The Rebel Faction

'Supreme Commander?' Isstal swivelled in his command chair.
'Sir, the superlaser is charged and ready to fire.'
'What is the largest on-scene CSA vessel?' Isstal asked. A moment passed...
'Unknown-class vessel Corporate Enforcer. She appears to be a Star Destroyer of some designation. Length confirmed at 5670 meters.'
'Target the ship and await my orders to fire.' The massive bulk of the Eclipse Super Star Destroyer turned, bringing her massive axil superlaser to bare on the CSA ship.
'Target aquired.'
'Empress status?' Another pause.
'She's in the midst of the fleet, sir.'
'Re-enforce her, two Star Destroyers. Move us forward, slowly, and prepare to fire the superlaser.'

'You may fire when ready, captain.' Isstal turned to face the captain of the massive vessel.
'As you command. Superlaser control; you are clear for attack pattern Delta. Go now.'

The planet-destroying superlaser sprang forward, connecting with the CSA's command ship and tearing it apart.

Isstal nodded in grim satisfaction.
'Now you know what it feels like to play with the big boys,'

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Capricia.. Antioch Front.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->


//Eminence. The War Coordinator wishes to speak with you//


Tallien nodded slightly and gestured for the servant to exit. Taking one last glance at the lights of the downed Victory Star Destroyer, he turned toward the choir of villips.

His hand activated one creature, and has translucence formed in the shape of Tslah Vhess, he could see he was not pleased.

//War Coordinator//

//Your Leveller of Empires is worthless// the powerful Yuuzhan Vong military leader grated out, the creatures hooked within his lips, spreading slightly drawing blood.

Highly painful.

Highly admirable.

A mark (one of many) of the rank held by him.

//War Coordinator, how has the Leveller failed you?//

Tslah snarled, //Where do I start? Where are the writhing masses of infidels? Where are their pleas to their false gods for a quick and painless death?//

The contempt with which Tslah voiced "quick and painless" was not lost to Tallien.

//The Leveller is not the mindless destroyer we created for Marrrzzzuuulllloooww//

//Does it destroy?// Tslah snapped, in irritation.

//One more day in this infidel sun and the screams of these weaklings will garner the attention of even Yum-Yammka himself.//

Tslah's eyes narrowed. //A powerful boast.//


//A fact.// Tallien retorted, perfectly bored.


//Why the delay?//

//The infidels have an ability with their abominations to detect the Leveller in some forms and have but it moves in more subtler ways. We desire maximum infection before it is fully unleashed in their souls.//


//These animals have no souls!// the War Coordinator bit back. //One day, Master Shaper//


It sounded as a warning.


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> The infidels must be putting up a harder fight that he realized.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

A sly smile crept across the Master Shaper's face after the villip stopped the communication.

He walked back to the wall that now showed waves of Corralskippers attacking savagely at the downed Victory Star Destroyer.

They were attempting to locate defending turbolaser placements...and more importantly, the activities of the slaves hauling captured prisoners across the desert that had once been grass.


About 50 meters away from the bow of the downed ship, the first row of impaled Caprician prisoners were placed.

They were too far away for their cries, pleas, angry retorts, or anguish to be heard... not that Tallien was interested in such displays of weakness.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Infidels do not die well..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

The arial attack against the Vinda ship, subsided and the corralskippers began to circle overhead, gathering force as a locust swarm might.


The Yuuzhan Vong wanted those aboard the ship to witness the next acts.

With each prisoner, as they were lying on their backs on the dirty, sandy ground, hands and feet run through by a razor sharp creature, a centipede-like creature was deposited on them and where they landed, they began to feed.

The screams were glorious, and the Chazrach warriors that were standing around the rows of 500 prisoners began to chant...almost a plea to their gods for acceptance of this sacrifice of unworthy creatures.

The creatures fed until all the prisoners died...slowly.. painfully.



Tallien ordered the Command ship's living weapons to focus
their attention to the downed ship.

He touched the side of his head, near his ear and then put his hand on a rather large spherical object that vibrated as he spoke.

His words were heard outside the Command Ship booming over the chant of the Chazrach. It was an impressive effect, as if God himself were deigning to speak to those trapped in the infidel ship.


"Mercenaries of Vinda Corporation. This is not your fight. You are not wanted here. To interfere with divine will is to invite divine judgement against your homes.

We accept the fact that you were lied to by the treacherous animals that inhabit this world and therefore will not punish your impudence.

Our patience will only carry you past our fury this one time. Do not try it.

Leave.

Convey to us your intentions to leave and we shall allow your people to collect your materials (abominations as they are) and your persons.

Stay and you incur not only our attention but also our wrath.

By the infidel's cries, you've seen our wrath. Stay and you shall see more."



//Masterful, Eminence!// a slave praised.

Tallien's hand shot out and his razor nails sliced the slave's throat spilling his blood upon the yorik coral floor.

The slave made no sound which pleased Tallien greatly.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> A worthy sacrifice indeed.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


He waited for the infidels in the mercenary ship to speak.

Why do we scream at each other?

The VC fleet was moving forward now, their powerful weapons taking their toll on the enemy fleet.

This is what it sounds like...

Weapons blazing, the ships engaged their opponents. Laser fire was plentiful. The ammount of Death staggering.

...when Doves cry

On the bridge of his command ship, Isstal watched the frenzy. What was this all for?

Maybe I'm just like my mother...

If things couldn't be solved, who was to say that war would? Solve it, that is.

She's never satisfied

What was the problem anyway? What had Vinda done to be attacked by these... fiends?

