officer]

With round-the-clock precision, the Lambda and Sentinel landers deployed to the surface, finding a dried lakebed to land in, not far from the Black Lake village. The weapons of war quickly debarked from the landers, gathering for a quick and brutal strike against the witches. A phalanx of ten Attack walkers, supported by twice as many scout walkers, three dozen heavy infantry walkers, and numerous speeders assembled, supported by two whole stormtrooper batallions. Colonel Chak boarded his walker as the foreboding all-black personal transport of Darth Vader landed in the clearing. Chak gulped, knowing his performance was under scrutiny. He turned to a lieutenant.

Colonel Chak: Lieutenant, prepare Dark Trooper units for debarkation.

Two sentinel landers opened their bays in unison, as the tall, grey-armored superwarriors emerged from their craft, sprinting to the front lines with superhuman speed. As the formed up for point assault, the scream of TIE Bombers could be heard overhead, dropping thunderous concussion warheads into the thick forest ahead, followed by searing napalm incendiaries, which brought the mighty trees to the ground, paving the way for a full armored attack. Chak watched the smoke billow from the blazing forest. Pushing up his combat scope, he turned to his driver.

Colonel Chak: Alert all commands, and begin the attack.


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[La'drii Katj]

::La'drii was beginning to get frustrated with these males. Apparently they hadn't been listening to a word she was saying and she was running out of patience. The one called Gav seemed to grasp the meaning of what she was saying more then the one called Seth.::

"You'll be released once this situation has been resolved. Until then I suggest you get comfortable. The two guards outside will assist you if you need anything. I would advise you not to cause any further problems."

::La'drii pulled the hood of her long brown cloak over her head and walked out of the door.


A while later three cloaked figures came out of the compound and mounted a rancor heading for the front lines.::


OOC - if you have questions ask before posting

[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn sat back in her throne, in the heart of the abandoned Imperial prison known simply as The Fortress, situated in the center of small island in the center of a vast lake, it's depths murkey with blackness.

Concentrating on the surroundings around the lake and into the villages, she sensed several minds at a point not far from where the witches had gathered. They had arrived.

She sent a quick order to the commander of the united Dathomir clans.

(Daughter, they have landed. They are in the direction of the passing sun. Set the warriors to advance, taking up frontal and side stances. But send a small regiment to swing behind them. I want to corner them. Trap them.)

She pawsed, sensing a powerful force leading them.

(The one leading them is a powerful foe. You will need to use the combined strength of the witches to succumb the forces he commands.)

Her mind fell silent, waiting to see the outcome of the battle.

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra received the Clan Mother's message with satisfaction. Soon they would truely battle like warriors should. She called out to the sentries in the trees to sound the battle horns. The horns made of large sea and lake shells gave a deep, haunting sound, putting all warriors at attention to follow their sisters to battle.*

*With the horns sounding, Sel'arra pulled back on her Tucta's reins, leading him in the direction they would go to engage the infidels. Tucta roared once, a cascade of roars echoing through the trees as each Rancor answered in eagerness for the fight. At once, the warriors set off towards their meeting with the intruders to their planet.*

[TSO Naval Officer]

The hulking shapes of Imperial Attack Transports began to lurch through the haze of the smoky forest, approaching the clearing of the Black Lake Clan village. A screaming overflight of TIE Bombers laid a supressing wall of napalm across the Dathomir front lines, creating a hellish barrier between them and the onward-marching Imperial armor.

In the lead AT-AT, Colonel Chak peered through his combat scope. In the distance, he could see numerous infantry, with some kind of shields and rudimentary spears. Further back, beast cavalry...rancors. While intimidating to standard infantry, they were not able to withstand armored assault. Chak pushed his combat scope up, sufficient in his knowledge of the battlefield.

Colonel Chak: Gunner, set one-seven, decimal eight-four. On my mark, maximum firepower. Standby mechanized infantry wave...

Chak clasped his gloved hands behind his back. This battle would indeed be a victory. Primitives were no match against the might of the Sith Order.

