Kurs Janta: Triumph at Sullust

[Mr. Blue]

The year is 594 ABY. The planet of Sullust has been the site of much conflict since the reformation of the Republic. Now the Jedi have dispatched one of their own to try to make their membership in the Republic permanent.

Kurs Janta stepped off the Praesidia IV dressed in his traditional Jedi robes. He wasn't sure what to expect when he was invited to peace talks on Sullust. Republic Intelligence forces had lost any information as to the alignment of the planet. Jedi Master Kurs Janta was their solution to the intelligence issues, so the Military Council member was dispatched upon receiving invitation.

The dark environment of the underground society of Sullust was an interesting one. It reminded Ben Darklighter of his days training in the compounds below Ilum's icy surface. He hated playing guard duty for Jedi Masters. For the most part it was boring, as they always had all the fun killing any attackers. Unfortunately for Darklighter, he had managed to annoy or anger every commanding officer he ever had, and so he was usually placed on the boring jobs, like playing baby sitter for Jedi Masters.

After the two men walked for several meters, escorted by a protocol droid welcoming them in every way its processors could imagine, they were met by two short Sullustans wearing regal uniforms.

"Welcome, Master Janta. We are rather excited that you accepted our invitation. Quickly, we must meet with Prime Minister Rell."
"The pleasure is all mine," assured Kurs Janta. "Let's get this underway."

The Nautolan and his commando followed the two royal guards through a series of tunnels until they reach a large tunnel brilliantly lit, with a single round table placed in the center, covered in food. The man sitting at the table stood up at the sight of his guests and smiled, his mouse-like eyes glowing.

"Jedi Master Janta! It's such an honor to welcome you to our humble planet. I am Prime Minister Rell Nuft."
"It is an honor to meet you, Prime Minister."

The Sullustan rushed forward at the Jedi Master and thrust out a hand toward the bowing Nautolan. Darklighter moved his hand toward the pistol on his hip as he searched the intent of the Prime Minister. The Nautolan simply smiled and returned the handshake. As the he did, a piece of parchment was placed in his hand. The two men headed towards the table. As soon as he sat down, Kurs read the note.

No time! It's a trap! Please HELP!

Darklighter felt it as the Jedi Master sent an alarming ripple through the Force. Suddenly a voice boomed in the room, as a human in black robes entered the room with two armored troopers trailing.

"You FOOL! I knew the instant he read that silly note, Nuft!"

Color drained from the Sullustan's eyes as he turned toward the man. "Please, grant me mercy Master Krawn!"

By this time the Jedi had stood back up, keeping his hands close to his lightsabers.

The Sith laughed. "This shall not go unpunished."

He looked at the to troopers who had followed him in, and Kurs watched in horror as they leveled their blasters on the Sullustan Prime Minister. Suddenly two blue blaster bolts struck each trooper in the head, dropping them before they could even take a shot. Kurs turned back to see Darklighter clutching two pistols in his hands.

"You fool!" the Sith said as he glared at the Jedi Commando. "This Sullustan shall die, and you will be joining him!"

Lightning erupted from his hands as Force energy surged through both Darklighter and the Prime Minister.

"You forgot about me!" yelled Kurs as he leaped forward, drawing his purple lightsaber. The Sith smiled and jumped back, avoiding the powerful swipe through the air where he had been just moments before.

"On the contrary, Jedi, I am quite prepared."

The Sith grabbed the lightsaber on his belt and twirled it as a red blade ignited on either end.

"Inquisitor, eh?" smiled Kurs. "I have a special present for you."

The Sith smirked as a second lightsaber flew to the Nautolan's left hand. A blue blade erupted from the bottom of the hilt, and Kurs took his battle position.

"RAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" The Sith yelled as he rushed Kurs with all his force. His first motion was a stab, which Kurs deflected to his right. The Sith quickly spun and attacked with the other blade, which Kurs managed to block with his blue saber. He continued a flurry of attacks as the Jedi easily deflected every blow.

"Your over-confidence is a weakness you should have overcome before challenging me, Sith."

