*BATTLING DESPAIR AT DAWN [invite]

[ALISTRANNIA "SHAN" CRYSIS]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] as I trip the darkness ( 1825 ) WORDS ( LOTS OF PEOPLE ) TAGGED ( COMPLETE ) STATUS "Whatever would he be doing there? Ghost you're not making much sense, are you sure of this?" "Do I look like a Separatist? How am I supposed to know what he's up to there." "Your specialty is intelligence, is it not? Isn't that your job?" "Your specialty is Sith, is it not? Isn't it your job to not even let these guys exist?" "We're not exterminators who hunt down insects, Ghost, we're Jedi. We combat the Sith when they arise." "Lot of good it's done, eh? How many of you are there? And there's one of him? He's making quite the fool of your "High Council." Alice scoffed, lifting a delicate finger up to the left side of her head and tapping the device cradling her ear. "Prepare the battalion. I'll be down shortly - I want as detailed reports as you can muster on what he's doing, and what he's packing. And inform Reno, O'en, Daniel and Anakin that we'll be departing soon." Firmly pressing a small button within the device, Alice's connection with her Clone Captain was severed As much as she didn't like to admit it, Ghost was correct - Dooku had been making a fool of the Jedi for an entire month now. A bloody, depressing month of war between the Republic and his "Confederacy". Countless Jedi dead. Countless star systems lost. All without yielding a damned thing. Dooku wasn't just defeating the Jedi at every turn, he was mocking them. Alice's sombre gaze lifted from upon the marble floor to the night sky overhead; illuminated by millions of lights from nearby buildings, vehicles overhead, and the hustle and bustle of the Grand Army of the Republic below. Beneath the fragile pane of glass Alice's own battalion converged to prepare to be dispatched; the 19th Battalion, at one time, little more than the leftovers from other armies put together in one miss-matched group. Being that there were so few of so many different types of Clones, the army wasn't exactly able to function at its peak. That's why they gave them to Alice. Her Battle Meditation skill allowed her to take reign of the entire army through the Force, and aid each and every one in their tactics and morale. In doing so, the skill also allows her to blend the skills and tactics of each together in flawless formation, allowing their eclectic design to actually become a strength. Under her leadership, the 19th Battalion quickly flourished into one of the more respected contingents, proving themselves able to overcome the more adverse conditions and enemies through use of their unique design and leadership. They were the shock troops. A sudden vibration roused Alice from her idle thinking; the odd sensation of her communications device awaiting Alice's recognition. Ghost wanted something. It hadn't even been a minute, and there was already an issue. She sighed. "What is it, Ghost?" Alice asked in a rather bored tone, lazily keeping her hand propped between her head and the glass supporting her. "Jestar, Kipper and Salmara are on their way. Skywalker is escorting the senator from Naboo home. What about Kenobi? Alice grimaced, eyes fluttering about chaotically. Obi-Wan had been given what they thought was to be a simple assignment in the outer rim, bringing peace talks to some of the still neutral systems. They hadn't heard from him in weeks. Alice would have begun to worry for his safety were she not utterly confident in his abilities. And missing Anakin didn't help much either. Somehow she felt that his personal attachment towards senator Amidalla was more to blame for this. At the same time, he might just prove a liability against Dooku given their last confrontation.... "Obi-Wan has been dispatched by the Council. He won't be with us on this one. O'en, Reno, Daniel and I will be more than a match for him." That, however, was not something Alice was totally confident in. Count Dooku was a proven swordsmen among the Jedi order, able to compete with Yoda or Windu. Being so old and wise in the Force, a battle of knowledge wasn't much different. And in recent weeks, he'd proven himself to be a rather formidable tactician as well. In truth, there wasn't much of a flaw for them to capitalize upon. They may be four in number, but they weren't much to boast about - a pair of recently elected Masters, a Knight and a Padawan. They certainly didn't have many things in their favor when confronting Count Dooku. And yet that is just what they were about to set out to do. For as long as Dooku remained free, the galaxy would be at war, with the momentum not-so-subtly slipping in the favor of the CIS. He had to be brought down. And that's just what she was hoping to do today. Strike him down and bring him to arrest, before this war gets more out of hand, consuming the lives and fates of more and more. Alice stood in silent thought, viewing her troopers below congregating for a moment longer before deciding it time to be with them. Setting off at the speed of a brisk walk, Alice coursed through the Jedi Temple corridors, seemingly deserted at such a late hour. The occasional pair of Jedi strolled passed her, most likely en route to the Jedi Command Center, each greeting Alice respectfully as she passed. It wasn't long before Alice had reached the ground floor of the massive building, quickly exiting and rounding the face of the building towards her Acclamator Assault Ship, Noblesse Oblige, and the troops preparing below. As Alice arrived upon the busy scene, her presence was felt by all. Her very appearance was entirely commanding; she stood tall for a woman, back straight and proud. Black Jedi robes and cloaks lay over-top of gleaming Clone armour allowed Alice to stand out in a crowd, appearing as a slight, yet majestic, Commander. And yet, the most captivating part of her would be her very aura of command. In short, she felt like a leader, and it was noticeable in every fiber of her appearance. Her gaze alone seemed to be powerful enough to evict her will, with focus and determination unlike most Jedi. "Is everything in order, Captain?" Alice asked quietly, slowly stepping up to the Clone Captain she had been speaking to earlier. "Everything is in order, ma'am. We'll be ready to leave the moment you reach the bridge." Alice nodded, and proceeded within her assault ship flanked by Ghost. Within minutes, the Noblesse Oblige had made its jump to hyperspace. "Alright. Listen up." A quick meeting had been called within the War Room, a large space directly below the bridge with a layout similar to the Jedi Commander Center. Various screens across the walls portrayed different images of the frozen world below, as well as what little there was to know of the army that they were about to assault. The room itself had an ominous feel, brooding almost, as if it were an embodiment of the war itself. It was from this room that Captain Ghost would issue commands and inform those in charge of just what was going on in the battle. It was here that the four Commanders, in addition to sixteen lieutenants, were called for a quick mission briefing. "Intelligence has tracked Count Dooku to this frozen wasteland below - Rhen Var. Why he's here is beyond us at this point, and if our luck holds, is also irrelevant. He is our first and only priority - alive if at all possible. Estimations of the armed forces below roughly state them to be outnumbering us about two-to-one, which is about the smallest army we've fought yet." A few snorts and chuckles echoed through-out the Clones, as the comment was highly true; they'd fought armies dozens of times larger than their own before, and won. Clone training and weaponry was immensely superior to droids - droids almost needed an incredible numerical advantage to overwhelm and win. So far, this looked like simple. Too simple. "We don't have any support coming on this one. It's just us; everyone else is tied up. But that's fine, I'm sure we're already feeling good about this, right? Right. So." Alice wheeled about, bringing a gloved hand up to the large screen portraying the terrain below them in red light. A pair of large mountains rose into the sky like the ancient bones of the world, complete with many large ridges and plateaus across them. And sitting nestled between each was a large building, ruined now and frozen over. And amassed around this building were a large concentration of droids, organized in ranks. "I've little idea just what they're doing so close to a position like this, but there's got to be something inside that Dooku wants - presuming he's in there-" Mouth ajar, Alice paused seeing the hand of Captain Ghost raised into the air, almost sarcastically. Alice sighed, shaking her head. "What is it, Ghost?" she asked quietly, pointing in his direction. "Why don't we just bombard the location from here? Safer, sure to hit and blow the entire place to tiny bits." A few murmurs followed his remark as he slinked backwars, hand falling to his side. "No, that is not what we came here for, Ghost. We need him alive... We need him to talk." Alice's face had become as ominous as her words; illuminated by the pale red glow of the mappings before her. "If Dooku dies, another may simply rise up to take his place. It would cause the Confederacy to falter, but not crumble." Alice took her left hand to her hair slowly, fingers running through her hair in contemplation. "Right. So. We can't see any form of vehicles, or anything that makes this army anything we need to fear in the special tactics department. So we're going to make this quick and messy. The fact that we're doing this a few hours before dawn with serve to our advantage - I want every Lancer Bike mounted and ready to go the moment we land; they're to demolish through the flank of this army and cleave it in two, exiting the other side and retreating back. This will stagger their lines, and incite them to chase us down. As our Lancer Bikes retreat, we hammer them with all of our vehicles - AT-RT's, AT-AT's, LAAT's - everything. This will create a sort of... Rolling barrage. Caught in the crossfire between our ships overhead, and those on the ground, the droids should be almost entirely routed. The mop up should be quick, and then the Jedi should be free to infiltrate this building in search of Dooku." With the wave of her hand, the large screen bathing her light in a pale red glow vanished. She turned to face the leadership of her crew expectantly. "This is the plan. Questions?" jedi post first, will take care of CIS when the time comes

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by lacuna coil

[ouen]

O’en could feel the cold radiating from his lightsaber as he stood there. He hadn’t any clue how he had gotten there, but he was not alone. To his left there was Alice, her stern look and focus was something to be admired, she was quite the Jedi. But why was she there? A better question would have been where was there? O’en took his eyes from her beauty for a moment and scanned around him, there was ice everywhere. He let his mind wander to Hoth, that place weighed so heavily on his mind that it just seemed to fit.

Then O’en looked around again, then he felt his body jerk and pain sear through his right arm, he fell to a knee in the ice as he gripped his saber arm with his left and looked up. There were dozens of droids, maybe hundreds raining down on them firing their blasters. He could see other Jedi with them all jumping to the front, he felt himself look for Alice without thinking, she was gone.

Again his vision shifted forward, no longer were there droids surrounding him, this time there was only two in the distance. O’en knew it was Alice in the distance, her blue saber’s hissed through the air as they melted the snow falling around them. She was battling someone carrying a bleeding lightsaber, to O’en it was literally bleeding. He watched as the red blade seemed to drip as if it were a wounded weapon. The two went about their battle, sabers flying in a poetic dance in the distance. O’en could tell that he was being pulled further away from the sight of the two battling until finally the lights were so far away he could no longer see them.