Colonel Chak: Open fire, gunner. Begin assault.

The opening heavy salvos from the AT-AT's hit home, striking the rows of shield-bearing infantry, the shockwave from the blasts throwing dozens into the air. In the ensuing pandemonium, the Darktroopers began a full-speed advance, through the fading wall of burning napalm, and headlong into the Dathomir formations.

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[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra brought up both hands and used the Force to shield those behind her from the blast of heat from the napalm. Keeping the invisible shield in place, she ordered the witches behind her to start chanting up a fierce strom. If these invaders wanted to play rough, they would soon find that the witches were just as capable.*

*Behind her a steady chant rose, bringing clouds and forming darkness over the land. Soon, rolling thunder began to creep along the clouds, starting softly then growing ever so louder. Within moments, the clouds had formed up, grey, and it began to pour down rain. Thunder and lightning crashed, the lightning hitting the metalic creatures with horrendous force. The wind howled, threatening to over turn any smaller craft or soldier. Soon, the fire had been put out and Sel'arra lowered her Force shield.*

*Focusing on one of the attack vehicles, she raised a hand, concentrating. Suddenly, the vehicle began to rise above the ground by only a few centimeters, but even from this distance the creaking of metal could be heard. Slowly, Sel'arra closed her hand. At the same moment, the machine's sides began to dent inward and implode. An explosion resounded inside the troop transport as the hull was crushed. Finally, it exploded, sending chunks of debris into the invader's forces. Tiring of the new toy she had found, Sel'arra released her grip, letting the now scrap of metal fall where it may. It was at this time the mechanical troopers came over the ridge to where they stood. Snarling, she gave a war cry and urged her Rancor forward. With a mighty roar, the Rancor obeyed, leaping and slamming into the ground at level with the troopers. She deflected shots aimed at her mount, protecting him, while at the same time, he would reach down and swat at the ivaders. Behind her, she heard the other warriors do the same.*

*The battle had begun.*

[Virrana'h Tei]

The ground forces had now made an appearance and the Swamp Clan Sisters were glad for the chance to shed the blood of the arrogant invaders in the expected backlash.

The billowing black smoke of the initial TSO assault wave, together with the unnatural storm raised by Sel'arra and her warriors, caused no small confusion around the centerpoint of the Black Lake. The casualty numbers were already high - but this was war, and it was to be expected.

The winds of the force storm created by the Black Lake witches had folded back onto the attacking army, making visuals difficult if not impossible for the invaders as they moved forward toward Sel'arra's postition. They needed to rely on their computerised sensors and navigation equipment to gain their bearings. Virrana'h ordered a concerted effort to manipulate the dark energy and so interfere and frustrate the TSO communications.

While the acrid smoke also effected the witches - they were in their own backyard and knew exactly where they were and the lay of the terrain. A distinct advantage.


Virrana'hs warriors were riding to close in from behind the TSO black troopers in a wide arc. The giant metallic walkers were wreaking havoc in their own wake. The rancours were running what looked like pell mell to avoid them, but was actually a designed attack against any clustering of soldiers they could find. They also targeted the legs of the massive walkers. On their rancours, in sets of two , each pair of Wailing Swamp Clan witches carried a huge net between them made from vines of the swamp. These nets were thick braided, but deceptively light. They were coated with a natural resin found in the sludge pits of the Wailing Swamp. This resin became incredibly sticky when stimulated in any degree - it was often used for catching large Agrun'ucks (a ferocious species of war beast that were abnormally large - 6 times the size the witches used in battle and proportionately viscious). The struggling beast or prey activated the natural oils in the vines which began to secrete and ensnare the caught creature most adamantly in a sticky morass within.

Not only were the secretions sticky, but they were slightly acidic and the more secreted, the more they would burn flesh or the outer shell casing of the animal or the surface they touched. These vines were wonderful - the Swamp Clan could catch and cook dinner for a month all in the same net. As the captive struggled, the more tangled and burned he got.

