Yaga Minor .:Following Orders:.

Mike’s eyes slowly shifted from face to face in the crowd. He was sitting on a wing on a AIAT with his legs dangling over the side in front of one-thousand Sith Marines. Their eyes drilled him to speak but his mouth was dry and his throat raspy. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. His mind wandered to a younger time; a time when war was far from his mind and his heart dwelled in another. Mike pictured her face, her body, the way she moved when they sinned and when they walked. He could hear her voice as she whispered into his ear during the nights. He could feel her- smell her; all of his senses were taken up by her. This one soul, this one being, that could break him down yet keep him strong.

Mike opened his eyes to see a thousand eyes staring anxiously back at him. Each man wore the same uniform; dark green fatigues with tan leggings over black combat boots and a tropical camouflage cover over their dark green steel helmets. A new, black and white patch was sewn on to every man’s left shoulder. A proton carbine was slung over every right shoulder and every eighth man had a PLX-1 rocket launcher slung over their left. They were dressed exactly like Mike, only he had an elastic band around the lower rim of his helmet which held two pin-up girl cards and a couple deathsticks.

“Our objective is an old Imperial infested rock called Yaga Minor,” Mike said, his expression grim as his eyes shifted from face to face. “The surface is a bunch of forests and mountains. The Imperials seem to have dug a planet wide series of tunnels in and under those mountains. Our main target, a base called Obiqtorate, is in the middle of a ring of mountains, which brass has conveniently dubbed the ‘Ring’ which also happens to be on it’s own little island between two continents. It’s more than just a garrison of Imperials guarding this piece of rock, it’s about a million stormtroopers with a never ending line of support. Not to mention the ships full of troops and supplies that will be guarding the orbit.” Mike averted his gaze to a rather large holo-projector on his right. He turned it on and a image of Yaga Minor popped up. All eyes turned to the image as Mike turned his own eyes back to the Marines.

“Alpha Company will be the first to hit the ground, along with myself, at the southern tip of the Ring. Secure or not, the Mindtrip will be landing right behind them to unload the rest of the battalion and the support groups. The only exception is Delta company who’ll be landing on the southern beach to secure our rear.” Holo-graphic images danced across the planet and markers flashed to show what Mike was explaining. “We’ll have support from the 2nd, 23rd, and 56th Droid Regiments and the 1st, 5th, and 7th ARC Regiments. The 2nd and 23rd will hit Preparation center while the 56th hits the Yavvitir Spaceport. All three ARC Regiments will be landing on the other continent which has all of their shipyards.” The scene was grim as the Marines studied the holo-projector. Mike returned to his own thoughts; his battalion was only one-thousand men strong, despite their special training. A Droid Regiment was 151,500 droids total and an ARC Regiment was 6,250 ARC Troopers. The only thing going for Mike and his Marines was their smaller target area and their training.

Mike shut the projector off and sighed. “I don’t need say that this will be hard. The Armada needs this planet, so we CAN’T fail. Oorah?” His reply came with a loud ‘OORAH’ from the Marines. The strange bark like word had become their term of understanding and acknowledgement. The Sith Marines were the only once that used it in the entire Armada. Mike nodded and turned his gaze over to the open viewed hangar shield. The ship they were on was the Marine’s flagship, the Mindtrip which was a Pallaeon-class Star Destroyer. In Mike’s view, three Dragon-class Cruisers and three Diamond-class cruisers floated with serenity. They were carrying their supporting regiments. Mike closed his eyes, knowing that there was about twenty Imperial II-class Star Destroyers in front of the formation of carriers. An important battle was about to begin.

An hour later, sirens sounded in the Mindtrip. All the Marines rushed to the hangar and Alpha company loaded onto the AIAT’s, Mike mounting the lead craft. A countdown started and the pilots engaged the AIAT engines. The countdown continued until finally it hit zero. The AIATs bolted forward, locking the cargo ramps in the rear of the craft in an upright position. The transports left the hangar and started to descend towards the planet. The Mindtrip started it’s slower dive towards the surface shortly after. The other carrier ships did the same, banking hard towards the planet.

Mean while, a fierce fleet battle had started. The twenty Imperial II-class Star Destroyers diverted the defending fleet’s attention while the landing parties made their way. TIE/D fighters from the Sith fleet swarmed over the regular piloted TIE’s that the Imperial Remnant used. The Remnant’s Imperial Star Destroyers, which outnumbered the Sith fleet tried to take down as many ships as possible, but it wasn’t possible the short amount of time. Within minutes, the landing parties were too far into the atmosphere to chase, so the Sith fleet entered hyperspace to pre-designated areas. The Remnant fleet was left confused at what had happened, having nearly a hundred of their TIE fighters destroyed.

Mike’s AIAT vibrated in atmospheric turbulence. He held onto the walls of the craft while the men inside with him sat on benches lining the walls. The pilot announced that they were close to hitting ground at their specified target area. Mike nodded and closed his eyes. His mind traveled back to her again. Would he ever see her again? Would he ever hear her voice or feel her delicate skin again? Thoughts such as these were heavy on his mind and heart but he shook them to the back of his thoughts and waited for the craft to land.