The Sith laughed as he dropped back. "Lightsaber combat is just one facet of battle we can explore, Jedi."

Lightning erupted from the Sith's opposite hand. Kurs flipped up both sabers and blocked the electric onslaught. After a few moments the Sith stopped, and Kurs smiled as he stared the Sith in the eyes. "My turn."

A look of shock developed on the human's face as Kurs dropped his activated lightsabers. Before they struck the ground, though, they began to spin, floating in mid-air. Soon the Sith was looking at the Jedi through the blur of purple and blue blades. Kurs brought back his hands and shot a massive swell of gravity at the man, who dropped his saber and brought both hands up to keep from being knocked back by Kurs's Force push.

Suddenly the sound of a blaster rifle echoed through the hall. The blue bolt entered into the Sith's forehead as a surprised look washed over his face. His now lifeless body flew back against the wall, and Kurs turned back, allowing his lightsabers to clank on the floor. "Excellent job, Captain."

Ben Darklighter stood with a sniper rifle held firmly in both arms, his finger just leaving the trigger. Darklighter smiled at the Jedi. "Nobody zaps me."

"It's ok, Prime Minister," said Kurs, as he retrieved his lightsaber hilts from the floor. "They have been defeated."

The Sullustan slowly rose from behind the table, shaking violently. "Th-th-thank you s-so much, M-master J-jedi."

[Mr. Blue]

"P-please h-help us," said the Sullustan Prime Minister, as he calmed down. "The Sith have several garrisons stationed throughout the planet."

The Nautolan nodded. "You ready to take out some Sith, Darklighter?"

The commando smiled. "And I thought this assignment was gonna be boring."

"Thank you so much, Master Jedi," said Nuft. "The Republic has our loyalty."

The Nautolan smirked. "These have got to be the fastest peace talks I've ever attended."

Suddenly his smile faded, and Ben nodded. He felt it too. Several Sith were approaching.

"Captain, protect the Prime Minister. I'll take care of these men," ordered the Jedi. He then pressed a button on his comlink. "Admiral, it is as we feared. We're going to have to fight the Sith for control of Sullust. Please start sending troops. We'll start off by taking the capital."

"Yes sir," answered a voice from the comlink.

Kurs turned back to see Darklighter rushing the Prime Minister back to where they had entered. "May the Force be with you," Kurs said quietly. He then turned back to the door where the Sith had entered. He grabbed a hilt from his belt and activated the purple blade. His feet then started to carry him to the next room, where he felt several men ready to attack.

With a massive swell Kurs Janta forced the door open, ripping a hole in the wall and smashing the men behind the door into the wall on the opposite side of the next room. Kurs entered, staring at 10 Sith Troopers, most of them nearly trembling at the sight of this Jedi Master who had killed their commanding officer. The lead trooper screamed and opened fire on Kurs, who reflected several blasts back to their owner. As the trooper fell with several smoldering holes in his torso, the others began to open fire as well. Kurs blocked a couple before jumping up and over the troopers. Without hesitation he sliced through the back of a trooper while the others turned around. Quickly he skewered another on his blade, and then spun and decapitated another. The remaining soldiers began to shoot again, and Kurs flipped back, deflecting several bolts.

Kurs then flicked his wrist, and the other lightsaber flew from his belt, activating and plunging into another soldier's chest. Now only half remained as the blue blade deactivated and fell to the floor. Kurs then rushed the remaining soldiers, destroying three with a single swipe of his blade. He then smiled at the other two. One of the two dropped his gun and sprinted away in fear, as the other nervously picked up Kurs's auxiliary laser sword from the ground. He fumbled with it and activated the blue blade, holding it out to defend himself.

"You don't want to do that, son," said Kurs calmly. "Drop the sword and run with your friend."

"N-never! Jedi scum!"

Kurs sighed as the man lunged at him with the blade. Kurs side-stepped the attack, and with one quick motion removed the man's arm. Both the appendage and the saber fell to the floor as the man screamed in pain. The lightsaber then floated back to Kurs's hand, and he smirked at the trooper. "Tell all your buddies that's what happens when you touch a Jedi's lightsaber."

