As the invasion began, the surface to space weapons opened up, targeting the Sith fleet. Three Sith frigates exploded immediately as the bolts punched through their shields and hull plating. But for every ship destroyed, ten more took its place, returning fire on the installations.
Vaelora watched the tactical display from the command center as the enemy forces descended. Ground forces were already in their defensive positions and anti-air batteries were prioritized for protection since if they lost them, they would lose any chance of contesting the drop ships.
"Begin evacuating all civilians to the underground shelters. Military forces will fall back to the city centers except for those stationed in key locations. We'll use the streets as death traps for the Sith army." Vaelora ordered.
The first Sith dropships touched down twenty minutes later, disgorging legions of Sith warriors and their enslaved soldiers. These weren't the professional troops of the Republic; they were fanatics driven by dark side conditioning and fear of their masters.
Leading them were Sith Lords, dozens of them, igniting their signature red lightsabers as they advanced. As Sith were gifted with high force sensitivity, she could feel their dark presence in the Force.
"Deploy the Balance Keepers to counter the Sith Lords. I don't want them reaching the civilian shelters. Standard Sith doctrine is to massacre non-combatants to break enemy morale. We won't give them that opportunity."
"Understood, Princess," the commander acknowledged, relaying orders through encrypted channels.
Vaelora herself left the command center and headed toward the front lines, accompanied by her personal guard of 500 Empyrean Guards. The city streets had been transformed into fortified killzone's, with barricades, automated turrets, and concealed heavy weapon positions covering every approach.
The first wave of Sith forces recklessly charged forward into the fortified positions. Imperial defenders opened fire from elevated positions, mowing down hundreds in seconds. But the Sith Lords scattered among the ranks deflected incoming fire with their lightsabers, providing mobile shields for the advancing troops.
Vaelora ignited her own lightsaber as she reached the defensive lines. Her blade was purple, which slightly matched her skin tone, and it was her favorite color.
She could sense the nearest Sith Lord, a Sith male who was cutting through the Imperial soldiers with brutal efficiency. She leapt from the barricade, landing directly in his path.
"Another Jedi?" the Sith sneered. "Your kind should have been extinct centuries ago."
"I am no Jedi," Vaelora replied. She leapt forward, her blade moving in forms that the Sith Lord didn't recognize. The combat style was Daimon's personal fighting form, a hybrid that drew from ancient techniques predating both Jedi and Sith traditions.
The Sith blocked the first strike but was unprepared for the second. Vaelora's blade carved through his defense, severing his right hand. Before he could scream, she reversed the strike and decapitated him in one quick motion.
Around her, the Empyrean Guards had engaged other Sith forces, their advanced weaponry and coordination overwhelming their opponents in all aspects. But more dropships continued landing, and the Sith fleet maintained orbital bombardment despite taking losses from the surface batteries.
"Princess, we're detecting a massive energy signature approaching," her tactical officer transmitted. "It's... it's Darth Malgus himself. He's leading a personal assault force directly toward your position."
Vaelora felt the dark presence before she saw him. Darth Malgus descended from a command shuttle surrounded by a dozen elite Sith warriors, each having a significant Force presence. The Sith Lord's presence was oppressive, like a weight pressing down on everything around him.
"Princess Vaelora," Malgus called out, "Face me, and I'll grant your soldiers a quick death. Continue hiding behind them, and I'll make their suffering legendary."
"Empyrean Guards, pull back to secondary positions," Vaelora ordered. "This one is mine."
"Princess, you can't….." one of her commanders began.
"That's an order," she interrupted. "Maintain defensive positions and protect the civilians. I'll handle Malgus."
She walked forward, past the barricades and into the open street that separated the two forces. Malgus did the same, his elite warriors remaining behind as he advanced alone. The two Force users stood twenty meters apart, studying each other.
"You're brave, I'll give you that," Malgus said. "Or perhaps simply foolish. Your father may be powerful, but you're just one woman against an army."
