A Journey Back to The Battle of Cathar

**A JOURNEY BACK IN TIME**

( remembering the attack on Cathar )

155ABY

IC - Iron Apprentice Terrogate. Iron Knight Meliae Gwinwyndd.

(\*Survivor of the Mandalorians attack on Cathar around 4000 years ago, thanks to an extended Stasis / Cryosleep sleep Terrogates memory of the last days on his home planet before escaping had quickly become all but erased from his mind in his first weeks in the Empire. During a task for his master aboard the Hand of Feros Knight Meliae Gwinwyndd using a mind connect helps him to recall his past...)

Iron Knight Meliae Gwinwyndd

~ \*The Plantress of Darkness sat at the beautifully detailed table as Knight Deleritas spoke to them of the task at hand; she nodded to the Leutnant as he finished his explanation. Her vine-like hair was in full bloom and the smell of flowers enveloped the room like springtime in Naboo. Her eyes and body glowed with the same hue of amber and it radiated out through the room, casting shadows across the walls. Thankfully she had learned how to control this glow as necessary but around her leadership team, she felt calm enough to allow it to shine at its bright normal opalescent glow.

Apprentice Terrogate needed his mettle tested and she intended to do so. An interrogation of the apprentice's will and knowledge will be good for him she thought. One delicate finger began to gingerly trace one of the metal depictions on the table as she waited for Terrogate to arrive.

As the slave returned with the apprentice and her eyes zeroed on him like a Nexu stalking her prey scrutinizing every aspect of the sentient feline.

She listened as he recited the code and answered Master Gwathrens question regarding the genocide of his people by the Mandalorians. Her head cocked to the side as he did such. Her family had also been slaughtered but revenge was not possible for Meliae.

As the Leutnant finished his answer she began to speak. "Terrogate, I want you to relive that day, tell me what happened to your family vividly enough so It feels as if I was there. I will even allow you admittance into my mind so you may show me if you choose. Tell me at what moment did you crumble, if you did. I want to feel every emotion and if I feel you holding back, there will be consequences.\*~

Terrogate focuses on the Oberleutnant as she gives her orders… “relive that day” she says.. “show me..” Terrogate nods and steps forward.. stepping closer to Knight Meliae he feels a strange bond growing between them through the force. He can feel himself and Meliae’s consciousness merging and he sees her vines and leaves slowly and steadily growing, he smells the sweetness of  flowers and pollen. He closes his eyes and focuses, somehow he knows that what he sees she will also see. He can hear her voice in his head now.. it says again…...”Show me”! He’s memory of late had been spotty, he remembers only small details, fragments that come back to him while in deep meditation or when pushed into blind fury. The trip back into his memories would be painful. He knew this, but his master had told him, had warned him that he would taste pain today. And he had promised himself that he would take what was offered from the leaders, he would take their lessons of pain and suffering. Take them and use it to strengthen himself.

And so he continues, going deeper and deeper into himself. Almost into a meditative trance type state. His memories, or rather sections of memory flash into view in broken fragmented stages like taking hyperdrive skips through time and space in his mind and between them a swirling white and blue vortex. Each time he views the memory in the first person, blurry at first with muffled sounds but quickly focusing sight and sound as if he were actually there, then just as fast they become unfocused again as he shifts into the next memory jump going further and further back into his past. Short jumps only at first a day or two but as his mind makes continued memory jumps the faster and further the gaps in time become. The first skip🌀

He is in the training room aboard the house Feros, only the day before. Terrogate is practising his form 4 looking up he sees his master giving instructions, he is so fast he moves like the wind…then another skip🌀

Sitting in his room he reaches out and pats Jimmy the exploder his new pet Gizka several days earlier he feels happiness and pride, achieving his first monetary reward for story telling...another skip🌀

Terrogate is in the arena at night kneeling, his hands on his sabre hilt, his master standing before him arms open, light flickering. He sees his own breath as fog in the cold air. It's his apprenticeship offering ceremony weeks ago..another.. 🌀🌀