The statue pose that O’en had been sitting in for hours finally shook as the man jerked alive and the saber that had been floating in front of him fell to the ground. He kicked his feet out from under himself and rolled back, catching his body before having a hard collision with the cold steel flooring. He struggled for breath as he sat there, he still felt like his skin was colder than it should have been. O’en pushed his weight forward and then grabbed his saber with his left hand, he had hoped the vision would change the closer they got their destination. It hadn’t.

O’en had spent days trying to convince the council not to sanction this mission, he had begged that they ask the Republic not to act on the intelligence that they had received, but in the end a shot at Dooku was too much to ignore. According to the higher up’s a few inconclusive visions weren’t enough of a reason to cancel a mission, O’en couldn’t completely disagree with them but he couldn’t help but think that if it had been them having the visions the discussion may have ended slightly differently.

O’en could feel the messenger before they ever reached the door to his chambers, he stood and walked to the door as it slid open; surprising the mousy woman that had come to inform him of the briefing. She was short and had very rosy cheeks that seemed to accent her uniform very well, O’en could tell immediately that she was of Corellian decent just as he was. It didn’t make a difference to him, he just had a habit of noticing the little details.

He fell in behind her as she headed to the conference room, she kept looking over her shoulder awkwardly. She had clearly not gotten used to being around Jedi so often, that or she was not sure how to deal with one that looked like O’en. His defined jaw and meticulously well styled hair did not really seem to fit the part of a modest warrior, and in all honesty O’en didn’t consider himself that kind of Jedi. No he cared quite a large bit about his appearance, after all a first impression was vital to convincing someone to trust you.

They crossed through the doorway to the briefing very quietly, Alice was already into her speech. O’en could not help but think back to his vision, technically it hadn’t shown that they would lose, in fact it seemed almost as if his vision was showing him that they would succeed in getting to Dooku. For some reason though O’en couldn’t help but feel that this mission was not going to end well.

He dismissed his hesitancy quickly, he had been in battles before and he couldn’t remember a single one where he felt sure of their victory, this was the same thing. He needed to focus on his role; he stood in the back listening as Alice finished laying out the plan.

O’en couldn’t help but smile at the woman as she finished, there was so many unknown variables and yet she was so confident, he admired that. She had adapted so well to battle, unlike himself who still had to battle his own fear every time the thought of drawing his weapon arose. This mission would be different though, he was going to be joining the other Jedi at the front for this one by his own choice, if there was a chance at getting Dooku it would be vital for him to help.

This one hung over him, he only hoped that in the end it wouldn’t haunt him.

[RENO SALMARA]

For many of the Jedi, even if they wouldn't admit it themselves, this would have been a moment many of them were waiting for. The chance to hunt down the man who started this war and finish it a month after its beginning, to bring peace and order back to the galaxy and put the Jedi back in their positions as Guardians of such. This oppertunity was a golden one, too good to pass up, the Jedi would be foolish not to take it.

Except Reno felt completly the opposite.

In fact, she was sat in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, laid out on one of the grassy banks trying not to think about how bad of a feeling this whole thing gave her, which was difficult when not even the peace of the room and the music playing gently from the locket hidden under her tunic was enough to silence the endless stream of information running through her head. None of it made any logical sense. Dooku had been proving himself to be a master tactition in the month since the Battle of Geonosis, so just carelessly letting his location be known didn't seem in character for him. This was all far too easy, considering what they'd been faced with recently - it felt like they were being led into a trap and, despite the more favourable opinion of some Jedi, it wasn't the smartest thing in the galaxy to do to spring it, not when you were up against someone like Dooku. Sighing, she closed up the locket and sat up as her comlink chimed from the grass by her side, picking it up and finally hearing the words she hadn't wanted to. Her Master was on the move, and by default that meant so was she expected to be. Tucking the locket back underneath her robes, checking it was concealed properly, she stretched lightly before getting to her feet, heading down to where the ship and her Master was waiting all the while still debating whether or not to voice her concerns. It was obviously too late to change whether or not they would go, but perhaps in the discussion of the tactics she could maybe find some other way to subtly retreat.

Giving a small but respectful bow to Alice as she slipped into the room, she walked around the back of the room, looking at the screens filled with the images of the world they were going to. There was no logical reason for Dooku to be here, what could he possibly do with such a wasteland of a planet besides hide. Also, if he was trying to hide, how would he have made such a huge mistake. There was nothing about the planet that was new information to Reno besides the location of where Dooku had apparently settled. Old Jedi artifacts were known to once exist on the planet somewhere, would he be after those? But then what would he want with them, he was once a Jedi himself and could probably learn more from the archives. Plus, if he truly joined the Sith as others had done because of the belief it held more power with the force, what would he want with anything linked to the light side of the force as it was? That was all there was to look for on the barren planet, unless there was an untapped, potentionally valuable mineral source on the planet that the Republic had yet to know about. But that was unlikely too, the Republic had some of the world's finest scientists trying to figure things like that out, and considering Rhen Var was almost Republic territory it would have already been looked at.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she was also taking in what Alice was briefing everyone on, folding her arms inside her robes as she looked more over the planetry information. and then to the other people in the room. It seemed like the team was here, lured in and spirited by Alice's very presence and spirit, driven by her and the knowledge they could soon be catching Dooku. All but two...very notable exceptions. Suddenly, something seemed to make sense. Dooku would only let his whereabouts slip when he wanted someone to find him and considering what had happened on Geonosis, who would be the one person with more motive than any to go after him.

Anakin Skywalker.

But Skywalker wasn't here, and neither was Obi-Wan, someone else who Dooku had wanted killed in the Geonosis arena. It could be that they were indeed walking into a trap, but one that was designed to lure Anakin in through his very nature and his Master by default? It would explain why Dooku's droid army was hidiously underpowered, why he wanted to give the appearence of making a mistake. He wasn't looking for anything, Dooku was waiting for what he wanted to be delivered right into his lap. Once again, the Jedi were being played for fools. The word questions suddenly sprang into her hearing, and she glanced as she recognised Alice to be the one who asked it. Here, Reno became stuck.

While she had genuine concerns for the reason behind this, and the fact they were leading these Clones - no matter how indespensible they were currently viewed as by some - into a battle designed for them to metaphorically lose, did she really have any right to question Alice. She was the student here, and most certainly was not, and had no desire to be the leader of this attack - of any attack! She certainly didn't want to speak up in front of this whole group, and then get dressed down for it publically either. Alice had to have already seen this possibility, she was a far better tactitian than Reno, with many more years experience. She didn't feel it her place to suddenly be questioning anything Alice did, especially after she'd so quickly taken Reno under her wing after what had happened on Geonosis. There was the problem. While Reno was so grateful and appriciated very much Alice taking her on so quickly, it meant their bond as Master and Padawan was only starting to be formed properly, and in the middle of a war that was less than helpful. Reno didn't yet know her place, didn't dare question what Alice was doing or saying, lest she find herself quickly alone back at the temple. No, she would keep her mouth shut about this, and hope that Alice indeed knew what she was doing.

Looking away again, she simply turned back to the planetary information and continued to look, also taking a moment to look more at the mission briefing.

[ALISTRANNIA "SHAN" CRYSIS]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] as I trip the darkness ( 1220 ) WORDS ( LOTS OF PEOPLE ) TAGGED ( COMPLETE ) STATUS Silence. Not the kind of silence that Alice, perhaps most Jedi, enjoyed. Not the calm silence of conviction, of strength and valor. This was the silence of discomfort and frustration, and it entered the room a few steps before Master Jestar did, and grew many-fold with the approach of her apprentice, Reno Salmara. Alice's eyes lingered upon O'en for a moment as he arrived, letting his presence flow through her and understanding much of what he potentially wished to say to her. Something was concerning him deeply about their mission... Something alien to the mission itself. Alice grimaced for a moment. O'en was a Jedi that Alice, unlike most, truly appreciated. His composure was not unlike the Jedi of old; more devout to the Force, and by extension, the Jedi themselves, than the Republic. In many ways, he was considered to be a more 'old school' style of Jedi. His train of thoughts more radical now compared to modern Jedi, as were his reliance upon precognition and signs from the Force. Many, if not most, did not understand his ideals, and thus they feared and disliked him. Alice was not such a person. Quite the opposite, she had come to enjoy listening speak to the High Council, bemused by how disgruntled he seemed to make most of the others. His logic was often sound, and always something to be respected, if not asked for. Much the reason she advocated for his activity within her own Battalion; she valued his opinion for exactly what it was, and granted it the respect that it deserved. If he had made his way into joining someone else, he may very well have found his opinions dismissed by others without a second thought. Alice had hoped to rely more upon his personal council during their missions, as both of them had what others referred to as 'unorthodox' methods. Together, they had enough 'unorthodox' to be versatile and ever shifting in the face of any problem. A combination Alice hoped would pay off. Naturally then, his distress distressed Alice. There was something he felt or knew, and yet could not speak of. Alice shook her head, shaking with it and concern that was once placed upon her mind. That was a train of thought unfair towards Master Jestar - if it were something Alice should know, she trusted him to have the wisdom to tell her. And if it weren't anything he she needed to worry about, and speak to him about... Then there was no need to worry, was there? Placing faith in Master Jestar, she smiled towards him and nodded slowly, turning her attention briefly towards her recently accepted Padawan, Reno Salmara. She too had an aura of despair about her, not unlike that of Master Jestar. Something weighed upon her mind like an anchor, and it seemed as though she too had little desire to speak of it, at least publicly. Alice closed her eyes and repeated the same process of dismissing the concern from within herself - it could be a lot of things. This was close to Reno's first full scale operation with an army. It could just be nerves. It could be a great many things - a great many things Alice didn't need to worry about given the gravity of the situation. And if it were, she trusted her Padawan would have the courage to step forward and speak of it. All of those around her looked to her for strength. For courage. For inspiration. If she allowed theories and possibilities to burden her own spirits, how then could she not expect them to burden others? How then could others muster the courage for what it was that they had to do, if their leader could not? As Alice exhaled, she exhumed all the the doubt in her mind. "I'll assume silence to mean this is rather straight-forward. Very good. Your assignments then; Master Jester," she began, fiddling with the larger image in the center of the room until its red glow displayed their various LAAT/i gunships, simulating an assault. "I know you wished to accompany me at the front. I understand this completely, and I agree. And so I'd like to have you oversee the strafing runs of our gunships after our Speeder assault is on the retreat. Assuming there aren't any snags, you should be able to dismount with the rest of the Troopers after the initial strikes, and assist myself at the front with the mop up. I ask this of you because we will need careful execution to optimize damage and minimize the time we loose to our own retreat." The image illuminating the room shifted greatly, now visualizing the five AT-AT's moving forward and bombarding an unseen target. "Reno, I would like for you to remain here and assist Captain Ghost with the logicists from the Noblesse. Specifically, I want you to assist the AT-AT's in creating an accurate, devastating crossfire with the LAAT gunships. This will require to you be in constant communication with their sergeants, as well as those aboard the gunships, and Master Jestar. Secondly, I'd like you to inform all of us of anything that may present itself that we need to know." Away from the fighting, Alice hoped that Reno could steadily acquire a sense of comfort with battle, and slowly move towards a more aggressive position on the battlefield. She could not be faulted for being nervous of the battlefield. "As for myself... I'm leading the Speeder charge." Alice grinned. Speed was something she truly got off on. Combining it with combat was little short of ecstasy. The images finally faded away, leaving the crew standing alone in a dimly lit War Room, around Alice and an aura of confidence. "We have a chance here if we're fortunate enough to have Dooku cornered to be able to end this war and save millions, possibly billions of lives. We may be able to prevent the Republic from completely decomposing and allowing civil war and chaos to spread across this galaxy. Whether you fight for a loved one, for peace and freedom, for the Republic, or for yourself - this is the day you've been fighting for. There is no surrender, there's nothing left for us to do but find the strength to see this through. We are soldiers! Dismissed!" There was energy in the room; hope kindled, valor rising. Her job there done, Alice spared no more time within the gloomy War Room, and made off towards the Gunships that housed the Speeder Bikes, and the Troopers that were to man them. These ships were to land many miles away from the army, and proceed against the droids on land. Minutes later, the others would assemble behind and prepare for the crossfire, setting up as Alice lead a charge directly through the droid flanks. Alice quickly pushed through the ranks of Clones moving towards their positions as the hum of LAAT/i's came to life, resonating throughout the hangar like raw energy. As she climbed into the front-most carrier, Alice carefully switched on the device within her ear, switching it to the channel used exclusively by her Jedi companions, as well as Captain Ghost. "Should warn you, Master Jestar. We do things at one speed around here. Mine.." jedi post first, will take care of CIS when the time comes