Another laugh filled the room, and Kurs quickly turned to its source. Ben Darklighter began to clap slowly. "You're one hell of a Jedi. Looks like you've had plenty of fun without me."
Kurs smiled. "I try. Is the Prime Minister safe?"
"I sent him off on the Praesidia. He should be rendezvousing with the fleet as we speak."
"Excellent."
"So what's the plan now?" inquired the trooper, ignoring the screams of the injured Sith trooper.
"Well I figured we could take down the entire Sith army before the GLA arrives."
"Sounds good to me," laughed Darklighter. "And here I thought all you Jedi were just crazy hermits with lightsabers up your a-"
"Not all of us, Darklighter, but I know of a couple."
Darklighter chuckled as he donned his helmet. "Lead the way, Master."
"My pleasure."

The two dashed down the hall quickly. "I saw a trooper flee this way," said Kurs as the two sprinted. "No doubt to inform another Sith commander of our presence."
"I hope so," said Ben, smirking under his helmet.

Kurs and Ben soon found another room full of Sith Troopers and a robed, masked figure clutching the hilt of a lightsaber. The trooper who had ran before was floating in the air, grasping his throat. "Coward," a robotic voice sounded from the Sith warrior's mask. He activated his lightsaber and decapitated the trooper. "Find this Jedi and kill him! If you fail, and he does not kill you, I will finish you myself!"

Kurs stepped into the room. "No need to search," he said, stealing the attention from the Sith Lord.
"Bold, Jedi. You are no coward. Even the brave can be fools, though."
"I see only one fool standing with a lightsaber before me."
The masked Sith laughed. "Kill him!"

The dozen or so troopers began to open fire on Kurs, and as he deflected the shots blue bolts shot from the hallway. Darklighter entered, firing off pistols in both hands. Within moments the Sith Lord's entourage was dead. Darklighter then popped off a couple shots at the dark warrior, who quickly activated his saber and deflected both attacks.

"Stand down, Captain. This one is mine," smirked Kurs, as he pointed his purple blade at the Sith.
"You damn Jedi are all the same," argued Darklighter, as he shot a groaning trooper. "Always stealing my fun."

The Sith shook his head and lunged at Kurs, who dodged his attack easily. The Sith turned and unleashed a flurry of hard swings at the Nautolan's head. Kurs blocked each blow, but he knew that the Sith was a far better swordsman. He deflected another attack and pushed the Sith back with a hard Force push. The Sith responded with a powerful surge of lightning, which Kurs caught with his blade, and manipulated it to sheath his sword in Force energy. "That's a nifty trick," said the Sith in a half annoyed voice. "Too bad it won't save you!"

They clashed lightsabers again, and the lighting surged through both blades before wrapping itself around the Sith. He flew backwards as the lighting that wrapped itself around his arms and lightsaber exploded. His lightsaber ruptured to pieces, and Kurs slid back a few feet as he took some back fire. He then rushed at the recovering Sith and thrust his saber through the man's chest.

Deactivating his blade Kurs turned away from his opponent, who fell to his knees, and then to the floor, dead. "Come Captain. We must find the Lord of this system. He will most likely be coordinating the defenses."
Darklighter nodded, and the two continued on.

[Mr. Blue]

20 gunships similar to those used so many generations ago in the Clone Wars burst through Sullust's atmosphere. Immediately they were met with anti-air gunfire. As one burst into flames and fell from the sky a voice broke through the intercoms of all the ships.

"Pilots," the voice spoke calmly. "Puncture a hole into a cavern with rocket fire. We will rendezvous with General Janta as soon as we make it into the city. Do not stop, or engage hostiles on ground level. The battle is downstairs, boys and girls. Commander Fornan out."

The Iridonian commando deactivated the comlink in his helmet and clenched his scatterblaster harder. He was a Jedi commando, similar to Darklighter, but he had seen several more campaigns than the captain.