Terrogate is standing before the entrance hall to house Feros, in peon basic robes looking up at the shatter point sign, nervous and apprehensive about the choice to come. This was several months ago. Now another🌀🌀

Terrogate sits up sharply from his cryosleep, gasping for air and unable to see, his arms grabbing at faceless masses, confusion dominating his thoughts and mind...🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀

He is now standing at the cargo hold airlock door looking through the doors viewing glass, his right hand punches the garbage evacuation button and watches the lifeless body of his friend the Prince evacuated into the void of space, floating away still and peaceful, ice crystals forming on his whiskers. Terrogate feels immense sadness and also great physical weakness like he hasn't eaten in weeks...another skip 🌀🌀🌀

Terrogate is sitting in the cockpit of Roar-1 alarms and alerts are going off, sparks flash randomly on the consul wiring and somewhere behind him he hears the hiss of a dislocated gas tube of some kind. He looks down and the monitor reads in a flashing red warning sign ”ENGINE OR MAIN THRUSTER FAILURE!”.. Looking beside him is the Prince sunk back and strapped loosely into the co-pilot's seat. He is not responding and blood is running from his nose.. The memory skips seem to be slowing down now....🌀🌀

Terrogate is now standing at the open airlock of Roar-1 the Prince's Personal cruiser, blaster rifle in hand looking out into the open lawn of flames and burnt unmoving bodies in the palace courtyard, his shoulder is wounded and blood trickles freely down the inside of his shirt. The air is thick with smoke of burning trees and buildings and he hears screams of women and children and the occasional blaster fire in the distance. He turns around and sees the prince sitting with his back to the wall of the cargo deck, eyes open. Next to him also sitting with back to the ships internal wall is another, a royal Cathrian security detail. He has a serious wound in his stomach, blood is pouring out drenching his uniform in deep red despite his useless attempts to put pressure on it with both hands he is floating in and out of consciousness.

Close by he hears an engine fire up and moving to look back outside and to his right Terrogate sees a second transport take off towards the planet's atmosphere. Oddly he feels a sense of hope… Another skip🌀

Now Terrogate is backing down a hallway, he has a blaster rifle in his hand.. it’s dark and emergency power is emitting a low glow of light along the corridor edges, sirens are going off in the building. He hears yelling, people shouting and also blaster fire, he turns and realises the Prince is behind him. Continuing down the hall the shouting is getting louder and the noise of banging against iron. As they turn the corner he sees 2 Mandalorian Neo Crusaders standing in front of a closed iron door and behind it Terrogate can tell this is where the yelling is coming from and he stops in his tracks pushing the Prince backwards out of the line of sight of the insurgents. One of the Mandalorians opens a small metal flap in the centre of the door Terrogate assumes is designed for meal trays and the other one sticks his vambrace to the open slot and releases several small rockets into the hole, both then turning and covering their head with their hands in anticipation of the explosions. Terrogate feels a raw unbridled anger in himself as he roars loudly and opens fire at the 2 Mandalorians cutting them down as explosions go off inside the room shattering the small window located above the metal flap and smoke now bellows out of the doors shattered window and into the hallway, behind it the room is engulfed in flames. Desperate screams of the dying people behind the iron door fill Terrogates ears and he now feels the Prince tugging on his arm… “Common Jaja! We need to leave, we can't save them now. We need to get to Taris!!”...another memory skip..🌀

Terrogate is now crouched down low and moving fast pressed along a 5 foot high concrete wall topped with 6ft cyclone fencing and above that razor wire surrounding a large compound, aircraft and warships are landed close by and Mandalorians are patrolling the area. In the distance is the palace, the prince is not with him. Behind Terrogate following him along the wall and out of sight are several Catharians, kids mostly and also a few adults male and female, they all look terrified.

He stops and the others follow his lead, keeping low, a whistling noise is heard then about 50 meters away a rocket strikes the ground blowing a small crater into the planet, using the dust as cover he tugs on the adolescent Catharian males arm who is following directly behind him as a silent signal for the group to continue moving and they continue along the wall. Now getting to a corner section he stops again and looks around the corner to see hundreds of Catharian civilians being led into the entrance of the compound, some are chained together a dozen at a time, he can feel the young Catharians hand holding his sleeve tightly. Others prisoners are bound individually or in twos and trees, around them are dozens of armed Mandalorian invaders all on edge and weapons armed as they round up the populace like animals.