The AIAT landed with a thud and screech as it skid across black rock and sand. Sparks flew from the craft once every few feet. Before the craft stopped, the pilot began lowering the cargo ramp and the Marines stood up at the ready. A sound pierced through their ears; a sound like glass shattering but with a sickening thud as well. Mike had heard the sound before and turned around to see a blood splattered windshield and the pilot’s body slumped over. It was then that he saw red blaster bolts flying by the wind shield. Every round that hit the craft made a loud ‘ping’ sound and left a small hole or dent.

The ramp hit dirt and the craft finally halted. “GO GO GO!” Mike bellowed at the top of his lungs. The Marines filed out of the craft quickly. They came under heavy automatic fire almost as soon as the first man stepped off the ramp. Mike finally exited the transport and ran out towards a crater left by an artillery blast. He slid inside with five Marines following him closely. Mike looked over the side of the crater to their rear. The rest of the AIATs had landed and dismounted their troops. His blue eyes widened as one of the AIATs that was taking off to take up an overhead pattern exploded. The sheets of metal that was supposed to be armor peeled back, exposing the pilot who was ripped to shreds by the shrapnel. The craft dipped back down and crashed down in the grass patched earth.

Mike turned around and peered over the side of the crater towards the area where the fire was coming from. A tree line formed about a hundred feet to the Marines’ front and another hundred feet after that the earth started to slope upwards as the first mountain in the mountain range. Mike brought his carbine up to his shoulder and placed the hand guard at the edge of the crater. His disciplined trigger finger squeezed for short durations, making the proton carbine fire in short, controlled bursts at the tree line. The rest of Alpha company started firing as well. A heavy machine gun team with an E-Web set up their gun behind a small knoll and began laying down suppressing fire. The riflemen then started to slowly move up and take up better positions in craters and behind knolls or debris.

One of the Marines in the crater with Mike unstrapped his PLX-1 rocket launcher from his back and laid it on his shoulder. In a desperate moment, the kid, no older than nineteen, stood straight up and fired the rocket at the tree line. As soon as the rocket left the tube, he ducked back down and placed a hand over his helmet, ducking his head further. Mike looked to his right and saw a squad from 2nd Platoon in a firing line along the knoll that the MG team had set up on. The rest of 2nd Platoon was behind the knoll, taking complete cover and watching the flanks. If he could get those men to start a push forward, then the firefight could end within the next ten minutes.

“Second platoon! Get your asses moving forward!” Mike shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth to project his voice better. The lieutenant in charge of the platoon looked over and nodded to Mike. The Marine turned and got the squads that weren’t on the firing line moving around the knoll and forward. While 2nd Platoon mobilized, Mike turned to his left and saw that 3rd Platoon had taken the hint and was moving up in the same fashion. 1st and 4th Platoons were between the two knolls in a miniature valley with Mike. Mike motioned towards the two platoons and waved his hand forward. As he did so, he stood up and started to crawl out of the crater.

Mike, followed by the 1st and 4th platoons of Alpha Company sprinted forward toward the tree line. Blaster bolts kicked up dirt all around them and flew inches from their bodies. Mike’s eyes were set on a knoll about thirty feet from the tree line. What Mike realized at that point was that their landing zones didn’t have two knolls in front of it, but rather one that formed a sort of horseshoe with the opening slightly closed in. If he could get at least one platoon in the company to the other side of the knoll through the inner-valley then he could put up a stronger front and might actually be able to see his enemy.

It didn’t take long for the Marines to get to the knoll. The 1st and 4th platoons with one of the company’s three MG teams close behind hit the knoll and got in prone position along it. Mike ducked below the crest of the knoll and looked back at the valley. Surprisingly few Marines were hit and of those that were, only a handful were killed. Mike also saw that 2nd Platoon was making their way at a steady pace along the inner-right side of the knoll. 3rd Platoon was in the same situation but on the inner-left side of the knoll.

((Continued))

Mike turned around and aimed his carbine over the crest of the knoll. He could see the white armor of the imperial remnant darting from tree to tree. He started firing at the stationary stormtroopers that were popping in and out of cover to discharge a few rounds. Gradually, as the 2nd and 3rd platoons got into position and started firing into the tree line, the stormtroopers were disappearing. The Marines thought they were killing them all, and began drilling the woods harder. Although they were partially correct, the stormtroopers had fallen back to a safer position to begin a counter attack. The Marines found this out soon enough.