His ship shuddered as the dropship to the right erupted in flames. The ships headed towards the ground at break neck speed, and an armada of missiles sprung forth from the remaining ships. An artificial earthquake shook the ground below as the ground heaved at the introduction of the explosives. A dozen or so remaining ships entered a fresh cavern, and grinded to a halt straight in the middle of the Sullustian capital.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kurs and stumbled back and forth as the ground trembled at the entrance of the Jedi army. "Sounds like the cavalry has arrived," said Darklighter.
"Sounds like it," smiled Kurs. "Quick, we must go meet with Commander Fornan."
Darklighter groaned.
"What?" asked Kurs quickly.
"He's the last guy I pissed off before I was put on Jedi babysitting duty."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fornan and several troopers jumped from a drop ship that laid on it's side. As they appeared several Sith troopers began filing into the brand new landing room. Fornan dashed forwards, using his Force abilities to rush the Sith head-on, before they could even realize he was there. A trooper dropped every time he pumped his scatterblaster. Blaster bolts barely made a burn mark in the commando's armor. He was invincible. Soon the entire squad was dead, and he turned back to his troopers, motioning them to follow him, powering down the personal shield generator on his back.

One trooper turned to another. "Close your mouth private. He does this shit all the time."
The flabbergasted trooper shook his head and followed the twenty or so troopers in Fornan's group.

"Phalanx Squad Leader to General Janta," said Fornan, as he ran past screaming Sullustians, racing back to their homes in light of the chaos.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kurs answered the commando quickly. "Yes Commander, I'm here."
"Sir, we need a rendezvous point."
"SuroSuub Corp. Administrative offices. That's where the Lord controlling this system will be. We're only about half a click away."
"We, sir?"
"Yes, your old friend Captain Darklighter is with me."
Kurs heard a groan over the comm. "Yessir, ETA 10 minutes."
"Very good Commander. Janta out."
Kurs turned back to Darklighter as they approached the exit to the Client Services center. "Looks like you have a date," he said with a smile.
Darklighter smiled and made a rude gesture at the Jedi.
"I'll take that as a salute, soldier," Kurs laughed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fornan and his company turned onto the street leading to the Administrative building. Half the lights on the street were flickering or dead, but the commando could see a regiment of Sith stationed outside the building, waiting for any attack. He motioned half of his men to take the flank, and quickly, but quietly, the squad started to advance on the Sith.

A shot echoed across the underground city, and suddenly the commander of the Sith dropped sideways, a burn hole in his left temple. All the Sith sprang into action, looking for the sniper.

"Damn it Darklighter, hold your fire, we're about to spring on them!" Fornan yelled quietly into his comm.
"Sorry Commander, but the General told me to." Two more shots rained down, killing two men next to a large comm.

Suddenly Kurs sprang from the shadows, and cut down two troopers. Fornan groaned, and ordered his men to attack.

Before they could even react the entire Sith regiment was destroyed. Whoever was not taken out by Ben or Kurs were cut down by the Phalanx.

Fornan approached the Jedi with a salute. "Hell of a rendezvous, sir."
"It sure was," said Kurs with a smirk. "Commander, I need you to start clearing this building. I need to find the Sith running things here."
"Yessir."
Kurs then turned to Darklighter. "Accompany the commander. You can't follow me where I'm going."
The commandos both cursed and saluted, and the squad burst into the building, as Kurs jumped up, through a third story window.

[Mr. Blue]

Immediately the Jedi was greeted by two Sith troopers enjoying a drink break. Before they could even think of reaching for their guns, though, the Jedi cut them down, and grabbed one of their personnel badges. He quickly made his way to the elevator, riding it to the 15th floor, where the executive offices were housed. The instant the Jedi exitted the elevator he was met by twenty Sith commandos, all pointing guns at him. "Lord Clysm wants you alive. Hand over your swords, Jedi, or we will have to disappoint him," spoke one.

Kurs removed the hilts from his belt, and handed them to the Sith, as they led him down the hallway. Soon the troops left him standing before a tall human dressed in black robes. A large chunk of the man's right ear was missing, and he had a scar that stretched across his face, as if he were on the bad end of an acklay's claw. "Master Jedi," he spoke, his voice hoarse and grave, "nice of you to join me. I was just about to have a drink. Please, join me."