"My father taught me that power isn't measured by armies," Vaelora replied, settling into her combat stance. "It's measured by will. And my will is absolute."
Malgus laughed, "Then let's test that, shall we."
Malgus launched himself forward, his lightsaber coming down in a devastating overhead strike designed to split her in two. Vaelora sidestepped, her blade deflecting his attack while she countered with a thrust toward his chest. He twisted away, their sabers clashing three more times in rapid succession before they separated.
"Adequate," Malgus assessed. "But you lack the killer instinct. The dark side grants power through passion and fury. Your restraint makes you weak."
Vaelora ignored his words and extended her free hand, and the debris from a nearby destroyed building lifted into the air. With a gesture, she hurled the chucks of debris at Malgus. He deflected most with the Force, but one piece caught him in the shoulder, staggering him.
Vaelora pressed the advantage, closing distance with Force-enhanced speed. Their blades locked, bringing them face to face. She could feel the Dark side that corrupted his mind.
"You know, I heard an interesting theory that it was your father that created the Sith," Malgus said. "If true, that would mean that he unleashed the Sith upon the galaxy as part of his grand plans. Does that not make you complicit in everything we do?"
"My father gave you a choice," Vaelora replied, shoving him back with the Force. "You chose tyranny and slavery. That's on you, not him."
Malgus roared, channeling dark side energy through his body. Lightning erupted from his fingertips, arcing toward Vaelora. She raised her lightsaber, catching the lightning on her blade while simultaneously creating a Force barrier to protect herself from the overflow.
The street around them began to crack under the intensity of their fight. Windows shattered, and nearby vehicles were crushed by invisible pressure. The Empyrean Guards and Sith warriors watched from their respective positions, knowing that intervening would likely result in death.
Vaelora felt herself being pushed back by the sheer intensity of Malgus's attack. He was stronger than she'd anticipated, his decades of dark side mastery giving him an edge in raw power. But strength wasn't everything. Her father had taught her that much.
She stopped resisting the lightning, instead redirecting it. The dark energy flowed around her lightsaber, guided by her will, and shot back toward Malgus. The Sith Lord's eyes widened in surprise as his own attack struck him, throwing him backward into a building wall.
"Impossible," he gasped, pulling himself from the rubble. "That technique... I've never seen it before."
"I told you," Vaelora said, advancing. "My father's teachings transcend your understanding."
Malgus recovered quickly, but she could see the calculation in his eyes. He'd underestimated her, assumed she would be an easy target. Now he realized his mistake.
"Retreat!" Malgus suddenly commanded his forces. "Fall back to the landing zone!"
The Sith warriors hesitated, confused by the sudden order. Their master had been so confident moments ago, and now he was withdrawing?
"I said retreat!" Malgus roared, Force-pushing several of his own soldiers to emphasize the point. He turned back to Vaelora, his expression twisted with rage. "This isn't over, Princess. I'll return with the full might of the Sith Empire. Your father won't be able to save you then."
"Run while you can," Vaelora replied. "And when you return, I'll be waiting."
Malgus retreated with his forces, boarding the dropships that had brought them. Though the Sith fleet remained and continued to bombard the world.
As she returned to the command center, Luna's holographic image appeared. "I received your earlier transmission about the Sith. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, but Darth Malgus personally led the assault. He retreated after we engaged in a duel, but this was clearly a probing attack. The Republic and Sith Empire are working together, which means we're facing another enemy now."
"Father needs to know about this immediately," Luna said. "The Sith getting involved changes a lot.
I'll send what reinforcements I can spare, but we're still dealing with Republic offensives across multiple systems."
"Do what you can. I'll hold Ylesia as long as possible."
The transmission ended, and Vaelora looked up at the sky at the Sith fleet. Her father had created the Sith to maintain balance in the Force, but now they had become a threat to the Imperium itself. The irony behind it was something.
She wondered what Daimon would do when he learned of this development. Knowing her father, his response would be devastating.