Terrogate sees his brother Tetè, he is walking with his hands bound, his ears have been cut off and he is limping clearly in pain as he makes his way in the crowd. Following behind him is a Mandalorian human with a blaster in one hand pointed at his brother's back and a machete, red from it's tip to it's hilt in blood in the other hand. His brother stumbles and falls over. The Mandalorian yells at him “ GET UP SCUM” his brother rolls onto his side but is unable to stand, “I SAID GET UP!” Shouts the human as he sinks his boot into Tetès stomach, doubling over in agony Tetè then manages to get up to kneeling, his breathing is shuttered from being winded from the kick. “OBVIOUSLY TAKING YOUR EARS WASN'T ENOUGH FOR YOU TO KNOW A COMMAND WHEN IT'S TOLD TO YOU, BARBARIAN”! Shouts the visibly annoyed human and without a bit of hesitation, in a single sweeping arc the Mandalorian raises his arm and swings his machete downwards onto Tetès neck, severing his head clean from his body, Terrogates eyes widen in horror and disbelief. A child standing next to the now lifeless and headless body of Terrogates brother screams out in fear and the Mandalorian immediately and coldly points his blaster at the young girl's head and pulls the trigger. Terrogate closes his eyes and hears the blaster fire.

At that exact moment a sudden explosion registers from the wall directly behind him, Terrogate feels instant heat and pain followed by pressure against his back of rock and debris, he stumbles forward from the blast. , turning he yells to the group following him but realises there's a hole in the wall where the adolescent male was a moment ago and the arm that is still holding onto Terrogate’s sleeve was no longer attached to a body… Terrogate yells ”RUUUUNNN!!” 🌀

Terrogate is standing face to face with the Major of the Catharian army in the entryway of what is clearly a war room.. A buzz in the air of at least two dozen officers and other staff at their stations calling out tactical information and checking radio waves for information on military targets and other strategic assignments. Terrogate speaks directly to the Major “ What do you mean they aren’t responding”? The Major answers “It’s just what I told you Jaja, we have tried to send multiple communications to the republic and the Jedi but we have not had a single reply. Not a kriffing one! No one is coming to help us son now listen to me, you’re our finest there is no doubt after your last mission, you have proven yourself more capable than any of or best warriors and frankly I'm lost for words how you didn't die out their it should have been a kriffing suicide run..” He falls suddenly silent as the sound of a muffed nearby explosion is heard, dust and loose dirt falls from the ceiling of the meeting room from the vibrations and Terrogate now realises he is in an underground bunker. After a moment the Major continues  “But we are out of time my friend, the Prince as you know is a stubborn man, he is the one we need to lead if our people are to survive this invasion but he is now refusing to leave the planet until there is no other choice. He believes it is his duty to protect the people. So I need you to make sure he escapes off world. The rendezvous is on Taris as we spoke about but getting through is difficult with the blockade.” Terrogate replies, “I swear to you I will evacuate him Major. On my honour.” The Major touches Terrogate on the shoulder, thank you Jaja. Your father rest his soul would be..…” his voice and face now becoming blurred Terrogate realises the memory skips are now starting to speed up again.🌀🌀

Terrogate now finds himself in the jungle, full combat gear and military blaster rifle in his hands. He is standing and has his back against a tree, he is breathing heavily and he is sweaty, it’s dusk and the light is fading fast. He hears voices coming from a personal communication device not far away possibly 20 meters or so. Even through the thick woods and through static, with his superior hearing he still makes out the messages of the invaders radio chatter.”......this way….” “.......he went through here... stay frosty men he has already taken out half of Delta squad….” ”.... Well, I reckon Cassus will pull out his teeth and wear them around his neck when we bring him to the Mandalore…”...”Quiet…. Look over there!... At once Terrogte sees the trees next to him light up with artificial light beams, the tree that Terrogate is hiding behind is suddenly peppered with blaster fire, wood and bark splintering in every direction.

