Chapter 6 – Civil War Part 2

In Orbit of Reijar, Ordo System…

A vast collection of corvettes, frigates, converted cargo ships, starfighters and gunships assembled above the home of House Ordo. Their collective might with all of their clans gathered in one place.

Down on the planet's surface, Haron stood around a large holomap detailing a section of Mandalorian space with the different clan leaders. It was the first time in many years that the majority of the clans were represented here.

Unusually given that most Mandalorians were human, there were many non-humans in the room. Ordo did not unlike most houses hold prejudice against having aliens amongst their culture and had welcomed them into the fold which caused many other houses to look down on them but it had often given them a greater advantage in the past due to greater numbers and whatever those races could bring to the table.

Clan Hela'tha was one of the biggest clans which owned a number of planets and moons that produced good quality spice, Twi'leks that had once been slaves only to be integrated into Ordo as free beings. They were now one of the richest and largest clans, a number of other clans in the room were likewise Twi'leks many of which were former slaves freed in the different wars over the centuries.

Clan Raktar meanwhile were Cathar, whose ancestors had been taken during the Mandalorian Wars as slaves but when they had risen up in revolt Ordo impressed at their ferocity and skill as hunters had not only granted them the freedom they so desired but made them equals. Cathar clans now had a number of wild worlds rich in game and were some of their most ferocious fighters.

Clan Tol'Gra were Togorian, a feline race similar to the Cathar but more gentle and had become industrialists having a great complex for producing ship and vehicle parts.

Clan Hosk were the best pilots in Mandalorian space, controlling the mineral rich Hosk Asteroid Field. This group of Duros had originally settled colonies some centuries before but were conquered by Ordo and integrated into their ranks.

Clan Meritaal. Togruta in origin had been liberated from slave pits over eight hundred years ago by Ordo during a fight with one of the Hutt Clans. They had been given their freedom by Ordo and had been loyal vassals ever since with large numbers at their command.

Clan Militan were one of the first clans to join Ordo when it had become a House, made up of Mandallian Giants. Giant reptilians that stood at nearly ten feet tall they were heavily muscled with large pointed ears, a long tusk like bone plate and very sharp fang-like teeth. What they lacked in speed or flexibility they easily made up for in resilience and strength not to mention considerable prowess as warriors. Native to Mandalorian space they had embraced their culture as their own and now had good sized shipyards and foundries at their service.

Finally the last of the larger alien clans was Clan Nisz, formed by Mirialans that fled their home-world around four centuries before when it was occupied by the Trade Federation and settled in Ordo space. Now they operated a number of mines.

That was not to say that there were not human only clans amongst the large group, Clan Eldar namely but many of the aliens in Mandalorian space swore allegiance to Ordo.

All of which now gave Haron their full attention.

"With Bralor and Awaud now paralysed we will take the opportunity to strike at a number of important and crucial targets before they can regroup." Haron said with cold detachment. "A number of raids and main assaults that will make sure that they stay that way and cripple whatever fighting strength they have left. If you can take a hostage from a clan once defeated to ensure they comply with us."

A few smiles passed around the room, raids were an opportunity to not only enrich themselves but also prove their skill as warriors against a potentially worthy opponent. Not to mention the main assaults were even better in that regard, many of which were against former Ordo clans which was a chance to punish the traitors.

"Your targets will be given individually or in groups, if you realise that a target is too powerful for you to take alone then contact others for assistance. I will not sacrifice warriors lives." Haron told them and some looked disgruntled at the idea they couldn't take an enemy on their own but swallowed their pride, glad that unlike his father Haron wouldn't simply throw their lives away for his own gain.

"So with the boring part out of the way, shall we begin?" Haron said with a cold smile that all of them copied, they were going to enjoy this.

A Few Days Later...The Planet Roon…

Roon was a Awaud world or formerly swore to House Awaud anyway, Clan Roon took its name from its world and the system was surrounded by a very difficult to penetrate dust cloud. Routes through it were few but prized and the planet was wealthy from trade of spice, flame jewels and roonstones but wars and its isolation left it sparsely populated. It had only two settlements, both cities which contained the planet's roughly seven hundred thousand inhabitants.