All went quiet on the knoll as Mike ordered the Marines to cease fire. He strained his ears to listen for any possible signs of life in the woods. Just as he was about to call in to the descending Mindtrip, a voice shot through the air. “ONWARD!” As the word finished, a yelling crept out of the woods until it was blaring in the Marines’ ears. The white figures in the trees showed up again, but this time in larger numbers. The stormtroopers marched forward only to be met with blaster fire from the Marines. Mike took the first shots, dropping one of the Imperials instantly. The riflemen started firing in short controlled bursts as well, creating a wicked crossfire centered on the Imperials. The company’s MG teams had gotten into good positions with great firing lanes and began letting loose with the E-Webs. Stormtrooper after stormtrooper fell dead but still they continued on. Obviously they expected the Marines to start forward as well. Mike knew about Imperial war tactics, being a regular soldier early in his career. He had one mission right now, create a perimeter for the Mindtrip to land and unload the rest of the battalion. Unfortunately for the Imperials, their line-to-line firefight would have to wait.

Several minutes passed but to Mike it seemed only seconds. The stormtroopers had lost the majority of their force and began falling back. He took this time to radio in to the Mindtrip and send the coordinates of the horseshoe knoll. With the coordinates sent, we tried to contact Delta Company who would have landed on the beach behind Alpha.

“Dog-One, this is Red-One, do you copy?” Mike said, speaking into a grey comlink. He eyed the device for a while and realized how much of an inconvenience it was to have to pull it out every time he needed to get in touch with other elements of the Armada.

“Red-One, this is Dog-One, what ya need?”

“Dog-One, what’s your status?”

“Well, we had a nice little landing without difficulties. We’re currently making our way passed your left flank.”

“Convenient. What’s in front of you?

“Well, a whole lot of open grassland that turns into a canyon running through the mountain range. Might be a possible escape route for Obiqtorate.”

“Dog-One, move up as far as you can and set up positions along the mouth of the canyon, top and bottom.”

“Roger that, Red-One. Dog-One out.”

Mike terminated the link and dropped the comlink device in a pouch on his web-belt. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back to lay against the side of the knoll. A sigh escaped his lips as his mind wandered. When his eyes reopened, they were dominated by the sight of the Mindtrip coming in for a vertical landing, all weapons on the ship firing. AIAT’s flew circles around the island, engaging targets of opportunity. Mike rolled over onto his stomach and crawled up to the crest of the knoll. Alpha Company’s commanding officer, Captain Stringer, was speaking with his XO, planning a major push forward into the tree line. When Mike came up next to him, the captain greeted him with a nod. Mike nodded back.

“How’s Alpha holding up?” Mike questioned him, looking around at the Marines of Alpha Company.

“They’re doing fine, Commander,” Stringer explained, pausing for a second before adding to his statement. “We lost fifteen in the initial landing and another twenty-five in the setting up of the perimeter, including my company sergeant and head medic, sir. Those are just the killed- we have about fifty wounded which brings our total strength down to just over fifty percent.” Mike nodded and averted his gaze down at the ground right in front of him. He could hear the Mindtrip landing behind him in the middle of the horseshoe knoll.

“You did good today, Captain. Keep it up and we’ll make it home,” Mike comforted the captain as he got up on his knees and slid down the side of the knoll. Reaching the base of the knoll, Mike stood up and started sauntering over towards the cargo ramp of the Mindtrip which was slowly opening. As the ramp hit earth, Marines came pouring out at the ready. Mike recognized the company commanding officer, which told him that the Marines were from Bravo Company. Charlie Company dismounted the warship taking all of the much needed supplies with them and setting up a supply depot to the right of the Mindtrip. Mike called the CO’s of Bravo and Charlie companies over to him. They came running towards him without hesitation.

“Captains, it’s good to see you in one piece. Unfortunately, you probably won’t be by the end of this battle. Alpha’s already at nearly fifty percent and we’ve only been here for about an hour or so.” Mike paused as he saw the faces of the captains grow pale. “Deploy Charlie Company to our right flank. Delta found a canyon through the mountain range on the left. If you see one of these passage-ways, set up positions in and around it. I want Bravo company to set up along the knoll with Alpha. We’re gonna make a push in force up that mountain in front of us within the hour.

((To be Continued))

Mike crept forward silently through the woods. His destination was a plateau half way up the mountain in front of the Mindtrips position. Behind him, moving in a wedge formation, stalked a Recon Squad that had disembarked from the Mindtrip earlier in the day. Without making a sound the fourteen men made their way through the thick woods until they came to a clearing that stretched fifty meters or so to the right and left of their position. Mike stopped and halted the Marines behind him by raising his left hand from his proton carbine’s hand guard and making a fist with his arm at a ninety degree angle. His cold blue eyes searched the clearing and the tree line on the other side of it for any movement.

As the squad of Marines made their way up into a firing line adjacent to Mike’s position along their own tree line, a large white shadow formed among the trees to their front. Mike had seen this all too much today to not know what it was- an advancing company of stormtroopers. Mike turned to the squad leader of the recon squad and spoke in a hushed voice. “Sergeant, get back to the perimeter and get the rest of the recon platoon up here. You’ll be spear heading the assault. Make sure Alpha and Bravo get up here as well, Oorah?” The sergeant replied with a hushed ‘Oorah’ and silently slid back down the hill the way they had come. The rest of the eight men in the squad charged their proton carbines and nervously watched the approaching Imperials.