He rolls low out of his quickly diminishing cover and dives behind a fallen log. He let's fire at the Mandalorian invaders with his blaster rifle taking out several of them with head and chest shots flawlessly aimed. They shoot back at Terrogate but he sprints out from his defensive position and into attack, he is pure lightning across the jungle floor and all they hit are trees. Flanking their position he runs past an invader and without any time to react Terrogate slashes at his neck with his claws opening his arteries and releasing his lifeblood. A quick shot at another, and another downs 3 more! Terrogate sees utter fury in his mind, he looks to the heavens and lets out a deep and primal war cry into the darkening jungle sounding a chilling warning to all invaders!!! RRRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! 🌀🌀

Terrogate is running through an open field of wheat, the sky an eerie blood orange colour can be seen through the black smoke, the wind is against his face and he feels it's heat. He is dressed in his Royal guard standard uniform, on his hip is his sidearm, holstered. He looks behind him and can see Mandalorian warships in the distance as well as the outline of dozens of Basilisk mounts and just as many airborne Mandalorian warriors flying above the mounts on their March to another distant Tree city. Before him is the edge of the jungle, large tree homes many set on fire dot the canopies branches amidst the trees like beacons. Terrogate is running to his sister's house, an overwhelming sense of dread fills him completely. As he gets closer he hears much screaming and crying in all directions, burning leaves, branches and dead Catharian bodies are littered on the jungle floor twisted and mangled, some with blaster wounds or worse. Overhead 4 Mandalorian Neo crusaders take off via jet pack from a neighbouring tree home to Terrogates sister Abbes house, their arms overflowing , carrying gold and silver jewellery boxes and other valuable items. Quickly moving to escape their attention Terrogate jumps over a burning branch and leaps over a small trench where a city Elder lay face down motionless and body twisted in unnatural angles, finally he gets to a possible position to look at where Abbes house is situated. To his relief it is not on fire, but then… A blood-curdling scream from a woman comes from her house. Terrogates heart is in his throat. Eyes fixed on his sisters doorway he sees a Mandalorian invader backing out, in his arms is Abbes, his sister. She is struggling but cannot break free. Her dress is ripped and exposing her natural form. She has a rounded belly and Terrogate knows she is with child. The Mandalorian holding Abbes from behind has a knife to her throat and as they both back out of the house Terrogate notices a second Mandalorian coming out the doorway with a Machete in one hand, the other holds necklaces, so full he cannot hold them all and a number are barely in his grasp, dangling free in the breezes as he approaches Abbes and her captor. Terrogate yells out but it's too high, they are too far away and no one hears him. His wasted cries are drowned out becoming one with the rest of the burning chaos surrounding them. As if in slow motion his sister turns, digs her claws into her captors back and then bites deeply into the Mandalorians neck just underneath his helmet with her sharp feline teeth. The Mandalorian drops his blade arm to his side and then thrusts upwards hard into Abbes stomach. She screams in agonising pain, turning around she faces the other Mandalorian now, dagger still lodged hilt deep in her unborn child, she has both hands now holding the base of the blade as she looks down at it. Raising her eyes and head just in time to see the 2nd Mandalorian swing his blade across her throat slitting her ear to ear. Terrogate screams and pulls out his blaster pointing it on his sister's murderer; he shoots one single blast. The blaster round finds its mark dead center of the Mandalorians helmet's eye slit leaving a smoking hole. He falls backward into the entryway dead. Abbes stumbles , blood pouring down her neck and onto her bare chest as she chokes on her own blood and tears for her unborn child. She falls backwards over the rope railing and free falls downwards towards the jungle floor landing headfirst into the burning ground. Terrogate drops his blaster, eyes wide open, hands held up in front of him moving slowly to where his sister has fallen. Tears stream down his face uncontrollably..🌀🌀