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by lacuna coil

[ouen]

The memories of the Huk war filled O’en’s mind, the bloodshed, the slaughter on both sides. He began to draw comparisons as he stood in the corner and listened. The giant insects that had descended upon Kalee like darkness right before the night. O’en and his master had been caught on the planet as the roundup of the native Kaleesh began, it was a massacre at first. The Yam’rii had little resistance and did exactly as they pleased, enslaving, slaughtering as they went. O’en and Eoth watched as a number of villages were raided and razed before finally his master had seen enough.

They battled for months, maybe even years, O’en had lost count of the days while he was on the planet. O’en had seen his master change during the experience, from the prototypical watch and wait into a more action oriented man. He had taken on the persona of a soldier, as did his padawan.

It was a persona O’en had often wished he would never need again.

O’en had been against this war from the beginning; he had been on Kalee when the Jedi refused to stop the Yam’rii, he had been dispatched with his master to stop the supposed rogue Mandolorian’s, he had even helped fight in the Yinchorrii uprising. O’en was not like most of the green eared Jedi, he was not itching to prove himself anymore. He had seared the memories of the lifeless Kaleesh into his mind, he had stood by as the Jedi committed Eoth’s body to the force, listening to the beautiful words spoken for his master. In the end though his death hadn’t been peaceful, it hadn’t been the way a Jedi should have passed away. After the battle of Geonosis O’en had spoken the same words he had heard the day they honored his own master, he hoped he would never have to again.

O’en looked around the room and attempted to feel the intentions of the men around him. They were almost all clones, bred to be killed. It was tragic the way the Republic had decided to use their power to create new life. O’en could see it in their faces, they were alive, in some odd respect O’en found himself admiring the CIS for their choice of using droids; at the least they were not throwing their own lives away.

O’en found himself looking quickly around the room filled with clones, committing the slightest difference in appearance to memory. It was something his master had taught him; everyone standing in that room deserved to be remembered as individuals, even if they were just clones. It was not until Alice specifically called his name did his focus once again shift to her.

O’en had not been assigned to a battalion; in fact he had been offered a number of positions. O’en’s post serving beneath Master Crysis was by his choice, and his alone. She had for such a long time been in the spotlight of the order, Master Yoda’s apprentice, heir to one of the greatest powers in the order, and of course one of the most talented Jedi of her age. O’en’s own master had mentioned her on a number of occasions; before Skywalker O’en would have sworn his master thought that it would be her to lead the balance to the force. A part of that belief may have lived on in O’en, but more of his admiration came from the reality that she may have been the single most important Jedi to the war effort.

Without her battle meditation O’en could see the war spiraling out of control, he could see the outnumbered clone army and Jedi leaders being slaughtered on a number of battlefields without mercy. And so O’en chose to serve near her, just as his master would have. O’en respected the woman, maybe even respected her more than almost any other Jedi. O’en saw her flaws the way Eoth once saw his, Alice couldn’t accept her stature in battle. She was the type that was willing to sacrifice herself for another, O’en couldn’t allow that.

O’en listened to her as she laid out the plan, as she spoke directly to him he nodded. She had clearly received his message about wanting to be near the front for this one. Usually O’en preferred to stay in the back, coordinating the information, calling in supplies, outlining tweaks to the strategy as problems arose, but the stakes were much higher on this one. Catching Dooku, if in fact it were possible, would take more Jedi than just Alice. In fact O’en questioned the decision to send the select few that they had, a twelve to twenty man team would have made more sense.

O’en nodded at Alice as she finished outlining his role in the battle, he was already picturing it in his mind. He noticed a number of soldiers look back at him, clearly they were the men that would be following his every command. They wouldn’t know much about him, he hadn’t joined them in the mess, he hadn’t tried to befriend them, they would follow his orders and he would get as many of them out alive as he could. That’s all O’en wanted, getting too close to the men that were going to die was never easy.

Alice wrapped her speech up nicely, inciting a murmur of approval from the room, it caused O’en to smile. He had always wished he could do that, but it really was not his style to willingly go into battle, let alone lead an army. He hurried from the room to his dropship, before he had arrived a clone approached him on his left and fell in stride. He clearly had something to say but was waiting for something, O’en stopped before boarding and faced him.

“Sir, I am CT-0189 Sir, I am your personal guard.” O’en had never had a personal guard before, usually he was the guard. He scanned the clone a bit, he was dressed in the usual armor, maybe slightly lighter than the usual armor because he served most of the time on the LAAT/i’s. O’en reached out and grabbed his hand in a fairly long embrace as he looked into his eye’s. He was looking for something, anything that would give him a reason to leave the clone in the hangar. It was not O’en’s style to have a shadow. After a moment he pulled the clone onto the dropship with him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Alright, just do me a favor and cut the sir crap, it’s O’en.” The hum of engines lit the hangar up and O’en felt the rush fill his chest. He was headed back out to battle, he looked around his ship for a moment and then closed his eyes for a while, calming his nerves.

"Should warn you, Master Jestar. We do things at one speed around here. Mine.." Alice interrupted O’en’s train of thought as the mic in his ear rang. He cringed for a moment and then readjusted the volume controls before clicking it on to respond.

“Well then I guess I’ll just have to learn to keep up,” O’en didn’t quite know what the woman was referring to, he didn’t think he looked like he was slow. He did however admire her candor, at the least she didn’t talk in circles like her master tended to, “And please, it’s O’en.”

[DANIEL KIPPER]

Blaster upon blaster was handed to him. It was apart of his job to check these blasters for malfunctions before they took part in any war missions. Often there was no fault to their issued weapon. If the blasters weren't checked, it could spell utter disaster for the entire battalian, especially if each blaster had been booby trapped in some way.

Suddenly the clones disappeared, leaving behind them a tower of their blasters. And by the time they finally did return he had finished them all. It had been a rather repetative task that usually passes quicker when the clone stood with him. At least then he had someone to talk to while he worked.

With that task done, and the clone army obviously in a breifing called by their commander, there was nothing the Knight could do but stand in the transport and wait to take off.

There were times like these where he wondered what his Master would do. Surly Skyan would have done things differently. Maybe he would have begged to never ever be given a mission that delt with the war. And then they came back. The breifing was over and they were off. This particular craft carried the Jedi, along with the highest ranked clone under his command.

He turned on his ear piece and adjusted the volume before pressing it into his ear."Master Jestar, whats the strategy for this one?"

[RENO SALMARA]

This is the day you've been fighting for.

But it isn't! She was shouting it inside her head she couldn't be sure she wasn't shouting it out loud if it wasn't for the fact no one had turned to look at her with an odd expression on their face. The further Alice walked away from her, leaving her to take her place on one of the command seats and perform her duty in this battle, the worse the strong feeling that this was all a trap got. But what could she do now? it was too late to say anything, not wanting to quash the sense of strength and positivity in the rest of the crew and not wanting to give Alice anything else to worry about either. She needed all the focus she could give to get through whatever was coming, and Reno wasn't about to distract her with something she had no proof of other than her own, often over-thought, logic. She just hoped her silence wasn't yet another thing she was going to come to regret.