Mike was kneeling behind a pair of thin trees that provided sufficient cover for an ambush but not if a full fledged firefight broke out. It wasn’t long before the stormtroopers stopped short of the clearing just inside their tree line. Mike and the Marines watched their every move with a great deal of intensity while the stormtroopers were completely unaware of the their presence due to their dark green fatigues and camouflaged helmet covers. The Imperials were smart however, and stayed within the tree line despite their white armor giving away their position. Five stormtroopers sauntered out into the clearing, looking all around while the rest of the company got into firing positions if anything happened. Mike kept his Marines silent and hesitant with their triggers. The stormtroopers came within five feet of Mike. Seeing nothing and not having the integrity to switch to thermal visioning systems, a stroke of luck for the Marines, the five troopers turned around and started walking back, waving to their comrades the all clear. As the first line of the stormtroopers came out into the clearing, Mike opened up with a full automatic ten round burst. The proton bolts flashed through the air, cutting through the stormtrooper scouts and battle line. The squad of Marines also opened up, cutting the rest other four scouts down while reeking havoc on the line. The first line of Imperials were all but wiped out and the second line was equally cut down. The third line grew out of their Imperial-line training and ducked down into prone and crouched positions behind trees and bushes to return fire.

Mike watched the Imperials closely as he picked them off systematically. If they tried to flank him, he would know. When the squad sergeant came back with the rest of the three recon squads, he slid down in a prone position to Mike’s left and instantly began firing. The newly arrived squads ducked low to avoid most of the return fire that poured from an outnumbering enemy force as they moved to the edge of the tree line and started letting loose with their carbines. Mike knew that this firefight was going no where fast- he looked to his right at one of the newly arrived squads and motioned towards the squad leader. The leader looked over at him, pausing his firing for a moment. Mike, having his undivided attention flashed his hand forward to the Marine’s right. The squad leader understood and called to his squad. The nine man team erected into crouched positions and began rapidly moving off to the right flank of the clearing.

A squad leader to Mike’s left saw what Mike had done and mistakenly assumed he would be doing the same. He erected into a crouched position and go his squad moving. Mike saw the movement and looked over to his horror. It was too late to do anything as the Imperials had set up an E-web turret on their right flank, which happened to be Mike’s left. The turret opened up and cut down the mistaken squad leader and half of the squad. Of the four men left in the squad, one was injured with a shoulder wound. He screamed in pain as his comrades dove to the ground around him. Mike swore under his breath and reached into his pocket. His hand pulled out and with it, a comlink came out clasped in his coiled fingers.

“Able and Baker! Get your asses up here on the double!” Mike roared into comlink. His hand tried to fiddle with his pocket flap but giving up in the urgent situation, he just threw the comlink on the ground and began firing his carbine again. A couple of Recon Marines to Mike’s left started crawling toward the downed squad. A rocket flew from the opposite tree line and slammed into the ground inches from one of the Marines. He flew off the ground and flipped in a barrel roll fashion into a tree. The sickening crack of the bones snapping and the gasp of air escaping the Marine’s lips made Mike cringe a little. He had seen some bad things in his time as a soldier but none as bad as this. Never had he been so outnumbered in a more desperate battle.

The other Marine that had started crawling to the butchered squad stopped in his tracks and curled up into a ball as his buddy flew over him into the tree. As he uncurled himself the sight of his friend caught his sight and he began to whimper. Everyman had their limits, and seeing his friend die in such a way made him reach his. With tears in his eyes he continue to crawl toward the injured squad but when he got there he leaned up against a tree and wept. Mike felt whole heartedly for the Marine, but he had a job to do and he planned on completing it. He reached behind him on his web-belt to a row of three thermal detonators and plucked one from it’s perch. He activated it and set it for a five second timer. He waited two seconds and then lobbed it out into the clearing. The grayish orb glided gracefully in an arc through the air before it finally landed at it’s destination within the Imperial positions. The grenade detonated sending white hot flame in every direction for several meters. The foliage caught fire and burned ferociously in Mike’s eyes. He raised his left hand while keeping his right hand on the trigger to keep his carbine up and ready. The white armor of the stormtroopers flashed in the flame and started to crumble away in the heat, letting the burning flames reach inside to the fleshy victims. It was a beautiful sight to the Recon Marines.

Movement to Mike’s rear caught his attention. He turned to see lead elements of Bravo Company coming up the hill to assist. Mike nodded to the company commander and then flashed his hands forward, telling him to keep his company moving through the clearing in an assault on the enemy’s position. The company commander nodded and kept Bravo Company moving up. Mike then turned to his recon squads and ordered them to move up with Bravo Company in the assault. Alpha Company would bring up the rear. Mike finally had time to relax as he waited for Alpha Company to arrive. It was then that he noticed that his comlink was flashing. He picked it up off the ground and activated it. It was Delta Company set up at the mouth of a canyon.

“Commander! We’re receiving heavy fire from both ground targets and from orbit! We need fleet support, sir!” Mike winced at the orbital part and looked up through the tree canopy to confirm the report. True enough, large red lasers flew from the sky into Delta’s position.