But it was here that Ordo made its first move.

Their fleet pulled out of hyperspace and readied itself from combat they used one of the few routes available and saw Clan Roon had raised their defence shields but little else. What they lacked in numbers they made up for in strong defence system Haron realised as he stood on the bridge, strong AA emplacements, defence shields, weapon armed satellites...enough to make fighting through look very costly, Deera at his side however had a suggestion.

"I've dealt with this man before, Count Roon is a diehard traditionalist and if you challenge him as a warrior he will have to accept." Deera told him, the old way of challenging people for leadership was rarely done these days as most wanted to fight and few even respected it but given what he would have to fight through to take this world otherwise Haron had to consider her plan.

He sighed and nodded, turning to the communications officer and said.

"Open a channel." The young man was surprised but did as he was bid, Haron took a breath before making his challenge. "I Haron of Ordo challenge Count Roon, warrior to warrior for the right to rule. For the fealty of your clan."

There was silence for a moment and all of them believed as the Count was going to ignore them and they would have to fight it out, as the seconds flew by tension increased until a hologram of an old man appeared on the screen. He was dressed in full armour with a beard that they guessed was white.

"I accept your challenge to avoid a battle here, the terms are two of your warriors fight two of mine hand to hand. No armour, no weapons until both are unconscious." Count Roon said. Haron and Deera both nodded, since they were the challengers it was his right to name the terms.

"Agreed, we await your champions." Haron said and the hologram nodded before he disappeared, that left Haron with the job of choosing just who would be fighting as his partner. He could choose a champion to fight in his stead but if he wanted his warriors to respect him it would be better to fight one of the champions himself. Who should fight with him though? He wondered as he waited for Roon's champions arrive he saw his sister removing her armour and as he raised an eyebrow she smirked at him.

He had his partner he thought with relief, glad that someone he knew could kick anyone's ass was standing at his side.

Soon a freighter came up from the surface baring the symbol of Clan Roon, docking with their frigate. A party of Roon warriors exited and two of them were two of the largest men Haron and Deera had ever seen, huge hulking men with large biceps and standing there with bare muscular chests.

Haron stood there in the cargo bay to meet them like them bare chested with some pants on, Deera stood next to him with a tank top and shorts to preserve her dignity. The fact that his sister was the one fighting rather than one of them had annoyed some of the more chauvinistic warriors but more than a few were leering at his sister's body which only irritated Haron more but decided to let his anger loose on his opponent.

The two hulking warriors stood opposite him and Deera who both lost their smirks and focused on what they had to do now.

The pair charged, Haron and Deera too meeting in the middle.

Haron's enemy launched a punch that would probably had broken a rib if it had connected but Haron instead angled his body so the punch missed him by a mere inch before delivering an elbow to the face, stunning the warrior with how hard it hit. Haron's emotions fuelling the force into his muscles and letting him hit a lot harder than anyone imagined.

Stunned the warrior wheeled away but Haron pressed his attack, pivoting on one foot to strike him again this time with a hard kick to the ribs, an audible snap made everyone present flinch as some of the bones broke and without missing a beat as the man stumbled and howled in pain Haron delivered a second kick straight to the man's head. Sending him straight to the floor unconscious.

Deera meanwhile had her own fight to finish.

The other brute had thought he would have the easier fight given how much smaller Deera was than him, that proved quickly to be wrong as Deera with the grace of a jungle cat grabbed his fist as she stepped to the side to avoid it, and kicking him hard in the side just below the ribs. He wheeled away but she grabbed him and used the momentum to lift herself around his neck and wrapped her leg there. He stumbled and fell, struggling in vain to get her to release her hold but she tightened it and held him there, his face becoming red as he struggled to breath but she refused to relinquish her grip till he passed out.

Everyone especially the Roon warriors looked on in amazement, Haron smirked as he offered his hand to Deera who smirked too as she accepted it and got to her feet. They looked at the warriors who were still standing and waited patiently, an expectant look on his face.

The warriors then seemed to understand and slowly knelt before them, signalling the surrender of Clan Roon.

