The Akuls burst out of the crates and cries of Alarm soon accompanied their howls as the creatures advanced towards the hangar bay. Men opened fire at the imperial shuttles who had mere moments ago dropped the crates. House Imperium had chosen to attack exactly when the sun would be directly in the defenders' faces, the bright golden hues of the dying day making it harder for them to see their assailants. To add insult to injury, the Akul's orange fur made them blend with the dying rays, so as men squinted and fired up at the sky, they never noticed the creatures until it was too late.

Screams and gun fire erupted as the men fell to savage claws and wickedly sharp teeth, and panic soon swept through the pirate ranks as the screams of their terror-stricken brethren echoed through the battle field.

As the smoke and gun fire died down, ranks of house Imperium's Sith warriors and troops appeared through the thick dusty haze, and more cries of alarm went through the besieged compound. Turrets defenses and men started firing from the roof tops, giving away their locations.

Red blades swirled and intercepted bolts, while some more advanced Sith warriors used the Force to hurtle large boulders at their positions.

Calindra's brow was wet with sweat and dust, but she daren't remove her breathing apparatus which covered the lower portion of her face. Her long curly blond locks were hidden under a dark shoofa-like headscarf, and dark combat goggles protected her eyes from the dust and exploding debris that peppered them as their ranks advanced towards the hangar.

Lightsaber in hand, she swung downwards at one of the fallen pirates, and she moved on as his body even knew he was dead. A few of the creatures growled at them as they protected their meals, some even attacking. The later were quickly dealt with. More gun fire erupted up ahead.

By the looks of things, a cluster of pirates had been split from the main group and threatened their left flank, so Calindra motioned to the squad behind her and b-lined to intercept them. Wanting to keep her approach the less conspicuous as possible, she switched off her red bladed lightsaber, and shrouded herself with the Force, becoming just another lost soul that sought safety in numbers.

The pirates’ glances were drawn away from her, but her blending in so well would let her get close enough to strike. As she passed the first man, she activated her lightsaber in his back, delighting in his dying scream as the others turned around in surprise.

"Shit! Another one..!" someone yelled as gun fire erupted, but Calindra's lightening reflexes and martial arts training kicked in, making her very hard to hit. She jumped out of the way of incoming fire, and then turning on herself in a crouch, swept one of them off their feet. She kept on rolling, her lightsaber arm extended outwards towards another, slicing his leg off mid-tibia. With a flick of the wrist the blade thrusted upward as he stumbled and fell across the blade, his pain leaving him slowly as his body hit the ground with a thud, as Calindra followed-through with the roll and was soon back-up on her feet.

One of the larger and more seasoned of their group cursed as he realized that she was one of the Force users on the battlefield. He drew a vibrosword from its scabbard, keeping his blaster at the ready. ’A worthy opponent?' she wondered as the rest of his comrades fled towards the compound.

Grim determination crossed battle weathered face as he stepped forward to face her in battle, and Calindra felt a pang of regret at having to finish such a brave man's days. 'Such a waste,' she thought, 'but he could have chosen another life instead of choosing one of piracy.' She hardened her heart a fraction too late.

The pirate had fired his blaster, and if it weren't for her lightning reflexes she'd have taken a blaster shot in the chest. Instead, the shot burnt her left shoulder. Wincing in pain, she dodged two more shots and was upon him and abandoned herself to the moment. ‘Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me..!'

Soon her lightsaber met his sword, and the blades sparked as they met. His blade held.

She had expected and hoped it had been made of cortosis, it made this opponent more worthy and interesting, but the blades met only long enough for Calindra to parry his strike and bounce her lighsaber against his blade and to his blaster hand. He screamed in pas as it was sundered clean from his arm, and she reveled in his pain as she stepped back to avoid his retaliation.

"Looks like you need a hand," she taunted as she let him catch his breath, her own breath coming out as a rasp from the breather mask, making her voice sound eerie and metallic. To taunt him further, she placed her free hand behind her back. The intended insult was clear.

She waited to see how he would react to the insult, as he nursed his would and circled each other. Would he let his rage consume him at the insult, or would he master it? She hoped for the later. To her excitement, hatred crossed his eyes, but he fought and mastered his hatred before attacking.

It was decided, she'd let him live.

Their blades met once again, and she followed with a kick to his abdomen, then turned, and met his blade again with her own. This time however, she held it forcing him to force her own blade down towards her face. Then she extinguished her lightsaber as she sidestepped. With the resistance gone, his sword carried through; propelled by the force he'd been applying to drive the blade towards her. As a result, the man nearly fell forward. She didn't give him a chance to get back up though. She swiftly hit him at the base of his skull with the pommel of her weapon, and the man crumpled to the dust.

She picked up his blaster, and as an afterthought, decided to give him back his hand. She left it in his holster, and then hurried towards the hangar to join the others.