“How many men does it take to kill these furry little buggers?” Ellac muttered under his breath as he stared at the holo-projection in the center of the assembly that had been gathered in the courtyard of a nearby Clan outpost. The conflict with Taldryan and their merry band of Ewoks was getting messy, with both sides losing ground as quickly as they managed to take it. But as the hunt neared its end, Scholae Palatinae knew they’d need a coordinated assault if they wanted to turn the tide.
“The answer, like always, is too many.” A low voice mumbled from beside Ellac.
The Knight turned his head to see the man standing next to him. “I didn’t think you were gonna come.” Ellac said with a smirk.
The man kept his gaze focused forward as he rolled his eyes. “You and I both know I didn’t get a choice.”
Ellac looked back at the projector as the members of the Clan Summit entered, circling around the table at the center of the stage. “Well, don’t cry too hard about it, Sennix. I didn’t get a say either.” He said, nodding towards the Emperor, who had been the last of the Summit to enter the room.
“Emperor Lap’lamiz?” Sennix said, staring at the Empire’s reigning authority.
Ellac grunted, but didn’t elaborate as he watched Kamjin clear his throat, stepping forward to address his army of Sith and Soldier alike.
“Ladies, Gentlemen, protectors of our beloved Empire, today we face a threat of the most curious variety. As you all know, Clan Taldryan launched an attack on one our own, Shadow Nighthunter, seeking to destroy her Ewok farm and free her pets. This transgression has not gone unpunished, as we dispatched several units to capture Lieutenant Colonel Teebu Nyrrire, and while they may not have managed to apprehend the Ewok Clansmen, we have managed to draw the enemy out into open conflict with our forces. Now the time has come for us to finish them once and for all!”
Roars erupted from the Clan at Kamjin’s words. *Ever the inspirational speaker, Kam.* Ellac chuckled to himself as he watched Nighthunter herself, who had been standing off to the side, drag a skittish-looking Ewok in on a leash, pulling him over to where Kmajin stood.
Kamjin stooped down to greet the creature at his feet with a cruel smile Ellac knew all too well. Grabbing it by the scruff of it’s neck, he hoisted the Ewok into the air as it thrashed about, trying to squirm free. “Adorable, aren’t they?” He said, a small smile spreading on his face. “These are nothing more than simple beasts, and will be dealt with as such.” Another cheer erupted from the Clan. Kamjin let the Ewok drop, and no sooner than he did did the Ewok try to make a mad dash for the door, even before touching back down on the ground.
Shadow raised her hand to the air, the sound of electricity arcing off her fingertips caused the hair on the back of the Ewok to stand straight before it collapsed to the ground in a trembling ball of fur, much to the delight of the audience.
Kamjin lifted his hand to silence the laughter of the Clan members. “Taldryan forces are making their way here as we speak. My orders are simple: All present forces will be divided into strike teams; One large group which will serve as the primary defense of this outpost, and and the rest of you will be tasked with engaging the enemy from their respective flanks. This will effectively divide their focus and allow us to eradicate the opposition. Your detachment leaders will provide you with further details.” He said, detaching one of his lightsabers from his belt, raising it to the air as it sprang to life with a familiar *hiss*. “For the Empire.” His declaration echoed across the courtyard as the men raised their weapons in salute.
“Ready to burn a few of these fleabags?” Sennix jabbed Ellac in the side with his elbow.
“Ready to burn a few more than you, you mean?” Ellac grinned over at his companion.
“Krast! You’re with me!” Someone shouted out behind the two men.
Looking over towards the voice, Ellac saw an Officer that had been standing near the stage approaching with a few Storm Troopers in tow behind him. “Looks like you’ve been assigned your detachment, Sennix.”
“And it looks like you’re with us.”
Ellac felt a hand on his shoulder, turning to see who it was connected to.
A man about Ellac’s height that he didn’t recognize stood behind him, his green eyes locked onto Ellac as he offered an unsettlingly charming smile to the young Knight. Standing behind the stranger, Ellac recognized Kah’ri and Reiden, but he thought he must be missing something the way both of them looked like they were trying to keep from laughing.
“The name’s Thran.” The stranger said, extending his hand. ”Thran Occasus-Palpatine. We can skip the pleasantries, I’ve heard them all so many times. Besides, I already know who you are.”
“Is that so?” Ellac reached to shake Thran’s hand, but the Elder paused for a moment as he inspected the scars along Ellac’s arm.
“Man, Mav really wasn’t kidding when he said he uses you as a chew toy!” He said with a laugh, glancing back at the other two who looked like they were on the verge of hysteria at this point. Looking back, he grabbed Ellac’s hand with a firm shake.
“Why am I not surprised?” Ellac said, looking over Thran’s shoulder at Kah’ri and Reiden.
“Don’t blame us, you’re the one who thought it’d be a good idea to head into the Jungle with Kam.” Kah’ri said, trying to compose himself.
“Guess some people just have to learn the hard way.” Reiden said with a nudge to Kah’ri.
“We’ll at least I learned, all you did was coddle him, Reiden,” Ellac said, pointing at the Equite’s former Apprentice.