Haron joined hands with Deera and they raised their joined hands together as the Ordo warriors cheered looking incredibly impressed.

The Planet Harsee, Same Time…

Sadly the option to simply challenge the leader was not available on Harsee a sector or two away from Roon. Harsee was held but Clan Bendak, a family that had become rich from two very different businesses. The planet created stunning and incredibly detailed fine carpets, many of which sold to the richest people in the galaxy for their quality and style.

The other business however was far less benign, they had built a munitions factory which created excellent blaster pistols and rifles and had been one of the biggest suppliers of small arms in Mandalorian space although in the last century their operations had been subject to greater competition.

And as a key Bralor clan and supplier it was a priority target.

Neville watched as Mandallian Giants in enormous Mandalorian style armour hefted around large blaster cannons and heavy repeaters like they weighed nothing, gunning down lines of smaller warriors with ease. A heavy energy shield carried before them by a partner to protect them from harm while a second row of warriors carried power generators to supply it while the flanks and rear were protected by other warriors of other species.

It was certainly effective Neville thought, the heavy fire and protection allowing the Giants to cut a path straight to the heart of Bendak operations.

He wondered sometimes why he had accepted this life, seeing men and women shot did not really sit right with him. But he had a child on the way and needed a stable home for them he thought pushing those thoughts aside, a place where he and Hannah could put down roots and make a home for their child. One where he or she Neville reasoned could get all the best opportunities in life and to be honest the Wardens insistence on using only unarmed combat was very limiting. More than a few of the organisation had perished because they were not allowed to use weapons or even protective gear really.

As a Mandalorian he could use all his advantages; the force, weapons, armour and fighting skills.

Not to mention he thought having his friends with him again.

Eventually they managed to force their way to the centre of Clan Bendak's operations, the factory hub. Warriors in yellow and white coloured armour had a few heavier weapon emplacements but Neville saw a man with a cloak directing the fighting from the balcony ahead. The force gave him a twinge letting him know that this was important some how.

Neville readied himself and with a powerful blast of his jet-pack he took straight to the air and weaved himself through astonished enemy fire, the force guiding his movements to avoid each shot till he landed on the balcony. The enemy seemed stunned for a moment at his sudden appearance and how well he had made his way through the field of fire but it only lasted a moment before they drew their weapons.

Blasters shot at Neville but his armour held against them while Neville moved with force enhanced speed, lashing out with his armoured fists and feet, smashing into faces and stomachs with enough power behind it to lay people out with one blow.

The apparent leader, i.e. the man with the cloak raised what looked like a heavily customised blaster pistol and pointed it straight at Neville but he was already on the move and grabbed a firm hold of the man's wrist pushed it away while twisting it. The crack let him know it was now broken although the cry of pain was more than enough on its own, Neville then aimed his own blaster squarely at the leader's head and said sternly with the force strengthening his command.

"Surrender, this fight is over." He demanded and the warriors still standing or recovering all stared for a moment before dropping to their knees.

"Damn Neville, that was an amazing bit of fighting and flying." A voice said as Haron's cousin Erryk appeared nearby. He clasped him hard on the back before putting binders on the Count and other present. "You might not have been born one of us but you have the spirit."

Neville with his helmet still on nodded, glad to see they were more accepting of him as more than a few gave him sideways glances showing how little they trusted him and hesitated before following his orders not to mention he could sense their distrust of him but hopefully this was going to start changing that.

"Right." Erryk said as he got to business. "Your youngest son and heir will be held at Ordo till we are sure of your loyalty and hence forth you are sworn to House Ordo. Understand?"

Neville didn't like the first part of that, taking away a man's son and holding him hostage to ensure good behaviour. It seemed too brutal to him, granted it was only till they were sure of their loyalty which he knew could easily be expanded to however long they liked. He honestly wished it didn't have to be this way but if it kept the peace after…Neville stopped himself, not sure if he was ready to answer those kind of questions. Especially as he saw Ordo warriors helping themselves to the best Bendak blasters.