“Dog-One, hold your position. Fleet’s coming soon, man. Just hold on for a little longer.”

“Roger that, we’ll give it all we got, sir!”

The battalion was in trouble if they didn’t get fleet support. This entire operation would be for not if they didn’t get it. Mike’s Marines were excellent on the ground and he was confident that he could take any fortified position with his Marines, but when the enemy had numbers and greater support on their side, it makes for a very unpleasant situation for Mike.

Septerra wore the same camouflage Sith Marine armour, a heavy helmet on her head. She also wore thick black goggles that curved around her nose and went down to her mid cheek before rounding back up around her ears. Her eyes weren't visible behind the goggles, but they did help her incredibly, providing her with instant coordinates and infrared vision with the click of a button. She pushed the Sith interceptor forward, leading a duck formation of like ships, nearly a thousand of them. REINFORCEMENTS. In the middle of the duck formation were several heavier ships, bombers.

Septerra puffed lazily at a deathstick, double checking coordinates, and trying to get a better quality picture of the Imperial bases on the ground. She'd need a dead on sighting if her bombers were going to take out their bases without hitting the Sith land fighters. She realized she'd probably be fighting with the Republic under slightly different circumstances. Her lips formed a smug grin around the deathstick. She rolled her eyes and activated her comlink. She'd never been good at military talk. Her finger pushed the button and contact with Mike was made. She waited for a few seconds as he activated his comlink.

"Um, Sith Marine Leader? Good to see you're still alive. I need you to pull all your troops in one location." She could tell that was not what most would suggest. "Listen, trust me, I've got 40 bombers fully loaded with rockets ready to take out all their land troops, but I can't launch them unless you get your men in the clear!" Mike was arguing with her, obviously never before told to round all his men up and play sitting duck while he was surrounded on all sides. She waited patiently while he grudgingly accepted the order. The 40 bombers took off into position, accompanied by many starfighters to protect them as they did their job. At the same time Septerra's starfighters were already taking care of all the Imperial ships, putting them down quickly. Within minutes the troops on the ground would notice there was no more aerial assault. The Republic ships would be too occupied trying to save themselves hopelessly.

A half hour of bombing commenced. All of the Republic bases had been wiped out, and now only small battalions of renegade stormtroopers littered the fields. Surely Mike's men could take them out. She hooked up the comlink again.

"Do you copy? Alright looks like you got the clear. There's probably no more than a few dozen of them lurking around. All their resources are up in smokes. Finish them off."

The starfighters circled around the planet, taking out any fleeing Republic ships. Soon most of the Sith Starfighters were dismissed. After she got the okay from Mike, she and her small company of starfighters would land. The planet would be theirs.

((Sorry I made your character do a few things lol. But I didn't think you'd mind))

Mike, although aggravated at being cluster-fucked within the perimeter of the horseshoe knoll, cheered with the rest of Marines when the bombers swooped down and began destroying every target of opportunaty. It had been about seven hours since the initial invasion had begun and the Mike's objective was directly to their front getting the shit bombed out of it. His icy blue eyes watched the armored Imperials scramble around the military base as bombs and lasers from Sith aircraft fell upon them. When the bombers and fighters flew away, a sense of relief started to fill the battered ranks of the Marines. Mike however, didn't give into the feeling, as he knew there was more to do; they still had to take the military base and continue on to take the rest of the island. However, with the Imperial fleet destroyed, the Mindtrip could hover above the Marines' positions and provide air support. Same went for the ships attached to the ARC and Droid Regiments that had landed on the continents on either side of the island.

Mike knew that Charlie Company had recieved very little combat and issued an order that would allow them to finally see some. The full, untouched company started to move forward, down the mountain slope towards Obiqtorate. Mike wouldn't be going with the company however, instead choosing to stay behind as he had things to do back at the perimeter. Charlie Company knew to call in for reinforcements when they completed their task of taking the base so Mike felt quite confident. From the message he recieved on his comlink from the Sith fleet in orbit, Mike figured that two-hundred-forty well armed and trained Marines could handle the job of mopping up a few stragglers.

Mike looked around the perimeter, seeing the rest of the bloodied battalion which was a shell of it's former self. Alpha Company had lost forty men killed and fifty men wounded, including the company sergeant and head-medic. Bravo Company had lost thirty-three men killed and twenty men wounded. Delta Company, who had seen the worst of it on the left flank, lost sixty-eight killed and ninety-two wounded. The recon squads had suffered twelve killed and eight wounded. Mike knew that they couldn't hope to accomplish anything by staying on this planet any longer. Their objectives were almost complete but the battalion's manpower and resources was spent.

As Mike walked around, checking on the Marines, he sent a message up to the orbiting Sith fleet. "Sith fleet, you are clear to descend- fighting's practically over on the island." That said, he replaced the comlink in his right breast pocket and walked aboard the Mindtrip. A blast of cold air refreshed his senses and sent goose-bumps up his spine. The heat outside was roughly ninety degrees fahrenheit while the temperature inside the Palleaon-class Star Destroyer was about seventy-five degrees. Mike welcomed the unfamiliar feeling with graditude and started making his way towards the operations center.