Terrogate speeds across a vast grass field in a sprawling valley towards his parents hometree on a royal security land speeder. He is desperately trying to reach his parents on the comlink.. “Dad….Dad!..... dad come in…. answer dammit! Mom…. dad… if you get this listen to me. You have to get out! You have to run! I’m on my way to you but there is no time. Planet intelligence has picked up an incoming threat you have to get out!!... looking upwards terrogate sees hundreds of red flaming balls streaming through the atmosphere and landing on the surface close to his parents home tree. He hits the throttle and is travelling dangerously fast in an attempt to reach his parents before the fighting starts. As he reaches the end of the valley and travels up the hill, he hears explosions and rocket blasts. The roar of thrusters and of fire. As Terrogate reaches the crest of the hill he hits the brakes and skids sideways to a stop. He can’t believe what he is seeing… total overbearing dread and fear fills his every fiber. In the distance he sees the huge tree city where he and his family lived his whole life now engulfed utterly in flames. A massive inferno along the canopy and the giant hometree in the centre was a red wall of flame. Thick black smoke rising high into the air in an enormous smoke bloom. Surrounding the main central home tree was no less than 20 Mandalorian war ships firing rockets into the massive natural structure. Terrogate clicks his com link trying to contact royal security ….. “come… in…. come in….. nothing but static..” he wiped the tears away from his eyes but it didn’t help they just kept coming… his parents were dead. His father, his mother murdered.. reluctantly he forces himself to turn the speeder around and hits the throttle…. he must get to the Major, and then to his brother and sister. War was upon them and now he was also the head of his family. It is now his job to save his people and to save his family. Tears once again fill his eyes obstructing his vision, the world turns into a blur once more…..🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀

”Hhhuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhh” Terrogate exclaims sharply as he inhales a deep breath like he was emerging from an underwater dive. The world coming back into focus he realises he is standing back in the council room with the house Feros leaders and directly in front of the Oberlutnant. He has tears in his eyes, his nose is trickling blood and his claws are protracted. Quickly gathering himself he retracts his claws, wipes the tears from his eyes and blood from his nose. Apologising to the leaders and his master for his appearance he straightens up once again and stands back to attention of his superiors.

Iron Knight Meliae Gwinwyndd

~\*Meliae felt the mind connect and was suddenly swept away in a furious vortex of memories. Her empathetic nerves connected with the apprentices as she was sent back in time, feeling every ounce of emotion he showed her.

She watched in first person as he released his Prince into space, feeling the dread that his people no longer had a leader.

As each flashback flooded her mind, Terrogate's agony began to set into her very bones.

She felt the rage as he watched his brother be cut down before his eyes. rage swelled up in her own body and a reactionary vine lashed out in her trance-like state. As she looked down and saw the arm attached to his sleeve with no body to accompany it, she cringed in horror. This brought up memories of her own race being slaughtered before her eyes and Meliae began to vibrate with the dark energy surrounding her.

She watched as the slaves were led into cells and became infuriated. she abhorrently disagreed with slavery, although she herself had gone to acquire them once for her master.

Meliae watched this like a horror story unfolding backwards, she knew the end results but dreaded seeing them come to fruition.

A literal jolt struck through her body as Addes fell to the ground below and the bellow from Terrogate shook her.

Her empathetic nerves were on fire inside her. When the final scene came of the home tree with his father and mother on fire, Meliae finally began to channel the energies into her force power, she had been so lost in their pain and anguish she had forgotten to control herself. Her body began to furiously glow with a deep amber hue, All of the pain from not only Terrogates but her own was funneled into her dark side.

As they came to, still linked through the connection, Meliae would notice tears that mirrored the Catharians streaming across her face. Her vines would be teeming with energy and slight indentations would have been made on the chair she sat in from her fingernails.

Meliae began to compose herself just as Terrogate did; sitting up in her chair, letting her leaves ruffle off the excess energy, and as her body began to calm down, her vines laid flat on the ground once more.

She looked towards Her Leutnants apprentice, he could see the fury still burning through her eyes as she began to speak "Terrogate, thank you for showing me your story. I caution you against revenge, for it is ill-placed rage and leaves you empty inside. I implore you to find an outlet to channel your revenge." Meliae paused before speaking again.  "Our life paths are much more similar than you realize." She said thinking back on her own journey. ~\*~