-x-

Reijar, Ordo System...A Couple of Weeks Later…

Ara and Hannah stood in the war room as news from different fronts poured in, most of the Awaud clans were surrendering at the first sign of Ordo forces showing up, too weakened to fight against them and without unity they simply swore themselves to Ordo and laid down their weapons.

A few however did not Ara thought with annoyance, some deciding to go independent while others had actually pulled themselves together and joined the last of House Awaud on the planet Draboon. That was where Haron and the others had gone to deal with them once and for all, it pained her to be left behind but someone she thought with exasperation had to run the war.

Not to mention keep Hannah company although who had chosen her for that job she had no idea, it irritated her no end. It was not that she disliked Hannah but she would far prefer to not have to be babysitting.

"Do you think things will be alright on Draboon?" Hannah asked her again and Ara rolled her eyes as she had already answered this question five times before and it was getting annoying having to do it yet again.

"They have far better numbers, the force and are far smarter than the Awauds of course they'll be alright." Ara told her with a frustrated voice but it lacked bite as she knew Hannah was just concerned for her husband and the others. The waves of emotion were radiating off of her.

"I hope so." Hannah said with a frown on her face, Ara with a sigh put an arm around her more insecure friend's shoulder and steered her out of the room.

"Let's go and get ourselves a juice and relax a little, you're getting too worried and that is not good for you or the baby. Once we've had a drink then we'll check in on Lelia, she'll be missing Haron and Deera by now." She said hoping the baby would at least get Hannah to calm down a little, not that she minded spending time with her tiny sister in law, she was an adorable child and always seemed happy.

Ara hoped that she never lost that with worry that the galaxy was not that kind.

Draboon, The Same Time…

Draboon was the last true stronghold for House Awaud, all of its surviving members had come here and rallied the clans who were still willing to listen to their call in hopes of saving their future and reclaiming their ancestral seat.

But it would be where it would instead end.

The battle was being held in the thick jungle where Awaud had a 'summer retreat' of sorts where they would hunt and relax and here they had tried to re-establish control of their shrinking territory, it was therefore where the last battle with them would be fought.

The thick jungle prevented tanks or anything larger than a speeder bike from moving through it, that meant fighting amongst the trees.

Haron with Deera at his side flew through the heavy foliage with their jet-packs, blasters in hand as they picked off warriors that came into sight. One the ground Erryk and his brother Orys matched warriors in hand to hand combat as they got closer and closer to the enemy base.

Explosions from rockets and grenades went off all around them as did the multicoloured blaster fire from different solders. Ordo warriors had a very bright yellow colour while Awaud had a variety due to different weapons being used by different clans. Haron saw a pair of Awaud soldiers coming up behind a few of his with grenades in hand, he reacted instantly and hit them with a pair of shots from his own blasters. Landing next to the men and launching a rocket at an overturned trunk where a number of Awaud warriors had taken cover, turning it to splitters and sending men flying with the blast.

-x-

Neville and Luna meanwhile where leading a force of their own through the jungle, using the force to guide them through to flank the enemy and using their jet-packs to move faster over land.

Luna was enjoying herself a lot, so many times she had dreamt of flying through the sky like a bird and now at last she was living that dream. She did a small twist and loop de loop for fun which given the sounds of battle were so close by it almost scared the warriors around them as they honestly thought she was insane. Neville under his helmet only smiled knowing that when things got serious, so would she.

As was proved later when the Awaud flanking warriors came into sight, the fun and games stopped immediately Luna launched her missile at a cluster of Awaud troops, shattering their lines with an explosion. Neville and the others followed suit, scattering the enemy warriors with a barrage of missiles before letting lose with blasters. The shocked warriors, some of them wounded had no chance of repelling the attack, falling so quickly some had no idea what was happening. Neville and Luna landed with their warriors and pressed forward into the surprised and disorganised enemy lines.

Well Haron Neville thought, your plan seems to be working and their lines are collapsing. Now its up to you.

-x-

Haron saw the Awaud warriors falling back from the combined pressure of his own force and Neville/Luna's, trying to retreat the shielded compound but to get there they had to get through one of the few clearings in the jungle.