Kurs smiled. He loved it when Sith did this. "I'd be delighted. Lord Clysm, correct? I'm Kurs Janta."
The Sith smirked as he prepared drinks. He handed the Nautolan a blue beverage in a small glass. Kurs smelled it.
"Don't worry, Master Jedi. Poisoning is no way to kill a warrior," laughed the Sith, as he sipped his drink. "It's just a Calamari scotch."
Kurs downed the drink, and looked at the human. "So are you going with the 'dominate the galaxy through power' speech, or the 'join us because we have scotch' speech? It's always entertaining trying to guess which Sith will say what when they think they've defeated me."
The smile faded from the man's face rapidly. "Rather arrogant for a Jedi, and especially one so unarmed."
"With the Force as my ally, I need no worldly weapon to defeat you."
"You forget, the Force can be made to bring you to an end too, Jedi."
"Yes, maybe if I were in the presence of someone who was stronger in the Force than a bantha."

The Sith cast the glass of scotch to the ground, the glass shattering. "Thank you for making up my mind, Jedi. I wasn't sure how to end you." Lightning burst from his hands towards Kurs, who quickly brought his hands up to absorb the attack. The Jedi slid back a few feet as the lightning diminished in his palms.

"My turn." The Sith flew back, out of the 15th story window, and Kurs turned to the troopers who had remained to guard the Jedi, smashing them all against the wall. He then snatched his sabers with the Force, and sprang out of the window. Two floors below a docking bay jutted out from the building, and a Sith with two purple sabers drawn awaited Kurs. As soon as the Jedi landed Darth Clysm rushed at him, aiming to skewer the Jedi. Kurs spun out of the wait, and activated both of his lightsabers. The Sith then rushed Kurs again, who jumped over him, and swung to slice open the man's back. The Sith turned and deflected away the attack, before swinging to decapitate the Jedi. Kurs bent back, avoiding the attack, and then sprung forward, tackling the Sith. The human fell back as the Nautolan pounced on him, and dropped both sabers. He punched Kurs in the face and shot his hand out to grab one of his dropped sabers. Kurs jumped back and sliced the hilt in half. The Sith yelled with rage and sprang to his feet. He shot Kurs with a huge amount of Force energy, sending the Jedi tumbling backwards, and then he retrieved his remaining lightsaber. He then jumped in the air and slashed down on Janta, who rolled to avoid the attack without a moment to spare. Kurs then jumped to his feet, and held a stance.

"You cannot defeat me with anger, Sith."
"And you cannot defeat me without it!" yelled the Sith, who unleashed a flurry of attacks on the Jedi.
As he deflected them, Kurs answered. "On the contrary, all I need is a little patience."

Kurs kicked the Sith midattack, and then sliced through the hilt of Clysm's remaining sword. The Sith's face erupted with rage, and lighting sprang from his hands at Kurs with the ferocity of a Kaminoan storm. Kurs blocked the attack with his lightsabers, but as the lightning exploded from the man's rage, Kurs was tossed back like a doll. Both of his lightsabers clinked as they hit the ground. Kurs shook his head and grabbed the hilt to his purple lightsaber, sitting next to him. The Sith flicked Kurs's remaining blade to his hand and activated the cerulean blade. "You owe me a new ligthsaber, Jedi."

The Sith charged Kurs, who rolled out of the way, and struck back. The Sith blocked the attack, and began to unleash another flurry of attacks on the panting Jedi. Suddenly Kurs shoved his shoulder into the man, and spun quickly, passing his lightsaber through Darth Clysm's chest. "Just patience, Sith."

The Sith dropped Kurs's lightsaber, and fell backwards, life draining from his red eyes. Kurs picked up his other lightsaber and clipped both to his belt. "Commander," he spoke into his comm, "the Sith Lord has been disposed of. Where are you?"
"Just cleaning up the 12th floor, sir."
"Wonderful, I'll meet you there soon."

