Star Wars: A clash of lords

Chapter thirteen

As Leyl led her unit through the last couple of allies they had had very little resistance since the courtyard, even now nearly at the end she felt a strange pull telling her what ever was ahead wasn't right.
The losses they had suffered drained the groups morale heavily and also made them more jumpy, numerous times troopers have jumped at a sound and waisted more battery out of the already nearing empty clips in their rifles.
"Commander, no one will fault you for stopping this advance. We have sustained heavy losses and not one of us came out from the fall out with our injury" a lieutenant said as he caught up to Leyl as she stopped at an intersection of streets every way was clear of hostiles but still he unease brought cation at every moment.
Upon hearing the lieutenants words she turned and faced the unit "we are nothing more than human, if you wish to stop now due to injuries speak now as we near the emperors fortress. I promise those who take this opportunity there will be no reprimand or punishment, but for those who continue I promise nothing more than an honourable death and the opportunity to inflict as much pain on the empire, that we have suffered here" she shouted to be heard by everyone. The crowd did not move but hushed murmurs could be heard from trooper to trooper. Then a brave trooper stepped forward and said "I'd pay my life to see the emperor fall and not have lost everything in vain" Leyl gave a bow of her head as a sign of respect as the trooper looked to his left and right.
Then suddenly more troopers appeared from the crowd and stood by him. Followed by a few more, they were not the most elite group of troopers but they were willing to do their duty and Leyl thought to herself that she had sacrificed the elites of her units on the roof tops. This thought caused her to bow her head, was she willing to sacrifice more for a cause they were doomed to fail then she repeated her offer "those who remain will live unhindered from this choice, and those of you who join me may very likely join me in death" her intention was to give those volunteers a chance to back down but they stood as resolute as their intention to follow her then to her surprise a hand full more joined the fray.
Very well then they have chosen I am not sacrificing them they are here of their own free will. Leyl thought to herself more justifying leading these men to their deaths then to stating the obvious. "Very well those who have chosen to go go to the rally point C for extraction, those who want to see this war end or die trying follow me" She raised her voice not from malice or hatred for nearly half the legion that remained left but to be sure those troopers knew where to go, and slightly to make sure those staying new clearly one last time that this is a deadly matter not to be taken lightly.
As they made progress down the narrow streets finding their way like lab rats looking for cheese in a maze. They started seeing the other legions taking similar paths parallel to them Leyl noticed their units had also sustained casualties and she wondered what trap they may have walked into, but their numbers were still greater than Leyls legion and she began to feel hopeful again that this war could be won today if only the legions from other deployment zones were as lucky as the ones they now marched along side of.
After another sharp turn they found themselves at the outer court of the fortress in the centre stood a huge statue of a shrouded figure with its hood. Many believe this statue to be that of the first emperor on this planet others believed it was a statue of Sistros one of the four sages of Dwartii.
No one could one hundred percent say for sure because over the generations the facts had been mixed with the common census but what was known was it had been erected at the same time the fortress that stood before it was.
"Where are the military leaders, shouldn't they be here to assist in besieging the castle?" The lieutenant hastily said with a quiver of fear "if they failed then we are all dead"
"Patience, Lieutenant, the heads of the military can do things no one can do. If we got this far they surely will too with out issue" Leyl said although she herself didn't fully believe her own words.
"In war, blasters win battles not some mystic with a ancient weapon of light" the lieutenant said in a manner that seemed boastful.
"Do not underestimate their ability, I have seen what things they can do both beautiful and horrifying. They are as lethal without a weapon as the best sharpshooter you can think of" Leyl said with malice, as she hated the fact she'd never be equally as talented as the heads of the military, but she never allowed anyone to hear of it as she held the idea of command too highly.
Why couldn't you have been here Tacilin, this is what we joined for, I have no one to confide in, especially now when I need your guidance. As Leyl finished her thought she saw the gates, they were shaking.But the air was too calm to cause such large steel gates to fight their own hinges for freedom.
"What's happening Commander Leyl, I've never known those gates move like that in all my years living in the city" the lieutenant spoke in a hushed whisper so that none of the troopers would hear him.
The tips of the gates started to bend in on themselves as the gates shook with even greater ferociousity, that the streets echoed into the distance.
"I don't know, it could be a security defence of some mystical type" Leyls words came slow as she tried to find a reason. She looked at her feet and continued "maybe we activated a trap somehow, but we should move back just in case. We don't know what we are dealing with"
As she lifted her head to look back at the gates the lieutenant turned to relay the order to the troopers that neared two dozen where as they started with 650 troopers and ten force users.