Right where Haron wanted them he thought as he pressed his comm unit to send the signal his men high above were waiting for.

The howling of starfighter ion engines filled the sky as M3-A Scyk fighters dived down from high above, using thermal imaging to plot the enemy locations before firing the concussion missiles they had been fitted with straight into the clearing as Awaud warriors fled through it.

The entire section of jungle was lit up with powerful explosions, even their strong armour could not protect the Awaud warriors from the strength of the detonations. It was a horrible to see but in a single stroke the enemy force was broken, dead or wounded. A second wave of fighters then followed the first, this time armed with Ion Cannons in place of the missiles and started hammering the shielded compound.

The small but numberous ion charges immediately started to fry the shield emitters and soon the shield fell, Haron charged forward at the opening presented with his entire force behind him.

He saw the last few warriors clustering together, however soon they were surrounded by his warriors.

Haron stepped forward with his blasters raised and said with calm.

"This battle is over, surrender now and your lives will be spared. You fought as warriors, there is no shame in it." He told them, giving them at least the chance of surrender and save their own lives. Some of the warriors looked uncertain and looked to the one in the centre who raised a blaster aimed straight at Haron's head but Ara who was right at his side with reflexes granted by the force shot him in the head. The warrior's quick death seemed to take the wind from the other's sails and they dropped their weapons with their hands raised.

Sensing their capitulation Haron nodded.

"A wise decision." Haron told them as House Awaud finally came to an end.

Two Weeks Later, Ordo Flagship on route to Reijar…

Haron was glad to take his armour off, he was proud of it but the chance to dress in more casual clothes was also appreciated.

It had taken this long for them to confirm it, not to mention clean up after the battle but they could at last be sure that House Awaud was now extinct. This granted had not been their intention but with their destruction the last of the clans had fallen into line and sworn themselves to Ordo. Hostages had been taken which didn't sit right with him or he knew Neville in many ways but it was not forever and it meant they hopefully wouldn't have to worry about rebellions and it proved that House Ordo was not to be crossed. But also that they were respectful as the warriors who had surrendered were allowed to return home with their armour alive and that the bodies of the dead for both Awaud and Ordo were given the proper rites.

To rule over Draboon he and the others had established a new clan called Morfi, they had been administrators under Awaud and so they knew the structure of the planet and how to get things done.

Haron smiled as at last the war was finally going their way and hopefully be over soon and they could finally get back some peace. He and Ara had been talking and once the war was over they would remarry publicly, any resentment they had for the magical bond they shared holding them together was gone by now. They had both come to realise that they needed to make the most of it, rather than avoid it like they had before on Earth, it only wasted their time and the pair would not die with that regret again.

Still he wondered where Deera was, she had disappeared awhile ago and he shrugged. It was her own business what she did and he wasn't going to pry on her private life. He was her brother...not her father however as he thought of his sister a cold shiver ran through him. He instantly became serious and lost his smile, getting up to go find her as something in the force told him she was in trouble.

-x-

Deera was unlike her brother smiling as she zipped up her jumpsuit, from the bed a man relaxed covered only by a blanket watched her. He smirked before telling her.

"Do you think I can get a holding now? I mean with the war on?" He asked and she looked at him surprised. They had been talking and secretly dating for months now although today was the first day she had slept with him. Nothing had even hinted at him wanting a world of his own and it shook her slightly, a feeling of unease coming over her.

"We try to preserve existing clans rather than just wiping them out and even if we have to replace them its usually best to choose one from the local population as they know the lay of the land." She told him feeling very uncomfortable.

"I'm sure you can swing it, unless you want the called the 'Slut of Ordo'." He said with a smirk on his face and she could feel the blood drain from her face. He then pulled out a remote from the side of the bed and activated the holoscreen, her face became frozen with horror as she saw a recording of herself having sex with him. He just kept smiling.

"You honestly were a needy little bitch, it was so grating having to listen to you but unless you want your brother and the whole of the Mandalorian society to see this you will help me." He said, his smirk turning vicious. "Honestly slave whores do a better job of sex than you they can actually bring pleasure to their partners where as with you I had to fake it all the time, so you had better make it worth my while to keep quiet."