Finding his way, he entered the large room to see a dozen clean-uniformed Naval officers leaning over consoles and maps. Along one wall, situation reports from the island and the continents were displayed in great detail. One of the officers looked up from the map in the center of the room and motioned for Mike to come over. Mike did so without hesitation- the officer knew why he was there.

"The ARC regiments are almost finished with their objectives. The ARC commander says about twenty hours or so more and they'll be done. The Droid Regiments are having a good bit of trouble however. They stirred a hornets nest. Most of the planet's garrison troops were on that continent. However with support from the ARC's and your Marines the continent should..." Mike cut him off forcefully by reaching out and grabbing the officer's shirt collar and pulling it over the map so that he was face to face with Mike.

"My Marines are going home, understand? They're spent, done. We did our duty, let the droids do theirs." Mike's tone was cold and it visibly frightened the officer. A whimpering 'okay' escaped the man's lips and Mike released him and calmly exited the room. Everyone in the room had stopped what they were doing and watched what had happened. Most of them would learn a lesson from the incident. Mike exited the Mindtrip and waited for the Sith fleet to arrive on the surface. A strange feeling entered his senses. It was as if he could 'feel' someone getting closer and closer from orbit. He had felt this way before when he had personally met the Dark Lord and again when he was tasked with finding the Jedi Temple on some frozen planet that he never even learned the name of.

Septerra waited for the command from Mike, a little annoyed at the whole situation. Belial had only told her as much as he had needed to. He said that Yaga Minor was an important target, and important to acquire. Why? He didn't go into detail. She could only assume the lush planet was strategically placed in the galaxy and could be of use to them. Secondly, the Dark Lord had only told her that a man named "Mike" was in charge of the whole operation. He didn't specify the man's rank, orders, or even his last name. No, all he had said was "Mike", and given her the contact information this comlink. As a Sith Lord, these sort of ambiguous orders made her feel like she wasn't being told the whole story for a reason. Of course there had been the matter of time. If Belial had spent an hour going into details, Septerra's fleet might have shown up too late. She decided to let it go, hoping to get the full story from "Mike". Suddenly her concentration snapped back to the present moment as her comlink chimed in. Sith fleet, you are clear to descend- fighting's practically over on the island.

"Copy that" Septerra answered flatly. She looked at the planet's surface through the camera on her control panel, looking for the location of the group of marines. A sly smile creased her face. No. She didn't need this worthless technology to locate the Marines on the surface of the planet, because she could FEEL exactly where they were, thanks to Mike. His force presence towered above all the others, signaling him out as a force sensitive. But he was untrained it seemed, his force presence wild and free. She could feel his anger as her small formation of starfighters sped towards Yaga Minor at a 60 degree angle. Her mouth held the smile, though it became more understanding. She took one last puff of the deathstick and smashed the bud into the ash tray on her seat. Belial's plans became clear as day now. He hadn't told her the details because this mission was really only leading up to the really important task. He hadn't told her because he didn't want her to refuse. He wanted her to train Mike's wild power. She felt like laughing, feeling like she'd been bested by a practical joke. Fine, belial was right anyway. Mike was powerful, no doubt about it. And to top it off he was a natural born leader with tons of military know-how. He'd be just what the Sith Order needed in their inner-circle.

She had it all figured out before the dozen starfighters landed not 100 paces from the camp site of the Marines. The only question was if Mike was as clueless as she was about this "operation". If he didn't want to be trained then she wouldn't force him into it, but of course the fool would regret not harnessing his untamed power later on. Perhaps immediately. The door swung open, turning into a ramp. Septerra walked down it's length, taking in the hot air of the planet. It was bright, and reminded her of vacation she'd taken as a Jedi Youngling to Naboo during the planet's summer. The Marines were all on their feet (the ones who could stand that was), and staring at the ships that had landed. Septerra didn't keep them waiting. She and the dozen Marine Pilots walked the short distance to the camp. Her eyes found Mike instantly, his appearance disgruntled. The surrounding scene was right out of a war movie. Medics ran around urgently, working triage on the injured soldiers. The uninjured ones sat resigned, smoking and kicking rocks. Again her eyes shot back to Mike. He'd probably watched many of his friends die today. A sick part of her wondered who it affected him and if he was crying on the inside.

Septerra lowered the thick black goggles from around her helmet, letting it fall down around her neck. It made it entire uniform seem a little oversized for her as the goggles hung loosely around her neck. Her face showed sympathy for the lost Sith Marines, and both the commanders shared a moment of grief silently. Then Septerra cleared her throat and extended her hand for Mike to shake. "We lost many good men today." She started on that note. "But I'll be honest Mike" She put emphasis on his name, letting him know that's all she knew about him. "I don't understand why. You'll understand that time was short and I didn't get all the details. I was hoping you can fill me in on exactly why this mission was worth the losses of today." The last bit may have seemed a little insulting. The Sith Lord simply wanted to know how he'd react to being egged on like that. She silently anticipated the reaction.