Sighing heavily, she gave a slight nod to Ghost who was looking expectantly at her, before heading up to the bridge swiftly alongside him and taking a seat at one of the computers, slipping in her earpiece and switching it to the frequency she needed to be on the most as she brought up the displays she needed to see on the computers. She knew most everyone on here knew what the plan of attack was, all they needed was for her to give the command to do it at the right timing. Now that shouldn't be too hard surely, she could do that. It wasn't like she was leading a whole battalion to what could possibly be their deaths down there, her only job was to monitor the situation and make sure everything ran on time. She was a good timekeeper, it should be an easy job. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes and calmed her mind to be able to focus, not on that people were waiting for her command, but on keeping her mind calm and clear, the musical tune hidden inside her locket dancing through her mind. Soon enough, her fingers were flying over the computer console and everything looked to be set. Giving a nod to the people controlling the ship, she spoke calmly and clearly to the people waiting on the end of her earpiece.

"Get ready everybody, the ship is dropping into the atmosphere and will release your respective ships in the order pre-discussed. Brace yourselfs, and may the force be with you all. On my mark..in three....two....one."

As she counted down, she was watching the readouts that told her how far down into the atmosphere they were and how far they needed to go until they were at a safe level for the gunships they were dropping to function properly. On one, she opened the hanger doors and watched as a slew of gunships rained down towards the surface, each one represented in formation on her screen. Turning in her seat, she smiled at Ghost and motioned him over.

"Alright Ghost, let's do this so everyone can get home sooner."

[ALISTRANNIA "SHAN" CRYSIS]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] as I trip the darkness ( 2159 ) WORDS ( LOTS OF PEOPLE ) TAGGED ( COMPLETE ) STATUS "Get ready everybody, the ship is dropping into the atmosphere and will release your respective ships in the order pre-discussed. Brace yourselfs, and may the force be with you all. On my mark..in three....two....one." The moment Alice had been waiting for. The moment she had being preparing for most of her adult life. The climactic clash against the tides of evil. No evil would linger here this day. Two hundred and fifty Clones were piled into the confines of seventeen LAAT/i transports; each housing fourteen troopers with their compacted Lancer Bikes. This Battalion did not possess the means to transport its entire army with their Lancer Bikes at once, which suited Alice just fine. The first of them - two hundred and thirty Clone Troopers, twenty Clone Sergeants, and Alice - were to be dropped off to assemble as the LAAT/i's returned to fetch the second assault. By the time this wave came to the battlefield, she should be leading her team away from the initial site, thus luring the foes into the trap. When the bay doors opened and the LAAT/i's roared around her, Alice's eyes closed slowly. The hum of the transports faded away as Alice drifted into the Force, into the hearts and minds of the Troopers around her. With each being a Clone, her skill with Battle Meditation was made significantly easier; their fears, their concerns, their weaknesses and strengths were all very similar, if not the same. It made the task of removing such weights upon their minds that much simpler - she had only to repeat the same process on a growing scale. And so through the Force, Alice reached out to each and every Clone preparing to land with her. Like delicate weights hanging from a mind formed of glass, she had only to carefully cut these ties to lessen the stress upon their minds - boosting their confidence and combat ability. The effect was almost immediate; as the transports gained speed, flying through the atmosphere towards the frozen desolation below. Each and every one of them simply felt more confident in himself. Confident in their odds. Confident in Alice. Battle Mediation was not to be taken lightly. "Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that the Republic may respect thee. Remain strong in the name of those who cannot defend themselves. Remember you fight for the people of the Republic." A flick of the device in her ear broadcast her final message to the entire Battalion, rather than the frequency upon which only the Jedi and Ghost used. So often, she found herself surrounded by sycophants and blind devotion towards the Republic; and in order for a soldier to truly feel inspired, to act with purpose, they needed to be fighting for more than an ideal. They needed to be fighting for something more real - the people. To defend the ones incapable of defending themselves should be regarded as the ultimate honor. Alice would no sooner let her army forget this, than forget it herself. Alice opened her eyes to the battlefield, valor flowing through her veins. The first thing anyone noticed was the cold - -20 degrees without any sort of wind chill. The Clones had all been outfitted in their Cold Assault gear, but Alice had little more than her faith to keep her warm. The sun had yet to rise upon the misty planet, though sunrise was fast approaching. As Alice stepped onto the planet for the first time, it became quite clear that she was among the luckier ones brought to battle; the snow was almost a foot deep in fresh, soft powder. Their Lancer Bikes would have no trouble staying aloft, but the foot soldiers that were to join them shortly were not going to have such an easy time. "The snow is deep. Be careful when you set foot." Alice's gaze lifted from her feet, towards the battlefield before them. The ancient Jedi ruins sat about two kilometers away in shambles, perhaps thirty feet fall. Surrounding this fractured structure was a host of droids that looked to be about a thousand droids deep. About a kilmoeter to either flank of Alice and her troops were towering cliffs, snaking into the sky like the ancient bones of the planet. These steep ridges cast terrible downward drafts, bringing with them ice and snow. The edges of these shelves looked rather unstable. And so it was that they were to be fighting within a chasm of sorts, a narrow channel making escape on foot nearly impossible for Dooku when cornered within this building. If he was there. Alice slid upon her Lancer Bike, carefully extracting her extending pole-arm and fashioning her Lightsaber to it. The extending and collapsing pole allowed her weapon to reach of eleven feet. As more and more Clones stepped onto their Lancer Bikes, weilding mighty Power Lances, Alice moved to the front of the column. Soon, all Troopers were mounted and ready, with the LAAT/i's lifting off towards the Noblesse above. And with the wave of hand, they were off. Speeding across the desolate cold plains, Alice's attack group was something to behold from above. Kicking up snow in a large cone around them, the group appeared as though they were sitting mach speed (which of course, they weren't, but the appearance of a mach cone was very similar). As the gap was quickly closed, a realization dawned upon Alice that she had little time to try to comprehend. The droids... They weren't moving. They weren't even firing upon them. Though the darkness, the wind and snow would surely inhibit their sensors, this was unheard of. Why? The sound of metal being torn asunder filled the pre-dawn air. Power Lances shred right through the ranks of B1 and Super Battle Droids, with two hundred and fifty one speeding individuals cutting right through the left flank of the droids. Each fell like blades of grass underfoot, offering absolutely no resistance to the assaulting forces. As soon as they had penetrated their ranks, they had left them upon the opposite side, effectively cleaving the entire force into thirds; a third on either side, separated by a now defeated force in the middle, littering the snow with spare parts. Still, they did not stir. Alice was concerned now, and she had real cause for such a thing. The cool blue of her Lightspear pointed in the direction from whence her group had come, directing them all to the full retreat which they had planned, allowing for their reinforcements to maximize their damages. As they sped away, and only as they sped away, did Alice notice that the droids had finally come to life; shaking violently beneath the snow and ice that had acrued across their metallic bodies, they quickly broke free from their cold confines and gave pursuit of the clearly speedier foes; eventually raising their wrists and weapons to fire upon the retreating Clones. Beams of red passed over and around Alice and her Clones, with little success. Overhead, Alice could make out the faint roar of the LAAT/i's bringing O'en, Daniel, and the rest of the Clones to the battlefield. Brilliant beams of green burst from above, slicing through the already decimated ranks behind Alice and illuminating the sky. Not too far in front, their five AT-TE's were being deployed, alongside the AT-RT's. Suddenly, a great darkness punctured Alice's chest like a consuming arrow. Her hands, growing quite cold now, instinctively jerked to the side, removing herself from the ranks of the Clones as they pushed forward to circle around once more. Alice, however, came to a grinding halt as sure turned her Bike around to face the battle she had just left. She could see the Clones and Jedi dismounting onto the snow and engaging the foe. That wasn't it. Her sights lifted higher, much higher, to the left steepe towering above them. Again, the piercing darkness. More distinct this time, almost recognizable. She knew that presence. Powerful. Old. Cunning. Dooku. Icy blue eyes turned to the opposite shelf from this presence, sensing another presence across from him. One she'd not yet encountered. One full of a hundred times more malice than Dooku. So this was it then. These droids hadn't stirred because they were not meant to. Dooku and this other presence were each backed by an army, dominating from an impossible high ground. They threatened to overwhelm her army in a terrible crossfire, not unlike what they had planned to do to them. Whether this was their aim or a conincidence, they had a definite advantage that could not be taken from them now. This wasn't a battle they could win. This army wasn't going to suffer decimation because of her failures as a leader. This army wasn't going to be yet another that fell victim to the cunning antics of a bitter old man. It was Alice, and only Alice, who was to pay for the failures of the day. It was her burden. "They are coming. We cannot win this. Everyone pull back from the front lines, now! I want all those LAAT's back here, now!" Alice shouted over the raging winds, directing from her earpiece. "I want all batteries to fire just below the right cliffs and just above them. Bring that mountain down! O'en, Daniel, get your men out of there! Reno, get everyone off this planet as quickly as possible. Forget the Bikes. Get the army out!" Alice's words were a subtle mixture of calm and distressing. Clear to all that something had her spooked, though clearly she was the first to realize their impending doom marching towards them only moments after they even arrived. If she had the time, she could help the chaos of her army pulling into a retreat with her Battle Meditation. But she didn't have that time. The AT-TE's and drop ships would be able to destroy the right cliffs and bring an avalanche upon the army that neared it, potentially buying them time from that side. But there was little they they could do about Dooku, and his army. That army was Alice's job. And Alice's job alone. Alice's Battle Meditation had turned inwards, upon herself. Instilling her with renewed vigor that she would need to confront the darkness by herself, as was her destiny. And with the kick of her heel, her Lancer Bike spurred forwards, back towards the battle and retreating Battalion. She swept passed O'en Jestar on foot, too focused to shoot him a glance. Soon she was trampling more droids beneath her Lancer Bike, growing closer and closer to the foot of the shelf that Dooku stood upon. A great hill rose up to meet Alice as she neared the ledge, and she greated it happily. Alice had gone vertical. Lightsaber in hand, little more could be seen of Alice to onlookers than a blur of blue soaring upwards into the now rising sun. Behind her, she could feel the very earth shake as the mountain ranges opposite her were riddled with heavy fire, triggering rock slides or avalanches. And in front of her, a familiar face was quickly coming into view. Count Dooku. Almost as if he were expecting her, standing quite calm upon the edge of the snowy ledge. Alice's face hardened. This was it. This was truly it, her day had come. This was her moment that all her mothers before her had inevitably come to experience; battling despair at dawn, dueling with the darkness. A tremendous crash sounded through-out the dawn air. Alice's Lancer Bike smashed into the cliff behind Count Dooku, rolling far backwards from the momentum and cutting down many droids as it passed through them. Alice had landed not far from Count Dooku with much more force; sending a powerful Force Wave out in all directions as she met the snow, threatening to knock Dooku right off the cliff if he weren't prepared for the blast of sheer Force rippling through the snow. Droids scattered in all directions - she would not have them interrupt this moment. This was between her, and Dooku. Ferocious valor swept through Alice. There was no need to speak at this point; she had nothing to say to him, and would not hear anything he had to say. Rather, she bowed quickly to the once respectable Jedi Master, and ignited her double Lightsaber. Her eyes did the rest of the talking, letting the fallen Jedi that stood before her know just what she was capable of, and that she would no sooner relent than join him. This was what she trained for. She could only hope her act of daring would buy O'en enough time to retreat and escape unharmed with the rest of their army. That would be her success. And her life would not be lost in vain. jedi post first, will take care of CIS when the time comes