Deera honestly couldn't believe this was happening, not to her. Her entire life boys had been kept away from her by her father and at last when she had been able to date he had entered her life. He had been so charming back then but always she had felt something was wrong but pushed it aside as anxiety given this was her first romantic relationship but now she could see that for all his charm and supposed caring he was just using her. Her instincts had told her he was bad news but she had ignored them and now it was coming back to bite her.

Of gods she thought with horror, if this got out she would be ruined! Her reputation in pieces and Haron...she shuddered at the thought of him being disappointing in her.

Then just as she was trying to come to terms with the fact she was being blackmailed the door opened and worse Haron walked in with a face as hard as stone and had about as much emotion. His eyes however were more stormy than she had ever seen them, full of rage and fury.

She thought for a moment that it was directed at her but instead she then realised it was centred on the scumbag in the bed who scrambled to get up, forgetting he was naked in the rush to explain himself.

"My Lord, I..." He started to say but suddenly his hands went to his throat and he started gasping like he couldn't breathe. Deera turned and saw to her astonishment and slight fear that Haron had his hand out like it was wrapped around someone's throat, telekinesis she realised known as the Force Choke. His words however stole her attention.

"My sister is a grown woman, who and what she chooses to do with her life is her own affair but the one thing that will never change is that I love my sister. Whatever hold you think you have on her...is meaningless to me. I will support her whatever and do whatever I have to do to make sure she has the best life possible." Haron told him and with a sideways look he turned to her and gave her a slight smile.

Her eyes watered and the anxiety fled replaced with a great sense of relief, she rushed forward and gave him a hug which he returned with one arm so he could keep his grip on the scumbag, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. He then turned intently back towards the scumbag and peered deeply into his eyes.

"You think that you can bluff that you have a copy hidden safe where it can be released if something happens to you, sorry that is not going to work. The only copy is here in this room and once gone only three of us will know about this...or rather the two of us." Haron said and threw the scumbag against the wall to knock him out before going over to the small hidden unit which he had found while reading the scum-bag's mind. He let his anger out on it and the force wrapped tightly around it, crushing it into a small ball of useless junk and with it the recording was gone forever.

Haron then went over to the scumbag and grabbed him by the throat and dragged him out of the room, going to one of the nearby escape pod hatches, kept close to the living quarters for ease of evacuation. He threw him in one and then with the force trashed the beacon, exiting the pod before jettisoning the pod while they were still in hyperspace.

Deera watched the revenge her brother had taken on her would be blackmailer and was a little shocked at what he had done, ejecting him while the ship was still in hyperspace was bad but breaking the beacon meant that to scanners the pod was now almost invisible and nowhere near anywhere he could land. It was a death sentence and not a quick one either.

She was honestly scared of her brother for a moment before he sighed and walked back over and hugged her. She smiled as she felt his attempt to comfort her, returning the hug glad of the support and love.

"Just next time be a little more careful sis, there are a lot of people like him out there." Haron said quietly in her ear and hugged her closer. She did the same, vowing to be more selective and trust her instincts next time although it might be awhile yet she thought with worry at making another mistake.

All the time he was trying to make sure his sister was as okay as possible given the circumstances, Haron just thought one thing.

No one messes with my family.

Fenel, Demetras Sector…The Next Day...

Ara smiled as she put her armour on, glad to finally get to have some time to do something after weeks of downtime. She stood on the bridge of the Ordo's Revenge as it approached the planet Fenel, quite impressed at the substantial shipyards that hung in orbit of the largely desert world. It had not always been a desert but the world like Mandalore had been bombed heavily by the Republic during the Excision over seven hundred years ago and like Mandalore they still hadn't managed to restore the biosphere.

However Clan Yelde who held the planet however had used this to boost their business, with a loan from House Ordo they had managed to rebuild their large shipyards, one of the largest in Mandalorian Space and their industrial complex on the ground where they created very good combat armour for infantry and parts for ships. Those industries had made them one of the wealthiest families in Mandalorian society but perhaps to be free of any obligation to Ordo they had declared themselves neutral and refused to help Ordo when the war had begun.

