The two Jedi burst into a room full of young students with low powered lightsabers deflecting bolts from small drones. The two instructors turned giving the two a confused look. "We saw that you would be arriving, Knight H'daru, you did not say why though." H'daru then began. He explained their tracking of the strange vibrations in the Force. The instructors listened intently. They kept their faces calm and serious. They knew the reputation of the Sentinel and that his senses were particularly keen. Once the explanation was done the two instructors acted quickly. They all knew that little time remained before whatever darkness that haunted the academy would be upon them. The three Jedi and padawan moved quickly prompting the defense forces in the area into a defensive position. They all knew this battle would not go well. They could sense the power of the Dark Side and it was cloying. The attackers would not be deterred so easily. H'daru turned to his padawan after they had inspected the air-defense towers. They were in good repair and manned by competent men, yet, they would likely be of little value. Their best hope was to hold the attackers at bay until support from the capitol could arrive, assuming it even did. The Republic was still hesitant to trust the 'hunches' of Jedi. It was unfortunate. They had seen so much evidence to justify the advice of Jedi yet all too often those deaf to the Force would mistrust those with understanding beyond their own. "Kyra," he began, "I need you to go gather the children. You must protect them at all costs. Take them to the lower dormitory and lock every door you pass on the way there." Kyra nodded. "Be wary master, I sense a terrible disaster may befall us." H'daru turned from her without directly addressing her question. She had not needed to speak those words. he knew all too well what his Padawan sensed. "Go. Make haste." he commanded before he strode off to guard the halls. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ H'daru stalked the twisting halls of the academy. He passed doors and locked them with his own Counsel ID code. Each door snapped shut with a hiss as the mag locks engaged. He walked with his eyes half closed, breathing deeply, surrendered to the Force. He could feel the silencing of life just as easily as he felt the shaking of the very stone from the areal bombardment. They had pulled that ship into a very low flight pattern and used it's ship-to-ship weapons to blast an easy hole in the temple's frontal defenses. As the Knight had anticipated, the anti-air guns were of little effect. They had not been designed to face a threat this substantial. Now all hope rested on the Jedi here and the capital ships that might be on the way. H'daru locked another door behind him and felt through the Force. Around the corner, five, armed lightly, troopers. His towering form suddenly appeared before the troopers in a blur of brown cloth and the steady glow of his green saber. He crouched low and swung in a wide arch. The blow passed through the two troopers on the end of the formation with a sizzle. As his arch terminated he opened his hand sending the saber into a humming whirl, guided by the Force, tearing through the remaining three soldiers with gruesome effect. He gave the dead men not a second glance as he pulled the saber back to his hand and switched off the beam. His attention was elsewhere. He could sense the approach of something far darker than the five now dead at his feet. He began walking forward, shrugging off his Jedi robe. His left hand flexed and one of the trooper's blasters sprang forward into it. As the grip made contact with his hand, the form rounded the corner. One of the Sith. The man wore a mask and stank of fury barely held in check. Without a word H'daru threw himself into a run sending a quick burst of bolts at the figure. As the fourth bolt left the weapon H'daru opened his hand and sent the weapon itself hurtling toward the Sith's face. His saber sprang to life with a crackling whoosh as the Jedi launched himself forward with a Force enhanced leap ending in a crouch and swiping at the Sith's legs. He had surrender to the Force. It would guide him to whatever fate was meant for him. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ The building shook with the impact. many of the children began to huddle together, plenty were sobbing. Kyra remembered being young like them. They were not too old to be scolded for their behavior, and, likely, would not respond well to person still with a braid telling them what to do. Maybe she was wrong though. These children had spent a good deal of time in the structure of the Temple. Kyra turned to the mass of children and knelt down. "You must all be strong. This is a situation can shape your will." Many of the younglings looked up from their quiet fear to the stalwart young woman. Some had stopped crying, "You must see the fear in yourself and understand it. Once you understand it you can let it go. You fear pain and death. I know, I have felt that too, but, you must know that the Force guides all events. We are Jedi, we are the guardians of balance. We must not fear what will come, we must face it with resolve." she sounded like the teachers she had once had. Many young faces looked as though they did not understand, yet, some other looked as though they had began to understand her. She flicked her green eyes between those resolute children and marked their faces in her mind. Those would be the ones who would lead. Another terrible tremor shook the building. It was not another one of the shots from the corvette though. No, not only did she feel the shaking of the temple but she could feel the hatred and fear in it. Someone out there was a terrible Force user. They had surrendered to the Dark in a way that gave him furious power. This would not end well. Kyra stood. She looked from the children to the door of the room. No. Hiding would not do. They would be sensed. This many Force sensitive children would be a beacon in the Force. She might be able to hide herself but not all of them. The padawan reached up and tossed her hood up. "We need to move. The Temple will fall, but, we shall escape." she reached out and entered the code into the panel by the door turning the screen from a dark red to the bright green meaning 'unlocked'. The door hissed open. The hall was empty, good, best not to fight so early in their flight. The mass of students led by Kyra moved through the halls as quietly as they could. It seemed like all the locked doors were slowing down the progress of the invaders. Good. Let them feel the anger and frustration, let it cloud their minds. Kyra locked every door on her way down to the lower levels, and, now she was locking each door they passed through leaving no trace of their passing. Kyra stopped at the corner of a hall junction. Her eyes were closed. She needed no sight, she had the Force, three soldiers. They were hunting, she could feel their desire to find. Kyra waited until she knew they had turned away from the corner where she waited. The padawan rounded the corner and took three silent steps before throwing herself forward. Her Force powered rush ended in a slide as her lightsaber ignited. The yellow blade was a dazzling flurry as she came up in a crouch among the soldiers. A small gasp escaped one's mouth as the blade brought all of them down. Kyra slowly stood, extending her senses outward. kyra's eyes opened in shock as she felt the shadow cast over her mind. The padawan turned as the literal shadow someone extended through one of the doors that had been opened. This was no soldier. Kyra pulled her saber up into a Makashi guard and waited. This would be a true test.