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by lacuna coil

[countdooku]

It was early when he had awoken, before the sun even began to rise. A necessary pre-caution, since he knew soon an army would be coming here, led by Jedi. If he was caught un-aware, he would be made dead. Only dead men cared nothing for life, or foolish ones. Besides, he was a much needed tool, in a grand game of his Master's, so his death would only set him back. When he had risen, immediately the day was set in motion. He groomed himself, taking great care with his beard. It wouldn't do for someone of his stature to appear unstately would it? Then, he saw to his apparel, choosing his robes with the hood, since he could tell Rhen Var was never warm. It was clean, finely pressed, and well-kept of course, like the rest of his clothing. Only the best for a Count, and he had a reputation to keep as well. After, he put on his boots, noting how they gleamed. The service people he hired had done well, very well, and he'd be sure to tip them handsomely. Now that he looked the part, it was time to play it.

He made his way to the Command Center, where awaited him General Grievous, his right hand. After issuing clear orders for him to have his droids form up on the ravine and commanding him to have half of Dooku's forces follow suit, and the other half form up in the ravine, he left him. Various meetings had to be had via Hologram, foremost with the Quarren leader. He then went to the top of the tower, where intelligence was gathered and would keep watch for signs of the enemy. Here, he could both make transmissions and keep an eye out for the enemy. Simple, and efficient. He made the the call to the Quarren leader quickly, preparing himself for a test of wills. This meeting would decide whether or not Dac would be open for the confederacy. When the meeting went underway, it was obvious he had a lead on the Quarren fool. He was all in, secure he would be free when the war was won when in actuality, he would be another slave to the great and terrible will of Lord Sidious. After this call, he moved on to the next. it was a call with Durge, with the subject being his contract. He had, of course, offered the Gen'Dai a large amount of credits, but he was no Jango. So, he scaled back his monetary gain, but upgraded his rank to Commander, with no ceremony. He was pleased, thinking it was because he had done something great, and it really wasn't. He was useful ues, but Fett proved a far more capable, worthy, and honorable Warrior. If only he could find someone to balance Durge. Perhaps Ventress?

His next call was to Ventress, whom he had personally seen to the training with. She was dangerous, like Durge, but lacked clarity. Still, so far she gave results. He spoke with her about Oh'ma Dun as well, letting her know that it would be her job to join Durge there. The two combined would be...devastating, he had no doubt. Less tactical, but more effective. He had no doubt the two would accomplish taking it, then Naboo. After this call, he sent a transmission to Sev'rance Taan, his most faithful and important tool. She was twice the amount of genius Grievous was, although he was dangerous, and she too used the Force. She used it well, well enough to impress him at least. Not so much as Master's Windu or Yoda, but well enough where he made her High Commander. The only reason she wasn't Supreme Commander was because he needed her alive, and ready for action. Grievous could see to the deployment of the Armed Forces, he was used to it. Dooku made sure he could handle himself, since he would be in a dangerous spot. He was informed that she would be meeting with Wat Tambor and Nute Gunray for additional forces, preparing for her strike on Kamino. When the time came, the Force would be ready, but it was to soon. He would need her for something far more important, the planet Dac. Kashyyyk as well, because if the Republic lost this, it would lead to panic in the trade routes.

His last call, was the esteemed Darth Sidious, his Master and his "Enemy" the Supreme Chancellor. It was rare he had a chance to speak with his Master, since both were so busy, but everytime he did was important. Today, he recieved news that the Jedi were sending a High Council Member, while the who was unknown. More than likely, they were sending Master Windu. Or perhaps they would send someone like Shaak Ti or Oppo Rancicis, both exemplary fighters and tacticians. Master Trebor had died, rather foolishly too, at the hands of Jango Fett. It made sense Master Windu had been the one to best him, since he was the only equal Dooku ever considered, besides Yoda. Whoever they sent, it would be best he prepare well, because it was no mere Master. Sidious also informed him that he would need to be careful, and when the battle was over, take back Geonosis. Kamino could wait, because the droid foundries were of utter importance. With new orders, Dooku decided to bow out. During his meeting, the droids alerted him a Republic ship entered space. Sidious told his apprentice "Do not fail me" and winked out. Dooku smiled, quite aware he would not, not today, He not only had a superior force, but a superior tactic and someone else...Grievous. If things got bad, he could play that card.

So, the day so far was long, boring, and full of waiting. It was cold, but not so much for the Count. He used Tapas to warm himself, and chose to meditate before the battle. When at last the Republic ships entered the orbit, his strength felt more than rested, almost doubled. That was when he felt a new strength, a strong one. His eyes opened, and he stood up, using the Force to get rid the small bits of snow. He could feel it, a presence in the Force. It was strong, young...and spread out. Ah, so this Jedi used Battle Meditation, much like Master Rancicis. It took a skilled Jedi to use it, and use it as well as this one was. He could see the Republic ships coming, and now the day had come to this moment. Here he stood, his eyes watching the steady progress of the Republic Clones. He waved a hand, letting the droids know to stay still. They were the bait, the bait in a dangerous trap. The closer the ships came, the more at ease he became. He could sense now the feel of a woman, not sure if it was the Jedi or not. But wait, there she was, on a lancer? How had she gotten here so fast!? It was no matter, he would not be troubled, today was a good day, a day of death so it seemed. When her bike headed for the cliff, he could feel her sensing him. A smile spread across his face, and he waited in anticipation. At last, battle was upon him. Her forces were in full retreat, no doubt aware of the trap. It was no matter, since they were about to lose their leader one way...or another.

He stepped aside easily, the speeder bike passing by him. The crash it produced hardly surprised him, but the Force wave. He was a Master of Telekinesis, so it hardly did anything to him besides make him stumble. An impressive feat, but could she back it up? As if on cue, she bowed to him, with him only giving her a raise of his brows, and ignited her blade. Bold, brave, daring...for a lady. She was obviously a fan of Windu's, taking on his confidence in battle, and his straight-forwardness. It was why Dooku liked him, he wasted no time with words, and got straight to the point. If she was anything like him, it would be a fight indeed. Still, her determination, her drive to defend her men, it was noble. He could respect that, if nothing else. He casually un-clipped his saber, and ignited it, bringing the blade to his face in a usual Makashi salute. Then, he brought it down with a nice flourish, and put one foot back in the classic dueling stance. She was a user of Ataru, her stance spoke a thousand words. It would be a good fight then, if she was skilled enough. Sparring with Qui-Gon and Yoda made him an expert in the Form, so he was prepared.

As prepared as he was, she was not prepared for the finesse in his bladework. He took two steps forward and brought his saber down towards her head. A feint, but one of a long series of strokes which would wind down her strength. Double-bladed or not, it would take true knowledge to impress him, and much more to defeat him. Something, by the looks of her age, she would lack.

[ouen]

O’en reached up and grabbed the handle just on the right side of the LAAT, he had never quite enjoyed flying while people were expected to shoot at him. Something about the thought of crashing into the ground worried him. He watched as the clones piled in around him, the noise in the hangar was almost deafening; so when the younger Jedi called him on the com’s O’en hadn’t noticed right away. After the clone standing next to him nudged him and told him he was being called for he rang in quickly, “Stay on your LAAT, we’re dropping the first wave with the speeder bikes, you stay with the LAAT and return for pickup #2, we will join the fight with air and ground support after Alice leads the initial shock charge.” O’en clicked his earpiece off once again as the shuttles fired their final launch sequence.

The LAAT’s lifted off, one after another in perfect harmony as if orchestrated in one large dance, it was impressive to see. O’en’s shuttle was the seventh out, as soon as they were free of the hangar he slid open the side door’s and exposed himself to the cold. His armor was insulated for just this kind of thing.

The cold air attacked the nerves in his face, he felt the ice collide and it forced him to squint his eyes in response. In the distance the battlefield reminded him of Hoth, the snow covered mountains reaching towards the sky as if attempting to defy gravity. O’en breathed the cold air in deeply as the LAAT raced forwards, it caused him to cough slightly as his lung’s attempted to adjust to the new temperature. O’en looked around to see all the transports doors flying open as they descended towards the bright white ground.

The clone’s jumped from the LAAT’s as they neared the ground, a handfull securing the landing zone while the other’s quickly mounted their speeder bikes. O’en searched over the battlefield quickly looking for Alice, sure enough he spotted the woman as she stood motionless, eye’s closed and clearly in deep thought. The clone’s perked around O’en, their spirits even higher than before as they got the initial wave of confidence, O’en knew it would aid them in their spearhead assault. O’en could feel it rush over him as well, but he knew it was not meant for him, it was meant to inspire the foot soldier’s that would no doubt die today.