Mike watched the ships come down with a non-chalant attitude. His expression was that of a tired soldier just wanting to go back home. It was better than some of the Marines around him who wore the thousand-yard stare and were unresponsive to any of their friends. Mike kept his composure well, keeping well hidden the fact that he too hurt just like them- if not worse. Being the commander means you have to sign many of your men to a death wish and when every man is a friend, it makes it hard to do so. The Marines had an inter-family type of relationship with each other. Every Marine knew that if he were to be wounded or fall in battle, his body would be fought over with a ferociousness equal to that of Mandalorians. It gave a sense of peace when the shit hit the fan, but then again so did winning the battle all together.

As the ships were just landing, poking the ground with their landing gear, Marines from Charlie Company returned. They had not only captured the military base but also swept through the entire island. Every last one of the Imperials was mopped up and killed. The company commander nodded to Mike and Mike returned the greeting. The men of Charlie Company were carrying litters for the dead and wounded Marines on the mountain, in the canyon, and also in the forest to the perimeter's direct front. Not one man in the company didn't help with the process.

Mike cocked his left eye brow as the sight of a woman appeared coming down the ramp of the lead ship. He took off his helmet and scratched the top of his head for a few short seconds before replacing the helmet. She approached him and he could tell she was looking around at the Marines, both alive and wounded. The thing that stumped him was that she was wearing the Marine fatigues and the helmet. She looked like a cleaner, prettier version of Mike and the six-hundred-seventy-seven other Marines laying about. The goggles that she wore down around her neck almost caused a chuckle to escape Mike's lips but instead he held it in and evened out the feelings he had inside.

"Ma'am," he greeted her and shook her hand. His eyes narrowed as she began spoking of 'our' losses. She hadn't been here, and although she helped alot by bringing the Sith fleet, she hadn't seen the way the ground combat was down on the surface. It was bloody and desperate to the point that Mike couldn't explain it even if he had to. The only way people would know was to experiance it. That's the thing though, Mike and his Marines volenteered to fight and die so that people like her wouldn't have to fight. "Dark Lord wanted the shipyards on this planet. Says it could double or even triple the fleet growth." Mike was visibly shaken by the battle and obviously a little disgruntled. He knew that she was watching for his react- he'd spent a lot of time with the Dark Lord who would do the same thing. Mike was used to the insults from new reporters and such though, so he kept the violence down. He'd had enough fighting for today. "I can't tell you why or how the loss of thirty-three point three percent of my battalion was worth it. We won't know that until the Sith Order starts using this God forsaken rock." His last sentance was sort of a jab at the order. He had a suspicion that this girl was apart of the Order as she had a presence about her that no one else had. It was much like that of the Dark Lord's.

She noted his self control as he replied, but heard the emphasis on several words and figured he had taken offense as planned. She wanted to sigh at just how predictable soldiers were but decided to hold that one for the time being. Of course Septerra cared about the losses of the Marines, they were an important part of the master plan. The more the better. But had she really had a moment of grievance and sadness? No. The loss of thousands of acquaintances and friends over the year had hardened her to death. She would never shed a tear over loss of life again.

She gave up the sad charade as soon as Mike gave filled her in. It wasn't very much detail, like exactly how they'd be using the docks, but she could only assume Belial had played Mike the same way. The capture of this planet was really just a step along the way of Belial acquiring a new Sith Knight, Mike. She spoke with a different tone, which suggested subtly annoyance. "Yes of course, the Dark Lord will begin harnessing this planet's potential very soon no doubt." Her eyes shifted to the dug up grass of the battle field. Only hours ago it had been a lush lawn, but now it was scratched up dirt. "Could I speak to you privately Commander?". Mike looked at her suspiciously but with a glint of curiosity in his eyes. The two agreed to walk a short distance into the brush, away from all other ears. Not one of Mike's soldiers would dare test him by trying to sneak a peek, she'd felt this from them through their short exchange.

"This planet will no doubt be put to good use, but so could your power." She let that sink in for a moment, considering how to best approach him. She would certainly not tell him the mission wasn't why the Sith Lord had been sent here. "I know you can feel the Dark Side of the Force flowing from me. But most people can't do that. You see, you are force sensitive, and if your talents with the force were trained, you'd reach your full potential as a warrior." She simply smiled, crossing her arms around her shoulders. Of course most soldiers thought of the Force as something distant that helped them out every now and then, but many felt resentment towards both Sith and Jedi, blaming them for starting most of the wars in the galaxy anyway. They weren't too far from the truth honestly. Her silence suggested she wasn't going to say more until her responded.

Mike followed the girl, who he had still not learned the name of, into the brush. The Marines were too tired to care and simply dosed off or stared at an object for a long duration. When the girl stopped, Mike did as well. His hand found its way to the strap of his proton carbine which was slung over his right shoudler. He slid his thumb between the strap and his collar bone and curved his fingers around the strap which applied a small amount of pressure. The way she moved and the way she spoke and conducted herself told Mike that she was something out of the ordinary. His eyes narrowed as she started speaking.