[Mr. Blue]

A soldier attached a sensor dish to a transportable computer, pulling his hand away quickly when the locking mechanism pinched his finger. The man he was with laughed. "Careful private, wouldn't want you to break a nail."
"Shut up," said the private, slightly frustrated.

Both soldiers stood in front of the building that had just become a Sith System Lord's grave. They had been left behind, on guard duty, while the Jedi and Phalanx Squad had went in to clear the building. Several feet away Captain Ben Darklighter sat on a transport box, cleaning his rifle, helmet at his side. He had been ordered to remain on guard duty as well, no doubt because of his less than loving relationship to Commander Fornan. He looked up from his gun when he felt fear wash over the mind of the private through the Force. "What's wrong?" he quickly asked.

The young soldier looked up from the computer screen. "I'm picking up at least 100 bodies heading this way, no more than half a click away."
Darklighter swore. Immediately the other soldier pressed a button on his comm. "Phalanx 7 to Phalanx Leader."
"Go ahead Phalanx 7."
"Sir, we read at least one hundred bodies headed this way on the scanner, approximately half a click east."
"That's where the drop ships are."
"Yessir, looks like they followed us."
"Very well, we'll be down shortly. I'll inform the general. Get those barricades up. Phalanx Leader out."

Darklighter stood up and pulled his helmet on his head. He picked up his gun and started towards the entrance to the building.
"Where are you going?" asked the older soldier.
"Where I can actually get some shots off," he replied, gesturing upwards.
"But the Commander ordered us to set up the bar-"
"I'm not a part of your little Phalanx Club. I don't have to listen to him. I'm going to where I can do the most good, and I'm sure General Janta would agree with me."
The soldier shook his head, and Ben continued into the building.

A couple minutes later the remainder of the Phalanx squad exited the building.
"Where's Captain Darklighter?" Fornan inquired quickly, not even trying to mask his vexation.
"He went 'where he could find a better shot' sir."
"Idiot. General Janta, your commando is insubor-"
"He's fine," said Kurs calmly. "Besides, a sniper wouldn't be so bad right now anyway."
The Commander grumbled and turned to his squad. "Form up men, we're about to have some fun."

The commander the removed a small disc from his belt and held it by the handle. Suddenly four blue beams shot out perpendicular from each other and began to fan out. Soon he held a 3' x 4' oval energy shield in his left arm. The rest of the squad followed suit.

"Here they come!" spoke Darklighter through Kurs's comm. Several floors up he watched the advancing army through the scope of his sniper rifle.
"Looks like they're marching in a square formation, ten per line. I count about nine or ten lines of em."

The men of Phalanx squad tightened together in a large line, each man holding his shield to protect himself and some of the man to his left. Kurs stood behind them. Red blaster bolts erupted from the approaching Sith, hundreds of lasers bouncing off the shields of the troopers.

"I see a dozen Sith with lightsabers," said Darklighter. Then Kurs looked up as he heard Darklighter's rifle fire. "Make that eleven."

Soon the Sith found that their tactic of shooting mindlessly at the Phalanx was not going to work. They ceased fire, and the first few lines, led by a couple Sith warriors, rushed at the shielded soldiers.
"Incoming!" yelled Fornan, and as soon as the troopers approached the squad shields deactivated and they were met with a large volley of scatterblaster fire, before reactivating their energy shields. One warrior survived and jumped over the men. He sliced at one man with his crimson blade before Kurs rushed him and struck him down.

It took several more lines of Sith troopers dying before they discovered that the tactic of rushing the shielded men wasn't very effective. Darklighter remained busy picking off any of the Sith that looked like they could pose a problem to the phalanx. They stood their ground and began firing on the squad.

"Beta squad, covering fire!" yelled Fornan, and half of the Phalanx broke off, rushing the Sith with their scatterblasters and shields while the other half sat back and shot hundreds of blue bolts at the Sith with chain guns. Within a few minutes most Sith troopers were dead or fleeing, and Kurs and the attacking half of Fornan's squad returned to their brothers with yells of excitement and victory.