Even clone’s feared their own death. Their training was thorough, rigid, and the most complete the galaxy had ever seen, and yet even O’en sensed the worry in them before they landed. Now with Alice lending them her strength O’en could see the change, the confidence, the readiness to face whatever lay between the two rising mountains. O’en kept his eye’s on the woman as she broadcasted her last message, and then his LAAT was lifting again, clones cheering and raising their fists in the air to signify their readiness. A pair of clones were in the corner jumping around the ice as they head butt one another in excitement, it was a sight.

As the LAAT sped higher into the air O’en kept his gazed locked on Alice as she slid onto her bike and readied for her charge. O’en would have attempted to convince her not to lead this charge had he thought she would have listened, this battle hadn’t sat right with him and he was still plagued by a dark presence. Eventually the LAAT had flown far from the battlefield, and right back into the hangar’s, O’en could feel Alice and her clones as they landed the first strike of the battle.

O’en jumped from his LAAT as he screamed orders to the clone’s, they knew what they were doing, they had done this a thousand times in training already, but time was of the utmost importance. As soon as the last clone’s piled onto the LAAT O’en leapt in and waved for the pilot to take off, one after another the hangar cleared out again as all seventeen LAAT’s left the climate controlled steel bay and raced back into the cold dark light. O’en hung half out of the ship as it raced through the area, in the distance he could see the snow rising. He kept watching, feeling for losses in the force, there were none, there was not even the light of blasters being fired at the clone’s. Panic gripped O’en as his mind rapidly began to piece together a scenario for why they had not returned fire. A trap?

The LAAT’s carrying O’en and Daniel raced in at the lead, releasing a barrage of fire as they flew over the top of the speeder’s. A handful of the LAAT’s broke off, slowly dropping towards the ground as they unloaded the vehicles and clone’s, O’en pushed his LAAT further until he had placed his men roughly in between the droids and the speeder retreat. The Clone’s dropped their cables, they slid down one after another as fast as they could. The laser batteries on the LAAT were going wild as they targeted the masses of droids approaching them.

The clone’s rattled off fire as they landed, taking cover where they cold and never being still in the open, their training was taking over. O’en was about to join them when he noticed in the distance that an LAAT had deployed too far out and had been shot down by the droids. O’en waved his pilot toward’s the crash site as he reached to his ear and clicked his com on, “Daniel, I need you at the crash site.”

O’en rattled off his order’s to Daniel quickly, with any luck he was capable of bringing some clone’s with him to help with securing the crash site. O’en’s LAAT sped through the sky quickly as his eyes scanned the battlefield, there was something wrong. Before O’en had even gotten to the crash site he felt it, the ridges seemed to come alive as fire rained down like a hailstorm of colors.

O’en felt time slow in his mind, he had been here a thousand times before. He raced to the front of the LAAT, each step feeling like an eternity. As he reached the cockpit he could see the shock and fear on the pilot’s face as the blaster fire seemed to erase the color of the sky. O’en Released a wave of power and the glass shattered in the front as he grabbed the pilot without missing a single step. O’en leapt through the front glass as he pulled the pilot closely behind him. He could sense the energy rain around them as he released the pilot to a free fall and drew his lightsaber, his hand’s went to work in a blur as he sent one blaster bolt after another bouncing away as they fell to the ground.

O’en reached out with the force and pulled the pilot close to him before landing, he then worked quickly and pulled all the loose snow in the area together as they both fell into the ground, sinking deep into the pile he had created. He wasted little time getting up, the wreckage of their destroyed LAAT lying all around them, O’en dug deep into the force once more as he pulled the larger pieces around them, creating a barrier towards the fire for that would buy him the time to plan a better escape. He pulled the pilot out of the snow, he was alive, freezing but alive. O’en made a mental note to insist that pilots wear clone armor from now on.

O’en had been slightly preoccupied with the situation to hear the orders Alice had left as she sped through the snow. O’en had looked up to see the armies falling back and one lone speeder charging forward against an army of advancing droid’s, O’en didn’t need to guess who it was, he had already known. O’en had not time to stop her, he had to worry about the lives he could save at that moment. O’en threw the pilot over his shoulders as he gripped large debris with the force and held it around his body, then he ran. O’en sprinted with his feet barely touching the snow, every step fueled by the force and his own determination to get out before they were overrun by the droids.

Fire rained around him, he could feel the contact as every blaster bolt and rocket collided with his already beaten and bettered shields that circled around him. The weight of the clone on his shoulder’s had yet to catch him as the adrenalin raced through his veins and his life seemed to be held together by the most frayed of threads for that moment. He thought back to the countless times he had almost lost his life, Eoth had always been there, he had always swooped in at the last second and saved him, it was different this time. This time it was O’en’s job to sweep in and save the weak and wounded.

O’en saw the LAAT waiting, guns firing toward’s the approaching droids. As soon as the Jedi approached them they took the pilot from his shoulder’s and pushed him onto the ship, they wasted little time in taking off. O’en had finally noticed his fatigue, his muscles screamed in protest and his lungs pleaded for a warmer climate. He lifted his hand to his left ear and clicked the com link on, as long as Alice was off trying to get herself killed it was his job to turn this battle in their favor.

“Reno, Daniel, to the front, I want to use the cliffs as a funnel point, get any debris or useless vehicles laid out for cover. I need that done ten minutes ago!” O’en thought back tot eh Huk wars, the Kaleesh had never had a number’s advantage against the Yam’rii, no they relied on being better soldiers, and O’en knew he had better soldier’s.

“And bring me the best you've got.”

[GENERAL GRIEVOUS]

He had suspected something was up when Count Dooku had ordered him to take a short leave from his duties after only a month of fighting the Republic. Although he disliked this decision, he knew very well that Count Dooku didn't make decisions like that for no particular reason. The answer to the General's speculations came just a few days later when Dooku visited him in person, explaining to him that he intended to find a superweapon and lure the Jedi into a trap at the same time. Dooku wanted Grievous at his side, serving as his secret trump card while personally directing and overseeing the ambush.

After mustering his personal favorite, the 42nd Regiment often known as "Grievous's first" but he personally called them his "Kolkpravis" in the honor of the original Kolkpravis, which he lead and served as their Khagan during the infamous Huk War, he headed towards the destination given to him by Dooku. A planet on the outer rim called Rhen Var. It was an icy, cold planet covered in snow. He didn't like that. Most people wouldn't understand why, he was almost entirely cybernetic after all, what could possibly bother him? But as true as it was, he wasn't entirely cybernetic. His inner organs were partially exposed inside his metal frame as well as his head. And metal has the tendency to get even colder than the environment around it.

Arriving in the middle of the night when his Master and Commander in Chief was sleeping, he didn't waste time and immediately set out to explore the about-to-become battlefield. They hadn't really gotten much into the plan other than "placing the armies at each side and ambush them as the enter," but it was already clear to Grievous that this battle was as good as won. That is unless the Jedi managed to pull off something beyond his and Dooku's imagination, which he doubted. Although he was entirely convinced that they'd win this fight, he stood on the edge of the cliff, visualizing and fantasizing about the battle in his head. If there was something he had learned from the constant warfare that had defined his life so much, it was to plan everything. Literally everything and he sure as hell wasn't going to let the Republic win this. That would be too embarrassing considering their advantage.

Eventually he set out towards the temporary command center they had already set up prior to his arrival. Greeted by droids, aliens and humans alike he silently moved into the room without as much as greeting anyone. He didn't really care for anyone's life on this planet, excluding Dooku's. It was Dooku who had saved his life from the pathetic backstabbing Jedi. They had blown up his shuttle and crippled him for lifetime in as cowardly manner as possible. Initially he just wanted to die, he was useless and couldn't fight anymore. But Dooku convinced him of otherwise, and the Confederate surgeons weren't lying when they told him he'd be able to fight another day. The saved him from dying while laying down. If he was going to die, then it would be in battle.

After spending a few hours in the command center, constructing various different strategies in his head with multiple outcome and trying to predict every possible tactic the Jedi might use against them, Count Dooku finally arrived on the scene. As the ranking officer of the Confederate Armed Forces, he naturally approached Grievous first and gave him a clear order to have his forces form up on the ravine and then have half of Dooku's forces follow suit, with the other half forming up in the ravine. As Dooku turned away from him to attend other matters, he immediately went to the holographic map and started issuing orders to the droids, deploying them as he saw fit in accordance to Dooku's orders. It didn't take him long to understand what the Count had in mind and soon the entire army was set up and was combat ready, awaiting for their enemies arrival.

When he was done, he didn't inform Dooku. He was sure of it that the Count trusted him and knew him enough that he'd do as he told him to. Instead, he headed back out and straight to the cliff where the bulk of his personal forces were deployed. Though he didn't really plan on making an appearance in this battle unless either absolutely necessary... or if he got a shot at the Jedi. Wrapping his white cloak around him self to keep him self from freezing, he stood silent and watched as the fighting ensued below him.

The lancers cut through the droids below, who didn't fight back. Everything was going as planned. The Command Droid standing at his side was starting to look anxious, or as anxious as a droid could look. "General?" it asked him obviously fearing that he had some how forgotten to give out orders. "Wait for it..." he replied almost whispering as he watched in fascination at the Clones tearing the droids apart. He let them continue for a few moments before shouting out his order in his metallic voice "All forces, open fire!"

In a moment, everything took a swift turn into their favor as the droids started to burst through the snow and open fire on the Clone Army and their Jedi leaders from everywhere. Soon, it looked like the Clone Army was on a full retreat as they turned around to flee. That is excluding that one speeder he could have sworn he saw continue towards the Count's location as he peered into the distance.

At this point, an inexperienced General would have most likely started celebrating believing that he had won. But Grievous was far from inexperienced and he knew that war was a game of chess. They each took turns and in this case, he had won the first one. That battle it self wasn't done until the enemy forces were either completely annihilated or had retreated to a safe zone. But he was certainly not going to sit and wait for the enemy General to make a move.