He took his helmet off with his left hand and squated. The helmet was placed underneath him as he rested his bottom on the steel helmet. Mike plucked a death stick from the elastic strap and fiddled through his right breast pocket. He pulled out a lighter and lit the death stick, taking a deep drag. He sighed as he listened to the girl speak.

Mike's eyes completely shut as the girl spoke of him being force sensative. His only thoughts were on how he knew she was apart of the Sith Order. He bowed his head and reached up with his left hand, placing his forehead in his palm. A few moments passed as the girl finished speaking and Mike dropped his hand looked up. His icy blue eyes met her own eyes. He could tell this wasn't a practical joke and he knew she wasn't lying. Him being force sensative was a shock and he was breathless. He painfully swallowed hard, his throat dry and raspy from lack of food and water. "I suppose the Dark Lord put you up to this? Did he give you any information other than that?" Mike knew that he couldn't refuse a chance like this, but he wanted answers first. he had to make sure that they weren't going to take him away from his Marines.

Her head cocked in subtle surprise. Mike was catching on very quickly. It brought a smile to her face. If he was a fast learner it would make everything much easier. She allowed her arms to fall loosely to her sides, one gently thumping against her gold lightsaber hilt. If Mike hadn't noticed it before it would probably bring attention to it now. She looked comfortable, hoping her own mood would set the mood. "Please, pardon me. Sometimes I get a little ahead of myself." She started politely. "My name is Septerra, but I no longer go by that name anymore. I used to be a Jedi, so perhaps you've heard the name Septerra before. Now I am Darth Ruina, Sith Lord." She paused for a moment, waiting to see if there was any glint of recognition from her former name. There might be because she'd encountered Sith Marines on several operations.

She continued speaking, hoping to appeal to his sense of justice. "The Republic is foolish. They are willing to destroy lives and devastate planets in the name of righteousness. I was nothing but a pawn to them as a Jedi. Now I've opened my eyes, and seen that the Republic is nothing but a virus to this galaxy." That was enough background on her, she'd continue telling him her purpose. "Did the Dark Lord put me up to this? In his own way. I was sent here to aid your efforts, but also to find you." Her finger came up slowly and pointed to him meaningfully. "I can promise you that if you accept this generous offer, you won't be forced to leave your marines. For a short time perhaps, but after your training, imagine how much more effectively you would be able to command them? No one could get past your defense because you would sense all life. You could persuade a pilot to crash his ship with time" She continued going through the possibles of the force, seeing some interest in his eyes. "You would be in charge of the entire Sith Marine Corp, and under your leadership they would flourish." She now not only promised him training, amazing feats of the force, but now a promotion to the very top. She folded her arms up again, waiting for him to consider it.

Mike's icy blue eyes snapped to the golden lightsaber hilt at Septerra's side. After a moment he slowly closed them and looked up at the Sith Lord, an exhausted look on his face. When she stated her name, Mike narrowed his eyes and lowered his gaze to her abdomen area. He wasn't looking at her perse, he was looking beyond her into his own mind. The name sounded familiar- when the first Sith Marines had proven inadequete, the Dark Lord summoned Mike to form a new Corps in which the training was longer and tougher than any other in the galaxy. He had been told of several Jedi who had aided the failure of the original Sith Marines. Mike's eyes adverted back to Septerra's eyes. He shrugged, telling her he didn't recognize either name. When you're in the Sith Armada, you don't exactly get the best of news. The Dark Lord and Sith Lords could get rosters for any unit down to a squad level if they wanted to but the soldiers in the Armada knew it was not their place to know the names of those in the Sith Order. Ours is not to question why, but to do or die.

As Septerra spoke of the Republic, a subject that Mike couldn't care less about. He had fought against the republic in his days as a normal soldier- small contingents of Republic soldiers roamed around, one just happened to find Mike and a buddy. The two Sith soldiers wasted the Republic soldiers with ease. The Republic was weak and although held training camps for their military, did not provide sufficient training methods to the camp so the soldiers ended up being duds. A smile crept across Mike's lips as he remembered the encounter with the Republic he had. He remembered the face of his buddy who had helped him in the firefight- the buddy that just a week later, was killed by a sniper. Mike's smile faded into a straight line. His face settled back into the exhausted look. He listened as he made a list of what he could do. He knew that he couldn't refuse an opportunity like this.

"Alright, you've got me- didn't even have to buy me dinner first either," Mike said nonchalantly. He stood up from the ground and replaced the helmet ontop his head. A long drag ended the death sticks life; Mike threw it to the right while exhaling the smoke. "So, where are we going?"

The Sith Lady had to attend pressing matters elsewhere and left Mike to rebuild the damaged buildings upon the island. With it a rearmarment and restructure of the new Sith Marines came along.

((Septerra is busy for a while IRL so she's asked me to void her out. and I wanted to let everyone know that change is coming to the Sith Marines ))