Some things in the galaxy will never be understood.

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Capricia...<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->



Their troop had grown sizably in the past two days. Leantre carrying the injured man made the trek without comment surprising the man from Scipio Clan.

Throughout the walk past damaged vehicles, ruined land, and general desolation caused by the effects of war, Leantre pondered events so far....


On the outside, he spoke evenly, and firmly but inside, he felt a sharp stab of pain at the loss of Gomorran.

He remembered Kay's family, his father and he piloting a program to set up colonies within the Caprician system long ago. It was no suprise to Leantre that Kay turned out to be just as gifted in military matters. Such things ran in his family, such training in his Clan.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> He didn't want to be Regent.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> thought Leantre mournfully.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> All he wanted was peace..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


The invaders had come five years ago and had wrought the same amount of damage upon Capricia, destroying the fleet, but at that time Gomorran had also destroyed many of the enemy ships.

He had rammed the Caprician flagship into the Enemy Command Cruiser bringing them both down to Capricia's surface.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> By rights the boy should have died that day.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> He should have.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

But Leantre knew that Gomorran, in pain dragged himself to his family estates only to learn that his family, his wife, his two children had been killed in the fighting, his home burning.


The Kayalous Estates had become a national shrine of sorts to commemorate the stand his wife and other's had taken there.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Gomorran never quite had gotten over that..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->



<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> But what does that do to a man?


What does that do to his thinking?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


Before this second invasion, Gomorran had pushed a militarizing of Capricia fervently.

Family's were issued government arms, powerful weapons previously only held by the armies.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> But what happens when the armies fail?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, was Kay's answering question to those who condemned the policy.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Perhaps Capricia would have faired better if the civilians had the means to defend themselves effectively during the first invasion without resorting to savage means?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


Leantre thought about that.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> But where do you draw the line?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


The House Parliament was gaining power for the opposing the Clan policy of militarization and Martial Law. Leantre had seen enough of Jorrum Gerrard's theatrics to know that the man had a following.


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> This second invasion justified Clan policy but we could have done without such justifications.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Sometimes a man prays as hard as he can to be wrong.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Sometimes being right is the curse that damns us all..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->




***


The rather gruff Scipio Clan member had led them threw several small towns and Leantre found the broken remains of companies and took command of them.

Discipline was shattered and he would have to work hard to restore it.

The army remains were shamed at their failure on the battery line and the panicking population had already killed some out of fear and rage as the shadow of the alien armies was cast over city after city.

Leantre had gotten hold of a communications panel and issued a general retreat of all cities, townships, estates in a several hundred mile radius of all major cities. The Yuuzhan Vong would soon come after them.

Some cities refused the order, preferring to stand and fight.

Leantre could not fault them and deep within himself he cried for those about to die.

And die they would.

The cold exterior of Leantre, though, appreciated their sacrifice because each and every one of the population's futile stands slowed the enemy that much more.

Bought time for Leantre to reshape the military fragments that were rapidly collecting in his group that had grown in their race for the Highlands.

They cobbled together any and all ground transportation they could, repaired damaged power cells, hell walked on foot when necessary but the group stayed together.

It was not the smartest of moves, but they had gotten far enough away to prevent outright destruction if discovered by a flying enemy craft.


They were headed for Thessonia, not a large city but one strategically situated between travel routes, both ground and air.


From Thessonia, they could push into the Highlands, but Leantre was starting to get a bad feeling about the growing strong point.

With each new addition to his group, his army would grow but so would his knowledge of the situation happening around them. Information was their lifeline.

Most of it was not good.


The fleet has been lost, it seems and a shortage of fighters was becoming readily evident. He kept his own council about that bit of information.


However, with the release of the Yuuzhan Vong virus, many civilians were becoming infected, and though no effects of the virus displayed themselves, many were ostracized, quarantined or, in a few instances, outright killed out of fear.

If reports were to be believed, the Highlands would not take infected individuals into their walls.


The Yuuzhan Vong's insideous plot was becoming more and more realized in Leantre's mind the more he thought about it.


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Divide and conquer<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Our own fears will hurt us just as much as their weapons would.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


Also, there were rumors that a good portion of other armies from the major cities were also in retreat (for the Antioch Front was not the only battle site) and would cross over in to Thessonia.


Leantre had to be there when they did cross over.

Already there were rumors of the Clan Leader's death, that the main army was smashed beyone repair and there was one rumor that the Capricians had already surrendered.

The Comm Network was a mess.

With Yuuzhan Vong and their Chazrach slaves destroying any machinery they came across, the chance for anything reliable inside the battle zones (which were rapidly growing in size from the major city locations) a mere dream.


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> What about Vinda Corporation?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

In the haste and flight for survival, the Corporation's forces had been forgotten.


Their group had chanced on downed Vinda Corp, fighters and an occassional pilot. Some had to be rescued from the overzealous efforts of either Yuuzhan Vong trapped and isolated from their forces or a suspicious Caprician population.


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Things are bad indeed.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


The pilots were welcomed into their group and the Caprician soldiers and pilots that accompanied them swapped stories and their own take on the war with Vinda employees.

A lot of questions were asked about Seth Vinda himself.


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Did the man really eat babies?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


Leantre grinned at that naive question probably put out on the holonet by a rival company or whatnot.



Leantre's force stopped to rest when Thessonia was spotted and it was confirmed that it had not been attacked..


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Yet...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


He checked on the injured man that Gomorran had saved in the hospital division of their force and the man was sleeping soundly.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Sweet Clans, we have so many injured!<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


He wondered how full the Thessonia's hospitals would be..