Without as much as flinching a wire (he has no muscles to flinch :|) in his face, he issued another order to the Command Droid at his side. Dooku's relatively simple strategy had worked brilliantly, but he hadn't really given any specific orders to him what to do other than be present and oversee the battle. For Grievous, just letting the enemy simply walk away without dealing as much damage as possible just wasn't going to cut it. "Split up the 42nd, move the AAT divisions down there and block the passage." Grievous hesitated for a second before continuing. "But above all...shoot down their dropships! Cut off their escape routes!"

Just as he finished and the Command droid started to forward his orders to their respective divisions, artillery fire started to rain over them. Metal, wires and other building material flew into all directions as the droids exploded and fell off the cliff, as it literally started to crumble around the edges. "Step back!" he called out to the droids nearby so they wouldn't just stand there and wait for the ground to fall from underneath them.

As for Grievous him self, it was getting spotty up on that cliff. A bit too spotty for his taste, he preferred to get killed fighting a Jedi than dying by a lucky artillery shot. Instead he moved to and joined the force that was breaking off the main group in order to wedge the enemy in that trap. Perhaps he'd even encounter some Jedi there and above all, kill them and take their lightsabers as spoils of war.

[DANIEL KIPPER]

There was silence as he waited for Master Jestar's response. A silence broken only by the stomping of clone's boots as they joined the LAATs. “Stay on your LAAT, we’re dropping the first wave with the speeder bikes, you stay with the LAAT and return for pickup #2, we will join the fight with air and ground support after Alice leads the initial shock charge.” He nodded, showing that he had gotten the Jedi Master's response. He then began to speak with the four clones under his command. For their mind would need to be taken off the task at hand for a short amount of time.

- - - - -

It had all happened in a flash. The LAAT blowing to smitherines. Everything happened too fast. Just like that first battle on Genosis. “Daniel, I need you at the crash site.” His hand darted to the ear com, pressing the button so he may respond. "I'm on my way." As quickly as he could he gave hand signals to the few clone troopers under his control, informing them to come with him. Slowly they made progress towards the wreckage as Daniel reflected stray blaster fire back upon the droids.

And then the order to retreat was given as their fearless commander flew on ahead of them. There was a part of him however that wondered what Alice had been thinking when she flew towards that mountain, for they could all feel the growing presence of the dark side. He knew it wasn't his place, nor his job to second guess the decisions of a Jedi Master, but he couldn't help but worry for her. Because he had his own group of clones to look out for.

Several minuets passed as they fought off the clones when another explosion distracted him. That was O'en's LAAT. With speed and precision Daniel continued to cut down the droids, reducing them to spare parts at his feet. There was nothing he could do for his two Jedi companions now. Nothing except hope that the force was on their side.

Thats when his voice came over the comm again. “Reno, Daniel, to the front, I want to use the cliffs as a funnel point, get any debris or useless vehicles laid out for cover. I need that done ten minutes ago!” A slight smile crossed his face. Master jestar wasn't dead. He was alive and well. He hadn't lost another comrad. And then a droid snuck up behind him. "DROP YOUR WEAPON!" He rolled his eyes, and in a blur he sliced through the droid using his golden lightsaber. "When will you droids learn that lightsaber beats metal every time..." he then began moving what remained of the LAATs to block the one acess point. Now they were committed. There was very little time to turn tail and run.

[ALISTRANNIA "SHAN" CRYSIS]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] as I trip the darkness ( 2039 ) WORDS ( LOTS OF PEOPLE ) TAGGED ( COMPLETE ) STATUS Alice's respectful bow was one of the few things that set her aside from most other Jedi. While most Jedi, even the Masters upon the Council, would see Dooku and immediately do anything in their power to bring him down, Alice could not help remember just what he used to be. When Dooku was with the Jedi, he was among the finest they had ever seen; quickly becoming a prodigy in the art of telekinesis, and impressing all his fellow students for his quick learning, and mastery, of the skill. Soon followed his fondness for bladework - to which more people know more about than his other skills - and he was heralded as the best duelist in the galaxy. Alice never truly accepted that, placing him always below Master Yoda by a small margin. And then he went off to do a great many things for the Jedi which earned him great respect and favor. Not unlike Yoda. Master Dooku was a man that all could respect and look up. The epitome of a Jedi. She could not disregard all of his accomplishments and feats. Even now, Count Dooku was still a man to be respected for certain things. As much as she hated to admit it, his ability to manifest an army, much less his Confederacy, was impressive. Though he sought to use this power for destruction and chaos, one could not ignore how the fact that he had to be doing something right. So many thousands of star systems could not fall so willingly under his grasp if his ideals weren't in their proper place, somewhat. It was a messy grey area that she didn't care to delve into all that much, but felt herself comfortable with at least acknowledging the presence of. And so she bowed. The world was not black and white. Nor would it ever be. Her blade hummed against the frigid cold air of Rhen Var, held in both hands by Alice. Her left foot was forward, pointing towards her foe, with her right pointing ninety degrees outward. A truthfully neutral stance when it came to dueling; it focused upon proper posture, and the assuming the appearance of confidence and ability. However, being trained by Master Yoda, it was no surprise that this deception could be read clear as day by Count Dooku; she had perfected the art of deception and distraction in combat. No matter, for if her stance did not fool him, it did not matter whatsoever. She would begin the duel all the same. Poised. Proud. Prepared. His calamity as he drew his blade from his hips was almost infectious. As her icy blue eyes watched him bring the blade to his face, and flourish downwards - his own sort of salute, for what it was worth. In that moment, everything else faded away instantly. The armies below, the droid army at her back, the rising sun, the falling snow. Everything else tuned out of her mind, with the only herself, her blade, Dooku and his blade. An odd sort of serenity to draw from a battle, not unlike the effects of a proper meditation. This was the true power of her incredible focus; able to siphon out any and all distractions through use of her Battle Meditation with herself, and her many years of study with Master Yoda, she could channel the Force around her into tunnel visioning her priorities. It gave her an air of mastery, of confidence, and ability. She was smiling as the battle began. Allowing him to make the first move (as she always did), his blade crested downwards towards her head. Too easily recognizable as a feint, as his wrists belied his his intentions to move the blade around her own before coming all the way down - Makashi users often neglected their wrist movements in favor of footwork. A reasonable trade off, but nothing was without identifiable flaw. Rather than bring her own blade up to meet his in a classic parry, she took a subtle step to the left and brought her blade down over his, adding her momentum to his and forcing his blade downwards. With his momentum altered, his swing would carry further than expected, and allow Alice a window of opportunity to swing at his open chest and shoulders. And though her swing missed, she sent a clear message that she were no ordinary duelist; she fought and thought like Yoda, and could perceive deeper than the basic functions of styles and forms. However, his tactic appeared to be paying off. His assault against her high guard was taxing upon her heavy double weapon, forcing her to execute sweeping parries to defend herself, as well as acrobatic flips to avoid blows against her shins and feet. As the battle progressed, she fell further and further away from Ataru and closer and closer towards Soresu, her blade making several deep gashes in the already thin surface they were standing upon as she twirled her weapon about. Whether or not putting her on the defensive was his intention, it played in his favor; Soresu was not designed for long engagements against the dueling focused form of Makashi. More and more her opportunities for a riposte diminished, as her need for a focused defense heightened. By the time she had been put onto the full defensive, he'd taken several steps towards her and pushed himself away from the edge of the cliff side. Alice was struggling, whilst holding her own. Frustration was clear in her eyes, as was the inability to give in. Under his unwavering offense, Alice was forced into a difficult situation of needing to find a weakness to exploit with minimal effort - not easily done against someone of his stature and experience. This was not a battle she was destined to win. Or was it? In the blink of an eye, everything changed in her favor. Alice took a single step backwards from Dooku, disengaging him thanks to the shortened reach that accompanied his altered blade hilt. And in this motion, her Lightsaber purposefully split in two, revealing one of the many tricks up her sleeve - her weapon was perfectly capable of functioning as two. She held herself momentarily in a guard that was entirely her own - created and perfected by herself, a mixture that was composed lightly of Jar'kai and Soresu, and heavily upon Djem So, which had her holding her left blade down at her hips pointing slightly upwards, and her right blade above and behind her head, pointing slightly downwards. She called it the Crescent Moon stance, and it was the perfect balance of the two-weapon form that allowed for fluid movement into defense, offense, or acrobatics. And in the moment that she held this form, it became quite clear that she had pulled upon one of her strongest suits in battle, Force Valor. Vigor and valor were clear within her eyes and demeanor now, as was within the Force surrounding her. The entire opening to the duel that predicated that was entirely a lie. In now way was she so incompetent as to allow herself to be put on the defensive so easily. However, by allowing it to happen, and allowing herself to believe it, she would be able to fool an arrogant Sith into believing it. And believing it herself was the key; he would be able to sense a trap had she been faking her weakness, concentrating upon not concentrating upon her weakness. In believing it, he would too. Arrogance was such a fun feature to pick upon. With her blades separated, and her true strength surrounding her, it was Alice's time to go on the offensive. This assault began with her entire body spinning towards Dooku, with one blade swinging towards his shoulders, and another towards his heels. Jar'kai often taught users to follow one swing with the next, allowing for a never ending assault. Alice, however, did not appreciate how easily they blows could be deflected to make an opening; rather, she attacked with both blades at the same time. With one aimed at his high guard, and one upon his low guard, he could not hope to defend himself with a parry - his Lightsaber was not long enough, not was he quick enough to stop simultaneous blows. This would force him in one of two directions; up or backwards. She hoped with all her heart that he would try to go up and above her, but knew this would not happen - such a silly move would result in the dismemberment of his legs, if not more, and he had to know this. Rather, this assault would force him to step backwards, back towards the face of the cliff. This would eventually reduce his ability for footwork, as he would have no room to move! She took an aggressive step forwards to act upon this assault, and backed it up with a burst of Force Speed, altering her attack from a flurry of blows to an overwhelming assault, further degrading his options in battle in lieu of not being able to react quickly enough. The flurry of of blue almost blocked out his ability to see her completely. But she was not finished, for she truthfully did not plan successfully beat Dooku so far back as to push him to the cliff face. It would be a tremendous boon, but not something she could realistically aim for. Rather, with his back already to the chasm below, she had an entirely different plan for him, and it was about the only thing she figured he could not have seen coming, for it came to her as quickly as she executed it. Instinct was of course, the only way to overcome someone more connected to the Force than yourself, for they could not anticipate such actions. In a fit of brilliant, brought upon by her Sokan teachings, Alice once against disengaged the conflict for a mere second, and as she did so she brought her right hand (still bearing the Lightsaber) downwards in the air viciously. With it, she sent a massive blow of Force surging through the cracks in the cliff, specifically through the lacerations in the cliff face and ice that her blade had made moments ago. The entire structure groaned with pain, With the edge in front of Alice sinking downwards, and the edge beneath Dooku rising upwards from the pressure. As quickly as her hand came crashing down, she rose it upwards with an elegant twirl, once again ripping the Force right through the cracks she had just made. This time, however, the cracks were not worsened, but severely entirely, sending the face closer to Alice rotating upwards, and the section beneath Dooku plummeting. The section of cliff that he was standing upon now separated the two entirely. Alice finished her twirl by slamming the chunk of rock and ice with a Force Wave that sent shockwaves through the entire cliff - and sent the platform she had cut from beneath Dooku soaring outwards, into the chasm (as well as a great many battle droids behind her flying into their own ranks many dozens of meters away). Even if he tried to leap over the piece of rock as it soared away, his jump would not have enough momentum to resist her Force Wave, and he would drop thousands of feet to his inevitable death. He was caught between a rock and a deep, deep place. Because Alice had put him there. Still, she stood ready with both weapons in her hand back in her Crescent Moon stance, bathed in the pale light of Rhen Var's dawn. She exhaled slowly, the previous string of attacks beginning with her concentrated assault through use of Force Valor had been very taxing upon her strength. Were she a lesser Jedi without such focus and training, she most likely could not have pulled off all of the attack in one flash of an attack. However, she was more than capable, and Dooku would be a fool to think otherwise at this point. If he even had time to consider such things as he dropped to his death. BOOM, HEADSHOT