Ben smiled and lowered his rifle. Suddenly a red glow in the distance flashed. He quickly scoped the area, and his smile disappeared. "General Janta, I think that was just the first wave..."

[Mr. Blue]

"Commander, we have more coming," Kurs quickly told the Zabrak. "Darklighter counts twice as many troopers with Sith warrior escorts. We must retreat. Call for our evac."
"I'm sorry sir," replied Fornan, as he held his shield up to block the wave of blaster fire incoming. "We were YOUR evac."
The Nautolan cursed.

Kurs shouted into his comlink over the blaster fire. "Admiral, we need immediate evac!"
"I'm sorry general, but your planned evacuation should have arrived."
"It did. Right now we're fighting off a Sith army."
"I'll see what I can do, general. It's a global assault, so ships are scarce."
"Yes, I know Admiral. Thank you."
"That doesn't sound good," said Fornan.
"No Commander, it does not. Cover me for a few minutes, I'm going to buy us some time."
Kurs looked up at the ceiling of the underground chamber the city was in. Buildings hung from the roof as close together as they stood from the floor of the giant cavern. His eyes focused on one building. "Commander, I need five minutes."
Fornan nodded. "You heard him men! Stand your ground! Let's show the general what Phalanx Squad is made of!"
"Hooah!" all the men cried, and hunched behind their shields, preparing for the next wave.

Kurs deactivated his lightsaber, and focused on the building he had spotted. It began with a flicker, like a spark of the Force had ignited in his core. Soon that spark began to kindle, and Kurs nursed his connection to the Force. The feeling then began to expand, filling the core of his body completely. Then he felt the flow of energy surge through his arms, and to his fingertips. Suddenly he felt everything in his immediate area. He could feel the beads of sweat forming on Fornan's brow, as the man's nerves clashed with his incredible strength and courage. He felt the fear of the soldiers of Phalanx squad, and their bravery, as they stood lined up with a thin aura of energy separating them from blaster bolts aimed to destroy them. He expanded further, and could feel Ben Darklighter's lungs release air as his finger squeezed the trigger of his sniper rifle. And as the power of the Force enveloped him, Kurs could feel every advancing Sith trooper who's end he was about to bring. Finally, Kurs Janta found what he was looking for. Foundations of the hanging building began to crack.

"Energy shields are beginning to lose power general! We only have a few more minutes!" yelled Fornan.

Kurs felt the commander's urgency, and he focused harder on the building. Several pillars and walls attaching the building to the cavern suddenly splintered and shattered, as the Nautolan cried out with all his might, calling on every bit of his energy to concentrate the Force. For him. For Darklighter. For Fornan. For Phalanx Squad. For Sullust. For the Jedi. For the Republic. He could not fail.

"Holy shit," said Ben over the comm, as Fornan turned back to look at the Jedi. Neither of them had ever felt a being so connected with the Force. The Sith armies faltered for a moment. What sounded like thunder cracked across the cavern, and the Jedi fell to the ground. The Sith stopped firing on the remaining Republic troopers and looked up.

"FALL BACK!!" screamed Fornan, as he scooped up the Jedi and followed the rushing group of troopers into the building.

The building hanging above the Sith released its last tendrils of support. Thousands upon thousands of tons of material hurdled through the air and crashed down on the Sith army as a plume of dust rushed across the entire area. Fornan covered the Jedi as best he could as the wall of dust pushed its way into the building. Ben fell backwards as the building swayed from the destruction adjacent to it. Another Sullustian business pillar toppeled over onto the pile of rubble that blanketed the Sith army. Within a couple minutes the dust settled, and the majority of the Sith army had been obliterated. Ben Darklighter finally reached the rest of the Republic forces barricaded in the building on the bottom floor. Kurs Janta laid next to the men, breathing slowly, unconscious.

"Phalanx Squad Leader to Admiral Antilles," said Fornan over his comm. "The Jedi bought us some time. We do still request evac ASAP, though."
"Our scanners picked up a major seismic anomaly at your location. What happened?"
"The general just defeated an army, sir."