That couldn't be allowed to go unpunished, Ara thought with coldness. Only the fact that so far they hadn't actually fought for their enemies would spare them an attack and being beaten into line, this was why she was leading it.

They needed a scalpel, not a hammer.

That was also the reason they were using the Ordo's Revenge, the corvette's cloaking device was crucial to her plan.

-x-

Nearby Deera sat with her expression unsettled and worried, not about the mission as she was confident in its success but in herself to do it right.

Her judgement had been so wrong with that ass-hole, she thought with sadness and shame. It was just as well that Haron had not cared about it and gotten rid of the problem, she shuddered at the thought of being under that man's thumb. But even though it had been avoided she still felt very uncertain of herself, afraid that her judgement would again be faulty.

Ara caught her eye and sighed, the older woman sensing her anxiety and fear and knew just well what had happened. Haron had told her about the sleaze bag that had tried to trap her with blackmail. It was in fact the reason Ara had wanted her along, to make sure the younger woman was coping with what had happened. She was strong Ara knew, she would pull through this with a little help but for awhile she would be very unsettled. She reminded her a lot of Astoria in that moment, she was always so unsure of herself at first worried at disappointing their parents because her grades weren't as good as she felt they should have been, that she wasn't as pretty as her older sister and many other things. Deera wasn't completely like that but at the moment she was doubting herself a lot.

Ara told the officer at the scanner station. "Keep watch, the shuttle should be approaching within the next twenty minutes." She said, sources of Fenel had told them that the Count Yelde and his sons were taking a shuttle to the shipyard and it was unescorted given they were supposed to be in safe space.

The officer nodded and watched his screen like a hawk, Ara turned to Deera and asked.

"You ready for this?" Her stare was intense but Deera refused to look away and said even though her voice was a little unsteady.

"Yes."

"Then get ready." Ara told her as the shuttle appeared on the scanner, tagged with a beacon by one of the loyalists. The ship carefully positioned itself over the shuttle and Ara turned to Deera with an expecting look and Deera took a moment to realise just what Ara wanted and swallowed before issuing the orders.

"De-cloak, then activate the magnetic clamps, ready hyperdrive for immediate jump." She said surprised by how calm she was able to sound and the three crewmembers at the controls did not hesitate to follow her commands.

The corvette simmered into existence and then clamps mounted on the bottom of the ship activated, pulling the much smaller shuttle upwards and sticking it firmly to the hull. Then moment it did the ship launched straight into hyperspace with the shuttle hanging from its underside the moment they were far enough from the planet's gravity well.

On the bridge Deera and Ara put on their helmets and said before leaving the bridge.

"Drop us out when we're in open space." Deera told them as they went to meet with their warriors. A few minutes later as they they felt the ship revert to normal space and with a team of their warriors at the airlock, this time equipped with a small oxygen supply. Nodding they entered the airlock and opened the outer door. Their jet-packs propelled them through the empty void and flying through space like this made all of them feel a little giddy but soon they were at the shuttle's window and saw the panicked looking passengers inside. Ara and Deera pointed their blasters at the window and slowly, the men inside raised their hands in surrender when they realised the threat and their intent.

Ara and Deera turned and nodded to each other, the capture of Clan Yelde's leadership from their own system would spread fear throughout all of the former clans sworn to Ordo, fear of reprisal for abandoning them in their darkest hour or worse fighting against them. Holding Yelde for awhile will enable them to make sure they did not make such an error of judgement again.

Reijar, Ordo System...A Week Later…

Haron smiled coldly as he saw Ara's gambit had paid off.

Former clans that had declared their neutrality at the beginning of the war were now near begging to come back, the fact Ordo had managed to kidnap Count Yelde and his sons from their home system so suddenly had terrified all of them that they might face the same fate or worse.

Those that had merely been neutral, they would be forgiven since they had not taken up arms against them and after a short while would be welcomed back into the fold albeit with a far more intense scrutiny than before.

However Haron thought with anger, those that had betrayed them by siding with their enemies...they would be dealt with most severely.