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by lacuna coil

[countdooku]

Swing after swing, hit after hit, his bladework was doing it's job. Her initial reaction had been good, but it too proved to be less than he expected. He could see in her his old Master, Yoda, something he could appreciate. Her stance, form, and very offense was Yoda, which was what made her so worth his time. Still, she fell far from Ataru and began to enter into Soresu. Here, the battle would swing into his favor, and he could tell she knew that. Her feet continued backwards, as he came forward away from the edge, giving him more space. More room to swing, which is important to Makashi. If he could make larger swings, he could move his feet more as well, and this was the whole focus of his Form. Her defense was failing now too, and her eyes held a fire of focus. She was determined, now more than ever, probably trying to execute a plan to get out of here, but that would not happen. He was Count Dooku, there were none he could not somehow beat.

When she dis-engaged, he contemplated letting her go. The battle had been sad enough for her, so he guessed he could let her go, then knock her out and take her for his own uses. She was good, but not as good as Yoda. He was something else entirely, the best of the best. No, his Master was better, he had seen it for himself. It had taken all of his tricks to stay on even terms when they had dueled. He was speed, ferocity, lacking in strength, but making up for it in sheer...intenseness. Yoda was much the same, so both he still deemed his Masters. Yoda was the only Jedi he could respect, besides Windu. Kenobi had been a disappointment, utterly a disgrace to Qui-Gon, who had been a Master Duelists and Master Jedi. Ever on his own quest, as Yoda had said, something Dooku taught him. Now if only this Je-, Dooku's face fell when her lightsaber unhooked, revealing her trump card. Then, the Force seemed to fill the young woman, and he knew what would happen next. He saw it all of the time in Windu and Yoda, the only other two on the Council who had bested him, and he knew it. Every aspect of it. It was Force Valor, the one thing he had never bothered with. Her Form too, was accompanied with the one true weakness of Makashi, Djem So. While he had nearly mastered it himself, it was unbecoming of him to rely on sheer strength. Now, it was a battle.

As she swung, he considered how best to counter her spin. He could execute spin of his own, but that would bring him closer to the cliff. Her attack was both high and low, and although he could change the length of his blade, he would not give her the satisfaction of showing her one of his own tricks. No, he would have to do his best to stay on the offensive, even in the defensive. He could allow him to take a few steps back, then drive the offensive again. No, she had enough in the way of defense. So it was he was forced to step back. Back and back again. She was quick, and she was good, but he could see was not trying to kill him. She could not, no, but she was pushing him. Pushing him to edge of the cliff again, and to a fall that would kill him.

It was masterful plan, perhaps she was more than what she appeared, but she was not as good as he thought again. She was fast, strong, and the Force was strong with her!, but she lacked true strength in Djem So. She was strong, but she was a quarter of the strength of fighters like Fisto and Windu. He could fight her, and he could win. How though? She could not beat him, she was not that skilled, but she could push him. What was she going for?

She again dis-engaged, and his eyes squinted. She was a user of Sokan? Yes, he could see that, so was he, but not as much as her. However, her hand came down, with a certain force with it. Not for him, but for the cliff itself, and he knew now what her plan was. She was going to push the whole cliff down, and it would be impressive if she did. Her hand came up, breaking the cracks, and she sent a Force Wave to be sure. The cliff he was on fell, and he let out a yell, to further the act, that he was going to die. He was not going to die though, nowhere in his plans did death become a part. He was angry that she had managed to get this far, very angry. It was a tribute to Yoda's teachings indeed, but she had come to close. Now she was going to pay for every moment. His eyes closed as he fell, and the Dark Side seeped into his every fiber. His whole being seemed to change, his face dropping the facade of genteelness. He became an event horizon, a pillar of the Force. He knew she was waiting, he could see it. A smile crept to his face, and he began to focus the Force upward. He brought his hands up to shoulder length on both side, and he rose from the falling piece of cliff. The Wave passed over him, and he rose steadily above the after effect.

As he rose, his eyes fell on the Jedi, and hatred filled his being. This was it, he had enough of her games. She would now see why he not only sat on the Council before he had ever wised up, but why he was now a Lord of the Sith, and why he was the Head of the Confederacy. As he landed, he said Impressive, but foolish. His flight was something few could accomplish, and it had taken him years. She had expected him to simply die? To fall, and meet his doom at the bottom of a deep ravine? No, he was not that weak, nor would he ever be. He raised a hand, and an evil smile came to his face. Now witness the true power of the Force! he said, before unleashing a blast of Force Lightning, letting it fly towards her. She could either attempt to block it, or jump. If she blocked it, he would walk towards her, and then use the Force to push her back. If she jumped, he would push her with Force, and then use it to grip her in a Choke. Either way, it was now a contest in the Force, and no Yoda was here to save her.

[RENO SALMARA]

Reno could only watch from the atmosphere as the LAAT's dropped from the sky, zooming towards their target with all the determination and precision that was filling the soliders alongside Alice. It was a sight to behold she would admit, and she knew if anyone could pull this victory - even if it was a trap - it would be Alice and the Clones they had aiding them. What had started as a mismatched, left-over Clone kind of battalion had quickly become one of the best the Republic had under Alice's tuition and Reno was hoping some of that would rub off on her. They were having their differences at the moment, and while Reno admired Alice's confidence, leadership and skills, she didn't trust her completly yet. She was proving to be reckless, almost blind when something she wanted was in her sights, eaisly within her grasp and that worried her. Alice had accused her of being blind to anything outside the Jedi Code, it seemed to Reno that Alice could be just as blind to things that sat outside of her control. Perhaps that was why the council had agreed to pair them, in the hopes that they would rub off on one another. Reno just hoped it wasn't the bad things that would rub off on her.

Sighing, she looked over the computer screens as the LAAT's reached their targets, listening in with one ear to the conversations going on around her, taking in as much information as they were passing to one another as she watched the progress of the ships and then the troops that were trudging their way through the snow. That was when something hit her as odd. Frowning, she listened deeply and could only hear the noise of the republic craft and the chatter of people around her soon followed by the sound of the republic blasters of the Clones. There was no seperatist activity going on down there. Quickly she jumped up from her chair and went straight to the viewport, looking down on the scene before her just as Alice's voice crackled to life in her ear. It held as much calm as it could, but it wasn't the same as Reno could so eaisly exude, as it carried with it the strongest undertones of distress. It was that and the orders to retreat, that sent the icy cold streak of fear plummeting to the pit of her stomach. She had been right. This was indeed a trap and it had been one she could have warned Alice about. Not, she reasoned, that it would have stopped Alice in any way but it could have made all the difference strategy wise. It wasn't until Master O'en's voice broke through her thoughts that she finally unfroze and snapped into action, her thoughts seeming to burst with options as soon as she turned her mind to it.

First thing, it was either follow O'en's orders and go down to the front with the Clones, or follow Alice's and evacuate as many troops as she could get off planet alive. That was just a no brainer and not just because Reno had a great dislike for being on the battlefront either. The Republic Clone Army, currently, just didn't have enough numbers to suffer a huge loss like this right now, especially not when it would come to be that they walked away from this battle with nothing but a loss. Shaking her head, she threw out a couple of orders for the crew around her before speaking directly to Ghost and O'en.

"Master O'en that is a negative. I'm sending all LAAT's down to you and we are going to evacuate our troops off this planet immidiatly and with as few losses as possible. The republic does not have the time or resources to boost our numbers from a crazy suicide mission. Master Alice is looking ahead, she can see this, and her orders are to evacuate. You are severly outnumbered Master, I can see that from up here. I want you to pull your troops back from your posiiton and use the snow to camoflage yourselves until the transports get their."

Looking to Ghost as she changed frequencies to the pilots of the LAAT's, she put on as strong and determined voice as she could though inside she was quaking at having such control.

"Troopers! About face and take those LAAT's back to the battlefield. I need you create as much of a wall between the survivors and the droids as possible. Use every weapon avaliable to you to protect them and load those troopers on as fast as possible. Abandon the bikes and any other useless equipment."