They cast their nets on soldier and craft alike. Some caught large groups of men in great sweeps and though these snares were susceptible to laser fire and did eventually get cut through, the invaders that were debilitated long enough for the witches to club, spear or take up the soldiers own weapons and shoot them, were dispatched with yells and shrieks of bloodlust by the women. Not to mention the war beasts and rancours stomping, tearing and attacking any who were stopped long enough for them to lunge at.

[Gethwyn Tajki]

Gethwyn watched through her minds eye as her warriors went to war against the invaders. She had confidense in their abilites, and would only aid when it was needed.

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra met a group of invaders head on, her rancor picking up a few and tossing them aside like rag dolls. she herself electrocuted a few using the Force, while some others she gifted with a spear through their abdomines.*

*All around her the battle was fierce, Dathomir warrior going against the invaders.*

*Again she urged Tucta to go into another group of soldiers. The battle wore on.*


(OOC: Darth Vader... we need you to post so that we can continue further. Thanks.)

[Darth Vader]

:: Pressing through the phalanx to the front line, a vanguard of stormtroopers flanked the Dark Lord, as he debarked from his transport, approaching the center of the fight. ::

Now...we shall see these witches fly from the touch of the Dark Side.

:: He awaited his first challenge ::

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*Sel'arra turned her head to the side, feeling a darkness envelope the field. It was powerful. Tucta was busy swatting troopers aside like insects, to busy to notice that his mistress had leapt from his back to wade through the mass of fighters.*

*Her sword sang as troopers tried to outmanuever or trap her. Her Force powers easily pushing the men away or lifted them high to toss them elsewhere.*

*As she walked, she could feel her mother wanting to engage the warrior with her own powers, but she told her to not fight this one.*

*As she reached the dark-clad warrior, she saw some of her sisters go in as well. She raised a hand, calling out in the native tongue.*

Levith nuaw! Nakla tuc nafa radun!
Leave him! This one is mine!

*Wordlessly, she stopped before the ominous being. He was taller than her, but not by much. She smiled, speaking in basic, though her voice surprisingly carried no accent.*

Dathomir will receive your life's blood with eagerness for having invaded her soil.

*She raised a hand and lifted him, tossing him to the side, his left leg landing awkwardly on a jutting boulder to the side of the open field. It wasn't enough to harm him terribly. But it was enough to make him retaliate.*

[Darth Vader]

Your arrogance will be your undoing, braggart witch.

:: Near her, the twisted remains of an AT-AT began to shift, the metal bending and snapping, as entire sections of the fallen armor began to peel off, hurtling themselves at the witch. In the commotion, the presence of Vader's unsheathed weapon went unseen, as Sel'arra had her hands full as it was ::

[Sel'arra Daijo]

*As he picked himself up from her toss, he began to throw pieces from the metal beast at her, she brought her arm up, shielding her face and creating a Force shield to block the sharp shards. In the commotion of protecting herself from the pieces of raining metal, she hadn't heard the Sith's weapon being unleashed, but her danger sense picked up on it.*

*In the blink of an eye, the saber's blade came at her in a flying arch, and she leapt, flipping in the air, and coming to land on the other side of the black clad being. As she landed, she essentially placed the man in between herself and the flying pieces of debris, so to avoid being pummled himself, he had stopped the raining mass of steel.*

*Snarling a choice word in her own language, she raised her hand, chanting an ancient spell, and unleashed two consectutive balls of Force Destruction at him.*

[Virrana'h Tei]

The witches of the Wailing Swamp Clan hurled shrieks of victory as they pressed their attack. Their strategy had decimated the first wave of invaders, though at a large cost to their own as many of the women were trampled or crushed by the falling of the great metal war-beasts of the Sith Order.

Virrana'h stopped for a moment..something vague and dangerous niggled just at the corners of her psyche.

She turned her head, lifting up in her saddle upon on the huge rancour. Her breath caught in her throat.

Here came the second wave of troops, larger - much larger than the first..